Women's magazines in the United States from the third quarter of the 19th century show illustrations of bathing costume, but in many instances these publications used European fashion plates. _Harper's Bazar_, (spelled thus until 1929) particularly in its early years, used fashion plates and pattern supplements from its German predecessor _Der Bazar_. Thus, in one issue one can find a fashion plate showing the predominantly bifurcated European bathing suit and, in a column on New York fashions, a separate description of long-skirted bathing dresses with trousers. During the same period _Peterson's Magazine_ had illustrations previously used in the London publication, _Queen's Magazine_. American women seem to have accepted the majority of styles shown in European fashion plates, except for the skirtless bathing suits. The writer of an 1868 column on New York fashions sought to convince his readers to try the more daring European style although he grudgingly admitted that the "Bathing suits made with trousers and blouse waist without skirt are objected to by many ladies as masculine and fast...."[36] This style was in fact, very similar to the costume worn by men when they bathed with the ladies. A year later, the writer of the same fashion column had given up the campaign to dress all women in the skirtless suits and admitted that these imports "... are worn by expert swimmers, who do not wish to be encumbered with bulky clothing."[37] Such practical bathing dress was thus limited to a very small number of progressive women. [36] "New York Fashions," _Harper's Bazar_ (August 8, 1868), vol. 1, no. 41, p. 643. [37] Ibid. (July 10, 1869), vol. 2, no. 28, p. 435. The majority, consisting of those who were strictly bathers, wore the ankle-length drawers beneath a long dress as described or illustrated in the majority of sources that originated in the United States. Why was the European bathing suit not fully adopted by American women? Differences between the bathing customs of the two continents undoubtedly encouraged the development of different dress. While men and women in the United States bathed together freely at the seashore during the latter half of the 19th century, this practice was not widely accepted in England until the early 1900s. In the presence of men, American women probably felt compelled to retain their more concealing dress and drawers. In England swimming seems to have been more popular among women than it was in the United States. While encouraging its readers to swim, during the late 1860s, _Queen's Magazine_ used forceful language of a kind that was not found in American publications until the late 19th century. If swimming was more acceptable as a feminine exercise in England it is understandable why English women were more receptive to a functional, skirtless bathing suit--especially since it was worn only in the presence of other women.