DARING

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 102, 27 October 1931, Page 8

DARING

♦ NEW SWIMMING COSTUMES SYDNEY AGITATED

(From "The Post's" Representative.) SYDNEY, 15th October. When an appeal was mado in Sydney far "brighter beaches" scores of girls must liavo seen in it a suggestion that they should appear in public in the most daring bathing costumes they could iind. The big city shops, too, were ready to moot the now demands, and tho result has been surprising, if not shocking. Tho costume most favoured has becu one that is entirely backless. Some of them too bavo been almost frontless, and tho climax was reached at Bondi on Saturday afternoon when tho beach inspector warned off two girls who, in his opinion, were indecently .clad. Boudi has no objection to a backless costume, but has decided to insist that most other parts of the body shall bo covered. This attitude seems to bo perfectly reasonable, particylarly as public sun-baking on the open beach is permitted. Most of tho suburban councils find it difficult to fix definite regulations as to the nature of costumes which may be worn on their beaches. Tho old ueck-to-knee idea has long since gone overboard, tho modern maid nowadays preferring a costume practically legless as well as Backless. Power is given to the beach inspectors to see that there is no glaring immodesty, but their task is an extremely difficult one. Tho Mayor of Manly (Alderman Harcourt) says that the girls are going too far and are breaking the bounds of decency on the beaches.. The Sutherland. Council, which controls the Cronulla beach, insists that immediately on leaving tho water a girl shall wear a beach wrap and a man shorts, and anybody failing to abide by this regulation is liable to arrest. Now comes the suggestion that the Government should appoint aboard of censors to examine all swimming costumes before they are sold, and that no costume should be worn unless it has em-' blazoned upon it tho Government hallmark of purity. The backless costumes first appeared last season, and created a stir on many of tho beaches. Efforts • were then made to ban. them. Some girls were warned off, but the next day the number wearing them was* reinforced. And so it wont on until tho situation got quite out of hand and backless costumes were officially "recognised." The present campaign is directed against tho latest frontless costumes..