Despite the distinction between the two types of bathing apparel, the beach cloak continued to be used by both the serious swimmer and those who stayed safely in the shallows. Some bathing wraps had large collars and were only mid-calf in length. Colorful beach hats, beach parasols, bags, and blankets were used, particularly by the bather who seldom got wet. The acceptance of swimming as a feminine activity provided an impetus for the use of the knitted swimming suit; but standards of modesty had to change before this suit could gain wide acceptance. Bathing dresses of the 19th century had been designed to cover, conceal, and obscure not only the torso but the limbs as well. The swimming suit that was gaining acceptance in the early 1920s not only revealed the arms and a good part of the legs, but actually dared to follow the lines of the torso. Contemporary descriptions, that seem amusingly cautious today, included such statements as "... all Annette Kellerman Bathing Attire is distinguished by an incomparable, daring beauty of fit that always remains refined."[59] Even less cautious was a statement that these bathing suits were "famous ... for their perfect fit and exquisite, plastic beauty of line."[60] [59] _Harper's Bazar_ (June 1920), vol. 55, no. 6, p. 138. [60] Ibid. (June 1921), 54th year, no. 2504, p. 101. The growing numbers of women who wore the new styles of bathing dress were a cause of concern to self-appointed guardians of decency. In 1917 the convention of the American Association of Park Superintendents at New Orleans adopted a series of bathing regulations for city beaches which dealt with the problems of the changing bathing suit. In general these regulations specified that "... No all-white or flesh-colored suits are permitted or suits that expose the chest lower than a line drawn on a level with the arm pits."[61] In regard to ladies' bathing suits these men agreed that Blouse and bloomer suits may be worn with or without stockings, provided the blouse has quarter-arm sleeves or close-fitting arm holes, and provided the bloomers are full and not shorter than four inches above the knee.[62] [61] "Bathing Regulations for City Beaches," _American City_ (May 1917), vol. 16, no. 5, p. 537. [62] Loc. cit. (footnote 61). Regulations for knitted suits were similar, with the added caution that the skirt hem could be no more than two inches above the lower edge of the trunks. As late as 1923 these regulations were in effect at public beaches in Cleveland and Chicago.