Seventy million readers eagerly awaited last month’s release of Sports Illustrated’s annual swimsuit edition, an issue that attracts more than twice the number of readers of a typical issue. But for ...

The link between repressive swimwear and the bikini is the bloomer, popular in the mid-1800s. A garment of wool, linen, or serge was cut into a top and a skirt, under which were cinched “bloomer” ...