Photo/Illutration A demo image of Footmark’s unisex separate swimsuit product on models (Provided by Footmark)

Genderless swimsuits, which have unisex designs and do not highlight sexual differences, are emerging as an option for children who don’t like being seen in a swimsuit. 

Footmark, a manufacturer of products including swimming supplies based in Tokyo's Sumida Ward, in June released a unisex swimsuit product that it labeled as the first school swimsuit of its kind.

The swimsuit, designed and offered in a set of a top and a bottom, features a loose silhouette that does not show off the wearer’s body lines. Company officials said the bathing suit product also prevents sunburn because it covers large skin areas of the wearer.

To lessen the awkwardness of swimming in it, the product is made of a material that does not readily stick to the skin and has air holes.

Footmark set about developing the unisex swimsuit after the company began receiving a growing number of inquiries from school officials asking about the availability of swimsuits that meet the desires of LGBT students and of loose-fitting swimming suits that conceal the body’s shape, said Reiko Sano, who developed the product at the company.

The genderless swimsuit was widely discussed on social media after it was released.

While only 10 schools at the time were considering the product for potential introduction next year, the release evoked such a public response that 100 schools, as of mid-July, were already considering utilizing the suits.

“Current schoolchildren’s parents who have bad memories of school swimsuits likely embraced our product because they are delightfully unexpected,” Sano said. “I hope children will fondly remember their swimming classes.”

Genderless swimsuits are attracting consumer attention on online retailing websites as well. “Gender-free children’s items” made it onto a list of trend projections for this summer that Rakuten released in June.

In fact, the sales value of children’s rash guards on the Rakuten Ichiba online marketplace between May and July was up a brisk 60 percent or so year on year. Sales are particularly strong for products with simple and unisex designs, officials said.

“Such products are being preferred for their loose silhouettes, ease of changing into them and their effectiveness in sunburn prevention,” a Rakuten Group Inc. official said.

“Parents of children who attend schools where students are allowed to freely choose their own bathing suits are actively seeking these swimsuits,” the official added.

(This article was written by Hikari Kanazawa and Emi Hirai.)

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