1789 W. Hutton 42 A few [bathers] travel from their apartments in their water dress.
1862 3 219 And then Brian put on his water dress..and he made a water leap; and it is said that he was for a fortnight walking in the salt water seeking the Island of Fianchairé.
1906 XIII. 422/2 His [sc. Leonard Norcross's] greatest invention was the diving suit or ‘water dress’, as he called it, patented June 14, 1834.