Miss America Swimsuit Competition Through the Years
Fresh off the announcement that the Miss America Pageant will no longer include a swimsuit competition, several people on the internet are crediting this decision as a win for women's rights and the Me Too movement. For years, the 96-year-old competition has endured criticism about the sexually-exploitative nature of the swimsuit competition, that required women to appear on stage in a swimsuit, only for judges to rate them according to their physical appearance. As people celebrate the end of an era, it's important to look back at the issues and culture that kept the swimsuit competition going for as long as it did — and why the competition was ultimately eliminated.
Getty Images1/71921 Miss America Pageant
The swimsuit contest dates all the way back to the first-ever Miss America pageant hosted in 1921 in Atlantic City. Pageant contestants of all sizes wore one-piece swimsuits that were considered culturally acceptable for women to wear at the time.
Getty Images2/71935 Miss America Pageant
Just 14 years after the first Miss America Pageant, the swimsuit competition went through a serious transition. Contestants competed in high-waisted bikinis, a departure from the one-piece swimsuit that was considerably more revealing.
Bettmann3/71955 Miss America Pageant
Despite World War II forcing a significant number of women to enter the workforce, women were still judged for their physical appearance outside of the office and factories. During the 1955 Miss America Pageant, contestants smiled on stage wearing one-piece swimsuits and heels, unlike what Rosie the Riveter sported only a few years prior.
Bettmann/Getty Images4/71970 Miss America Pageant
Although hippies were letting their hair hang free and wearing oversized dresses without bras, the swimsuit competition carried on into the '70s. Since the 1930s, tight, short swimsuits had been the standard, and 40 years later, it remained the same.
Getty Images5/71999 Miss America Pageant
Towards the later part of the 20th century, bikinis became the new standard swimsuit worn by Miss America contestants. Bikinis revealed more of women's bodies, which were inspected and even rated as they walked across the stage.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images6/72007 Miss America Pageant
Calls to end the swimsuit competition became more and more prevalent in the early 2000s, yet the pageant remained firm. Toned abs and a tanned body became a popular image among the bikini generation of contestants.
Getty Images7/72018 Miss America Pageant
The Time's Up Movement put heavy pressure on the 2018 Miss America pageant, highlighting its tendency to sexually exploit the contestants. Following today's announcement, the 2018 participants are officially the last group of women to compete in Miss America's swimsuit competition.
