Beachwear not only refers to clothing suitable for being worn on a beach but beachwear is also a form of casual summer clothes which can be worn away from the beach.

History of beachwear
Before the invention of the railways, there was little need for beachwear ,but the proliferation of rail travel in the mid 1800s made it possible for large numbers of people to visit coastal regions and therefore a need for beachwear was established. Before beachwear, there were no specific items of clothing for wearing at the beach but the increased popularity of coastal regions due to ease of travel created a need for beachwear. Most modern summer clothes can be quickly transformed into beachwear. Transformable beachwear makes spontaneous trips to the beach possible and reduces the need to take spare beachwear with you. Good beachwear dries quickly and will not crease. Beachwear encompasses not only swimwear, but also summer clothes which can be worn on a warm day, on the beach or in town.

Swimwear
In the past, as an alternative to swimwear some people used their day clothes as make-shift swimwear. The fashion history of swimwear therefore, took its lead from ordinary dress and the outfits were very modest almost totally covering the body.

History of Swimwear
In Roman times swimwear was mostly non-existent. In some settings coverings were used. Murals at Pompeii show women wearing two-piece suits as a form of swimwear, similar to a bikini of c. 1960. The 'swimwear' of 18th century was "bathing gowns" in the water; these were long dresses of fabrics that would not become transparent when wet, with weights sewed into the hems so that they would not rise up in the water. The 'swimwear' of 19th century for women was a long gown and trousers with leggings going down to the ankles. In the Victorian era, popular beach resorts were equipped with bathing machines, to avoid being seen, or seeing other people in swimwear. After this swimwear became less conservative, uncovering the arms, then the legs and then collars receded. The first bikinis were introduced just after World War II. This two-piece swimwear was named after Bikini Atoll, the site of nuclear weapons tests for their supposed explosive effect on the viewer. Through the 1950s, it was thought proper for the lower part of the swimwear to come up high enough to cover the navel. From the 1960s on swimwear shrank in all directions In the 1980s the thong or "tanga" came out of Brazil and is now a fashionable piece of swimwear.

History of some items of summer clothes. There are many cultural associations with summer. Commercials touting summer may involve beach imagery, including swimwear, beach balls and surf boards. Summer clothes includes shorts, tops, sun dresses, sunglasses, and sandals.

Stretch tank tops are popular summer clothes, taking their name from their resemblance to a tank suit, a style of one-piece women's swimsuit with shoulder straps. Tank tops have been popular summer clothes since the 1980s. Cropped pants are summer clothes often just called capris and are a style of trouser. They are designed to end near the mid-calf or just below the calf. Tank tops are sleeveless shirts that can be worn by either sex as summer clothes. The name derives from its resemblance to a tank suit, a style of one-piece women's swimsuit with shoulder straps. Tank suit refers to "swimming tank," an obsolete term for what are now called "swimming pools." Tank tops have been popular summer clothes since the 1980s and are regarded as acceptable public casual dress. Capri pants became popular during the 1960's, largely due to the influence of the popular television series The Dick Van Dyke Show and soon became important high fashion summer clothes in the UK. After a drop in popularity during the 1970's through the 1990's, Cropped pants have once again become a dominant trend. "Daisy Dukes" are extremely short, form-fitting, denim cut-off shorts worn by young women, originally in the USA. They were so named after the character of Daisy Duke in the early 1980's The Dukes of Hazard. The appearances on the television show created a nationwide craze. Short shorts soon became a must-have when shopping for summer clothes "Skorts" are shorts that have a piece of fabric in front so that from the front it resembles a skirt. It is a contraction of "skirt" and "short". Now worn as summer clothes by young girls both as beachwear and about town.

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