MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – What do bathing suits have to do with women’s right to vote? Quite a bit, according to a unique fundraiser today at the Marquette Regional History Center.
Carrie Meoon-Dupree of the League of Women Voters of Michigan presented a collection of vintage to modern swimwear, highlighting how style has reflected the evolution of women’s rights in the u.S. From Victorian era, full-length swimming gowns, to the modern bikini, the presentation looks at parallels between the size of a swimsuit and the amount of rights gained by women.
“I used the history of women’s bathing suits and what was happening sociologically, politically, during each era when women got the right to vote, and who decided what they could wear. If I had said I was doing a program on that, nobody would come,” said swimsuit historian Carrie Meoon-Dupre.
Members of the NMU women’s swim team showed off the collection, while coach Heidi Voigt showcased how competitive swimwear has changed as women’s participation in sports has grown.
Proceeds support the League of Women Voters of Marquette County and its mission of nonpartisan voter education and engagement.
