Bringing the Bikini Into Medieval Times

Question

Okay, so this question is a follow-up to Just How Dangerous Would a Plopup Be? and covers the simple fact that the bikini didn't exist in the medieval period.

However, the Plopup have managed to come up with the same concept and are willing to invest heavily in making it a reality. This will be quite difficult, owing to:

1. Counterproductive Fashions

It doesn't take a genius to realize that medieval fashion was much, much more modest than today's, and that the bikini would be heartstoppingly scandalous for the time period.

2. Religious Superpowers

Medieval Europe was split into two by the Orthodox Church and Catholicism. The only other religious superpower in medieval times was Islam, and none of these religions, as far as I know, would favor this garment.

However, aside from that, [Plops] can be a cheap source of spandex (please click on the link and see the comments on Dewi Morgan's answer for clarification) and A) when it was first introduced, the bikini was scandalous and B) Classes (like Seamstress and Weaver) ensure the advanced knowledge required to make a modern-style swimsuit.

In other words, it can be done. However, the Plopup's goal is to make the bikini a mainstream garment, much like it is today. Thus, this question is How To Successfully Bring The Bikini Into Medieval Times.

Specifically, my question is "how can the Plopup successfully introduce the bikini and make it mainstream when medieval culture and religion would have to change dramatically for that very thing to happen?"

Please Note: I'm not writing a story about bringing a modern fashion into a medieval world, I'm just trying to figure out how it can be accomplished. In other words, I'm not asking you to give me a plot or write a story for me.

You see, I know the bikini would be unacceptable by medieval standards but don't know how to change that. However, if I don't figure this out, then the second people from Earth come into Alendyias (through a video game, and I believe we all know how fanservice-y those are), the relative immodesty of their clothing will result in huge negative backlash.

In other words, medieval culture and fashion has to change before then so people from Earth don't suffer due to fanservice-loving game designers.

Specifications For Best Answer:

1. The best answer will take medieval culture (European or Islamic) into account and have a step-by-step process to accomplish the Plopup's two goals (1. introducing the bikini and 2. making it mainstream). In other words, it will name the major changes in fashion and culture necessary to accomplish these twin goals and establish how to institute them.

Thank you for your input and feedback, if there are problems with the question please let me know. Thank you.

Answer 1

It might not be as difficult as you imagine. In the early part of the medieval period, communal bathing was relatively common. The church fought against this, of course, but it took them quite some time before they actually managed to start affecting the practice.

It is also worth noting that something akin to a bikini was already worn much earlier in the roman empire, albiet as athletic gear rather than swimwear: https://www.ancientworldmagazine.com/articles/roman-girls-bikinis-mosaic-villa-romana-del-casale-sicily/

perhaps the best way to introduce bikinis to a medieval society is to re-create the olympics from a few centuries earlier, and allow female participants.

Answer 2

I note that medieval Europe stretched from Portugal to Euorpean Russia, and from Greenland and Iceland to the Byzantine Empire and Georgia. And the medieval period lasted for about 977 years from 476 to 1453, or about 1,000 years afrom 500 to 1500, or a very long period when fashions changed over decades and centuries no matter what start or stop dates are used.

So what was acceptable in one duchy or kingdom might be considered unacceptable in another duchy or kingdom. What was acceptable at one time might be considered unacceptable in another century, or possibly even in another decade.

For example, in some medieval Euorpean times and places, it was necessary for some women of some social status to cover their hair.

In medieval Europe, there were many distinct codes regarding how a woman should wear her hair, but they all pretty much boiled down to one specific line of thinking: covered hair meant a woman was virtuous, uncovered hair meant she was not so virtuous. Married women were supposed to cover their hair in public in all circumstances, and the only way to get out of it was to be in Italy, where they didn't care.

https://www.bustle.com/articles/128403-5-bizarre-historical-beliefs-about-womens-hair[1]

Married women in Northern and Western Europe wore some type of headcovering. The barbet was a band of linen that passed under the chin and was pinned on top of the head; it descended from the earlier wimple (in French, barbe), which was now worn only by older women, widows, and nuns. The barbet was worn with a linen fillet or headband, or with a linen cap called a coif, with or without a couvrechef (kerchief) or veil overall.[28] It passed out of fashion by mid-century. Unmarried girls simply braided the hair to keep the dirt out.

The barbet and fillet or barbet and veil could also be worn over the crespine, a thick hairnet or snood. Over time, the crespine evolved into a mesh of jeweler's work that confined the hair on the sides of the head, and even later, at the back. This metal crespine was also called a caul, and remained stylish long after the barbet had fallen out of fashion.[29] For example, it was used in Hungary until the beginning of the second half of the 15th century, as it was used by the Hungarian queen consort Barbara of Celje around 1440.

Uncovered hair was acceptable for women in the Italian states. Many women twisted their long hair with cords or ribbons and wrapped the twists around their heads, often without any cap or veil. Hair was also worn braided. Older women and widows wore a veil and wimple, and a simple knotted kerchief was worn while working. In the image at right, one woman wears a red hood draped over her twisted and bound hair.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1300%E2%80%931400_in_European_fashion[2]

Veils or other head coverings appear in art depicting northern European women beginning with the Romans, however this is not universal.[15] More pervasive use of headcoverings, especially for married women, appears to follow the Christianization of the various Germanic tribes.

The pagan Vikings, especially the women, dressed rather differently from most of Europe, with uncovered female hair, and an outer dress made of a single length of cloth, pinned with brooches at both shoulders.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_medieval_European_dress[3]

So in some parts of medieval Europe a woman stranger could possibly get in trouble if seen with uncovered hair.

I also note that the farther north in Europe one goes, the shorter will be the seasons when wearing bikinis is comfortable.

I note that in medieval Europe slavery was not nearly as common as serfdom, but there were varying numbers of slaves in various medieval European societies. And I suppose at a slave market some of the men, women, eunuchs, and children might be displayed naked.

It has been pointed out that people usually slept and bathed naked. I note that Emperor Frederick I drowned in a river during the Third Crusade. He probably fell off his horse trying to cross it. But this goofy medieval illustrations shows him swimming naked, except for the crown he wears:

https://www.historyandheadlines.com/june-10-1190-emperor-frederick-barbarossa-drowns-third-crusade/[4]

I also note that for most of the middle ages in most of Europe most men would have usually worn tunics or robes which covered about half to all of their legs, instead of the typial more tairlored style outfits which are usually considered medieval, and which were not intoroduced untilteh 14th century (1301-1400).

So even if a modern day man knows ahead of time he will be going back in time to medieval Europe and tries to dress in what he thinks is "typical" medieval style, he might still look very strange in the earlier middle ages.