Wetlook World Forum

While it makes sense to insist that clothes, and especially shoes and boots should be clean, and not made of dyes and colours that will run if immersed in water, in general, most clothing lends itself very well to the swimmer. In the open air, fair skinned people will get sunburn easily and so wearing a long shirt and trousers/skirts, will help to provide some protection. In an age when the harmful effects of UV rays are well known, others should also consider wearing clothes rather than bikinis. This applies especially in water, which often reflects sunlight more intensely.

Clothing is remarkably buoyant. Life-saving classes teach us to swim in jeans and long jumpers or pajamas that can actually be turned into floats.  A poor swimmer would actually be more lifted by their clothing than they would in swimwear.

Many Muslim people and those of other religions wear clothes that cover their bodies at all times in the company of others. This includes when they are going swimming, but the ban on clothing at many pools can amount to a ban on a strict religious principle for many.  Others may well use clothes to cover skin blemishes, cellulite, fat, and scars that they might otherwise be very self-conscious about.

For many, swimming in clothes is just plain old-fashioned fun. Interestingly, the author of the piece dissing wetlook fans also denounces those who wear skimpy bathing outfits. There is a very puritanical stance being taken here. To some, it is a chance to rebel against the ‘you must keep your clothes clean and tidy’ brigade, to get clothes soaked and even muddy. For many, including myself, wet clothing actually accentuates the human form, in the way that it floats out under water, and clings alluringly above the surface. The patterns of sheen and soak through are fascinating. Generally I am more impressed by a dark outfit than a white one that goes more transparent.

Shoes and boots are useful if on a beach or even at some pools. I once witnessed the bloodbath when someone in a public park tipped broken glass into a paddling pool. Many people, especially children gashed their bare feet open on the debris before the pool was closed. Generally heavy boots will slow down swimming, while lighter ones like sandals or trainers, as long as they are clean, let the feet get wet and don’t stop the swimmer being able to move more freely.

With public pools, some basic guidelines on what is and isn’t acceptable clothing to wear should be posted. Normally I would not go to a pub or club that had a dress code, (with a few exceptions, i.e., football team shirts), if I did the same with swimming pools, I would have few places in which I could swim at all. Some pools could organize days on which clothed swimming is approved, or even encouraged. Clothes that are mucky, sweaty, or straight out of work should be disallowed, along with things like heavy donkey jackets that would weigh a swimmer down, but few would be daft enough to swim in such anyhow.  There is clearly a strong interest in wetlook so it would be good to capitalize on it and make it make money. Swimming is healthy and good for us. Swimming in clothes is good exercise. If we can’t swim, we just become couch potatoes, dressed or undressed. People will swim in what they want to wear, nit what someone dictates to hem that they must wear. I would sooner swim in jeans and tee shirt than trunks. If they see me, most people would also appreciate me covered up more than exposed.