11. During the first half of the twentieth century, the US was confronted with a new invention, which was marketed as making "swimming easier". What exactly was this new product, which was modelled by women referred to as "Spruce Girls"?
From Quiz What Will They Think of Next!
Answer:
The wooden bathing suit
"Wear Wood" would certainly have been an interesting campaign, had the wooden bathing suit caught on. Made from spruce, the 1930 May edition of "Popular Science" described the suits as "the latest novelty", claiming that they were a "practical" alternative to the regular bathing suit, especially for those the magazine called "timid" swimmers. However the magazine's final word on the matter was far than comforting, as the article ended with the less than reassuring words, "So far, none of them has warped or cracked"! The suits were created in the state of Washington, in order to promote its lumber industry. However the name of the person who originally came up with the idea is unknown.