Swimwear in the 50s

Ladies of the s sure knew how to make an entrance to the beach or Tiki poolside party. Despite their modesty, s swimsuits and bathing suits had plenty of style and personality.

In my yearly attempt to try a different style of swimsuit damn you two-piece swim dress for being so comfortable! I declare s swimsuits to be the most astonishing. The flattering ruching is out of this world. Some like it hot, indeed. Bygone beach babes.

Swimwear in the 50s

Corsetry was losing ground, but the new more revealing swimsuits really needed experts to design garments that hid faults in a woman's shape. Manufacturers achieved this by adding stretch tummy control panels to hold in the stomach. Fashion swimming costumes could then be worn either strapless or with small straps that buttoned onto the inside or worn halter style as in this example. Even then women were not keen on lighter body marks that may have made a strapless dance dress look less attractive. Women still continued to wear all in one swimwear in the s, rarely wearing a daring two piece bikini. Zips were still used in the centre back of swimsuits retaining the corset like appearance until the early s. Sometimes zips were put in the side seam. The s swimsuits and early 60s were cut straight across the top of the leg in the form of a modesty apron that hid the separate matching fabric crutch. Subtle changes occurred in a few years and the modesty apron style soon looked old fashioned. Each one of the late 's swimsuits above had detachable straps and almost very woman appears to be wearing what we would view as the equivalent of a beach corset! This is particularly noticeable in the mustard version which seems to almost be a coloured corselette. Some of these swim suits were from Marks and Spencers who still make one piece swimwear today. A wide range of fabrics including lined cotton, stretch Lastex and elastic ruched waffle nylon were popular for s swimsuits.

Popular actress Ava Gardner. Esther Williams had her own swimsuit line.

Most of the pictures shown below are of fashion models and pin-up girls. The swimwear is not necessarily what you would have found the average woman wearing to the beach or out in public. Swimwear was tame. And very ladylike. And again, even the skimpiest two piece suit covered the belly button. Technically, any two piece suit is a bikini. But do you know where the name comes from?

Remember those swimsuits that were high-waisted and had ruffles and polka dots galore? Just like our favorite one-pieces with square necklines and floral prints, swimwear has changed quite a bit since the s modest, bombshell styles. These styles were so popular that we still see a lot of them today, especially within the vintage-wear world. Shopping for swimsuits in the s was similar to shopping for them today. The s were vital in the improvement of bathing suit fabrics and fits.

Swimwear in the 50s

Most of the pictures shown below are of fashion models and pin-up girls. The swimwear is not necessarily what you would have found the average woman wearing to the beach or out in public. Swimwear was tame. And very ladylike. And again, even the skimpiest two piece suit covered the belly button. Technically, any two piece suit is a bikini. But do you know where the name comes from? Originally created by Parisian designer Louis Reard in , he named it after the Bikini Atoll, where the atomic bomb was tested! Two piece suits were becoming the norm but the belly button was generally covered. Lower suit bottoms were hitting the market from France and younger girls in particular were beginning to show their courage in wearing them.

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All Rights Reserved. Do not sell my personal information. In my yearly attempt to try a different style of swimsuit damn you two-piece swim dress for being so comfortable! These were usually made in satin cotton and printed with exotic vivid prints. Such swimsuits were even more popular among children. Settings Accept. Get it? I am such a sucker for a good ruche. Betty Grable. For similar retro swimwear you may find something suitable at Popina. Even then women were not keen on lighter body marks that may have made a strapless dance dress look less attractive. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent.

An idea that had begun rather hesitantly in the s evidently touched the roof with a darling collection that was launched in the s. The swimsuits began to lose the straps that tied at the neck or went over the shoulders as a bra-top.

But do you know where the name comes from? Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Corsetry was losing ground, but the new more revealing swimsuits really needed experts to design garments that hid faults in a woman's shape. This is particularly noticeable in the mustard version which seems to almost be a coloured corselette. Bunny Yeager a model turned fashion photographer often made her own suits for her models to wear giving her a leg up on her all male competition. For the beach women liked wrap shirts or button through dresses or simple towelling dresses as cover ups. And very ladylike. Do not sell my personal information. Popular actress Ava Gardner. Non-necessary Non-necessary. Swimwear was tame. Most also used bra cups and boning to give bust support.