girlfriends

Before or after playing tennis. Hard to say, as they are looking in opposite directions.

The 1940s was the era when the midriff was born, and it was shown in swimsuits as well as playsuits. 1940s swimsuits were tight, unlike the suits of previous era. One-piece swimsuits were still popular, but the new two-piece suit had plenty of fans too. The materials used to make swimsuits our of rayon jersey and rayon jersey blends with knit cotton linings. Many suits had accent panels of a velvet like rayon velour. Some also featured ruching on the front or side panels that were both pretty and figure flattering. The one-piece swimsuit looked like a very tight, short dress. The bra top resembled a full-coverage bra. The suit then extended down into a tight ‘skirt’ that would cover the backside completely. Skirts were either snug fitting around the hips and thighs or loose, called “swing skirts.” Source: medium.com/@riabohra9196/1940s-swimwear-cca03eca4513

Some interesting facts: Tennis arrived in Australia in the 1870’s and soon became a popular social game. Courts began springing up across the country from the big cities to the countryside. Originally partaken by women in Europe it was immediately popular with both sexes in Australia. And since 1900 Australian players have been ranked as some of the best on the world scene. From the early days tennis was instantly popular with women although there was no financial support to help with overseas travel to attend tournaments. However, with the aid of fundraising, Daphne Akhurst made the finals of Wimbledon in 1928. Ten years later, Nancy Bolton was the first Australian woman to play in a USA Championship final. In 1963 and 1964, Lesley Bowery won the French Open Singles titles being the first Australian woman to do so. And in 1961 and 1967 she also won the mixed doubles at Wimbledon. Source: www.chatswoodtennis.com.au/the-history-of-australian-tennis/