In those days people in the upper class enjoyed sea bathing in western-style swimwear (bathing suits), but western-style swimming suits were still too expensive for commoners and so they swam wearing fundoshi (rokushaku fundoshi) or mizugoromo (water robes).
当時の上流階級は洋装の水着（水泳着）で海水浴を勤しんだが、まだまだ洋装の水着（水泳着）は庶民には高価で、一般庶民の水着は褌（六尺褌）や水衣が一般的なものであった。