Wool swimsuits cling to the skin and helped some swimmers feel warmer.

Prior to the 1940s, swimsuits were generally made from wool before synthetic fibers became the de facto standard among swimsuit manufacturers.

When Hollywood actresses like Joan Crawford, Loretta Young, Jean Harlow and Marlene Dietrich were seen with Lastex, a material that had first been used in the manufacture of girdles, the wool swimsuits had seen their last days at retail.

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