The Speedo boomerang logo

Speedo is a swimsuit manufacturer. A logo ( Greek el λογότυπος = el-Latn logotypos is a graphical element ( Ideogram, Symbol, Emblem, Icon, Sign) A swimsuit, bathing suit or swimming costume is an item of Clothing designed to be worn for Swimming. The company was started by a young Scot named Alexander MacRae, who migrated to Australia in 1910, and set up an underwear manufacture business called MacRae Hosiery manufacturers on Bondi Beach, Sydney. The Scots people ( Scots Gaelic: Albannaich) are a Nation and an Ethnic group indigenous to Scotland. Alexander MacRae (born circa 1892 was an entrepreneur and clothing manufacturer Bondi Beach (pronounced "BOND-eye" or /'bɒndaɪ/ is a popular Beach and the name of the surrounding Suburb in Sydney, Australia Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4

Today the company is headquartered in Nottingham, England, and is owned by the London based Pentland Group. Nottingham ( is a city in the Ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Pentland Group plc is a privately held global brand management company based in the UK involved in the sports outdoor and fashion markets The company is the world's largest selling swimwear brand and manufactures products for both recreational and competitive swimming. A swimsuit, bathing suit or swimming costume is an item of Clothing designed to be worn for Swimming. A brand is a collection of Images and ideas representing an economic producer more specifically it refers to the descriptive verbal attributes and concrete symbols such as a Swimming is the movement by humans or animals through Water, usually without artificial assistance Its trademark is a red boomerang-shaped logo. A boomerang is a simple implement used for various purposes It is primarily associated with Australian Aborigines but has been found amongst peoples of North

History

The company was founded in 1914 by hosiery manufacturer Alexander MacRae as McRae Hosiery manufacturers and then MacRae Knitting Mills^[1] in an effort to expand his company into swimwear. Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Hosiery is knitted coverings for the legs and feet Also referred to as legwear hosiery describes garments worn directly on the feet and Legs The term Alexander MacRae (born circa 1892 was an entrepreneur and clothing manufacturer In 1928 the name Speedo was first adopted after the firm developed its Racerback design of swimwear,^[2] making it one of the first manufacturers to specifically produce athletic designs. Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A racerback is a type of women's Swimsuit design common today among Competitive swimwear and incorporated into some types of women's clothing The name was made up by a Captain Jim Parsons who won a company competition with the slogan "Speed on in your Speedos. "^[2]

During World War II the manufacturer shifted nearly all of its production to war materials such as mosquito nets. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including A mosquito net offers Protection against Mosquitos flies, and other Insects and thus against diseases such as Malaria. Speedo resumed production after the war and became a publicly traded corporation in 1951. A corporation is a separate legal entity usually used to conduct business Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January In 1955 Speedo introduced nylon into its fabric for competitive swimwear. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) Overview Nylon is a Thermoplastic silky material first used commercially in a nylon- Bristled Toothbrush (1938 followed more famously by The 1956 Olympics in Melbourne saw the widespread debut of the new fabric and the introduction of the style of men's briefs that has become associated with the brand. Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 For other uses of Brief(s see Brief Briefs are a type of short tight Y-shaped Underwear and Swimwear, as opposed The company quickly expanded into the international arena from there until the present, boasting that 70 percent of swimming medals were won by athletes wearing its products in the Olympic Games of 1968, 1972, and 1976. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1976 ( MCMLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

During the 1970s and '80s, new fabrics such as lycra were incorporated into the company's swimwear design. Spandex or elastane is a Synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. During the late 1990s the company turned its attention to its aquablade and fastskin product lines of competitive swimwear. The designs employ new fabrics that the company claims will reduce resistance in the water by replicating biological skin characteristics of various marine animals such as sharks. Sharks ( Superorder Selachimorpha) are a type of Fish with a full cartilaginous Skeleton and a highly streamlined body

In March 2007 in an attempt to appeal to a younger audience, Speedo's collaboration with Japanese brand Comme des Garcons hit UK fashion store Topshop with a collection of classic women's Speedos decorated with quirky Comme des Garcons designs. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Comme des Garçons, French for "like boys" is a Japanese fashion label headed by Rei Kawakubo, who is also its sole owner Topshop is a chain of clothing stores that operates in over 100 countries including the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. ^[3]

Products

Though it still manufactures the traditional briefs, jammers, and racerback designs that made the company famous, Speedo's latest competitive swimwear designs incorporate suits that provide greater coverage to the arms, legs, and even full body for their top end lineup. Their high-end suits often sell for in excess of US$300 for the Fastskin II and FS Pro series. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been The company also continues to manufacture recreational swimwear, goggles, earplugs, swim caps, towels, robes, sportswear and other logo clothing, watches, sandals, beach volleyball and triathlon products, lifeguard gear, and training supplies for competitive and recreational swimmers. Goggles or safety glasses are forms of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the eye area in order to prevent particulates water or chemicals from A swim cap, or bathing cap, is a Silicone, Latex or Lycra cap worn on the head by recreational and competitive swimmers. Sportswear (or Active attire) is Clothing, including Footwear, worn for Sport or exercise A logo ( Greek el λογότυπος = el-Latn logotypos is a graphical element ( Ideogram, Symbol, Emblem, Icon, Sign) A triathlon is an endurance sports event consisting of Swimming, cycling and Running over various distances A lifeguard is an Emergency service worker who is responsible for overseeing the Safety of the users of a recreational water feature such as a Swimming

On February 12, 2008, the company launched the LZR Racer suit, made of a new Hi-Tech Swimwear Fabric composed of a light weight woven fabric with polyurethane panels to reduce drag. Events 1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The LZR Racer Suit (pronounced as Laser) is a line of high-end swim suits manufactured by Speedo using a High-technology swimwear fabric composed of woven High-technology swimwear fabrics are scientifically advanced materials used for swimwear in competitive Water sports such as Swimming and Triathlon. ^[4][5] This suit has been developed in association with NASA and the Australian Institute of Sport as well as the support of Speedo's sponsored athletes, and it is claimed once again to be the world's fastest swimsuit^[6]. This will be the focus of Speedo's campaign for the Beijing Olympics, spearheaded by Michael Phelps of the US, recent winner of seven Olympic Medals. It also continues the collaboration with Comme des Garcons introducing an element of fashion to a performance suit for the first time. As of May 12, 2008, 37 world records have been broken in the new LZR Racer suit. Events 1191 - Richard I of England marries Berengaria of Navarre. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common As a result of the success of the swimming suit, some people have asked for a review of the suit and if the suit is ethical when it comes to the sport of swimming. ^[7][8]

Competition

Many of sportswear and designer fashion companies, such as Nike and Adidas have expanded their merchandise to reflect recent trends in water sport (and present direct competition to Speedo), offering multiple lines of sports swimwear and fashion based swimwear. Nike Inc ('naɪki ( is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. WikipediaManual of Style (trademarks, which says "Lowercased trademarks with no internal

Athletes

Some athletes who have been sponsored by the Speedo brand include Grant Hackett, Michael Klim, Megan Jendrick, Greg Louganis, Janet Evans, Michael Phelps,^[9] Lewis Gordon Pugh, Natalie Coughlin, Amanda Beard, Dawn Fraser, Wu Peng and Kosuke Kitajima. Grant George Hackett OAM (born May 9, 1980) is an Australian swimmer most famous for winning the men's 1500 metres freestyle Michael Klim OAM (born August 13, 1977) is a Polish -born Australian swimmer Megan Jendrick (born Megan Quann on January 15 1984 in Tacoma Washington) is an American swimmer. Gregory ("Greg" Efthimios Louganis (born January 29 1960 in El Cajon California) is an American diver who is best known for winning back-to-back Janet Elizabeth Evans (born August 28, 1971) is a American competitive Swimmer. Michael Fred Phelps (born June 30 1985 is an American swimmer. Lewis Gordon Pugh (born 5 December 1969) is a British environmentalist swimmer maritime lawyer and explorer Natalie Anne Coughlin (born August 23, 1982) is an American Swimmer who has represented the United States at the Amanda Ray Beard (born October 29 1981 in Newport Beach California) is an Olympic-level swimmer and model from the United States of America Dawn Lorraine Fraser AO, MBE (born on 4 September 1937 is an Australian champion swimmer is a Japanese World record holder and multiple Olympic gold medalist Breaststroke Swimmer.

References

External links

• Speedo Shop - Official Website
• Speedo USA