In the 1870s the rare descriptions of this more functional garment--called "swimming suit" even at this early date--were limited to a sentence or two buried within long columns of fine print describing popular bathing apparel. One mentions a "... single knitted worsted garment, fitting the figure, with waist and trousers in one."[49] Another was made without sleeves as "one garment, the blouse and trousers being cut all in one, like the sleeping garments worn by small children."[50] These more practical bifurcated garments probably derived from the European suit of the 1860s that had been rejected by the majority of American women. For example, an English source reported that in 1866 the following garment was worn: "... Swimming Costume, a body and trousers cut in one, secures perfect liberty of action and does not expose the figure."[51] [49] Ibid. (July 13, 1872), vol. 5, no. 28, p. 459. [50] Ibid. (July 25, 1874), vol. 7, no. 30, p. 475. [51] As quoted in C. WILLETT CUNNINGTON, _English Women's Clothing in the 19th Century_ (New York: Thomas Yoseloff, 1958), p. 225. The descriptions of American swimming suits, however brief, offered evidence that the pastime was growing in popularity with women. Generally speaking, 19th century women's magazines were mere disseminators of fine and decorous ideas and practices for well-mannered ladies; their editors were not innovators. With such an editorial policy it is understandable that these magazines would not, as a rule, publicize trends of popular origin until they were fairly well established. The skirtless swimming suit of the 1870s was no doubt more common in the United States than its meager description in _Harper's Bazar_ would seem to indicate. As long as feminine swimming was not generally accepted, however, efforts to develop practical swimming suits remained isolated owing to the lack of communication between manufacturer and consumer and to traditional attitudes. Feminine interest in swimming and physical activities threatened belief in the "weaker-sex" that contributed to maintaining the traditional masculine and feminine roles; efforts to develop functional swimming dress also attacked established standards of feminine modesty. These challenges to the status quo were met with the weapon of the complacent majority--silence. Consequently, from the third quarter of the 19th century, when we find the first reference to a specialized garment for swimming in the United States, writings on swimming costume appeared infrequently until the 1920s.