Guest Author - Norma Shephard
At a time when suburbia was in its infancy and backyard pools promised a luxury lifestyle, swimsuits were not only structured with hidden corsetry, but were fully accessorized with straw hats, beach bags, rubber bathing caps, bold sunglasses, cabana jackets, and sarong cover-ups. Televised beauty pageants with their trademark swimsuit competitions, did much to further the popularity of the high fashion swimsuit and were the genesis for specialized swimsuit glamour photography.
During the 1950s, swimsuit designers ensured that fit was key, and flattering styles could be found to enhance every figure. How could they not? Bathing suits rivaled evening gowns and sundresses with their glamorous styling and meticulous dressmaking details. Designers like Tina Leser, Orry Kelly, Edith Head, Travis Banton, Mary Ann DeWeese, and Netty Rosentein achieved hourglass silhouettes through the use of boning, inner corsetry, padded bra cups, elasticized tummy panels, lycra,and careful seaming.
In addition, dressmaking details were used to draw the eye away from figure flaws and toward figure features with techniques such as bust-line embellishments and petal skirts. Buttons and bows, rickrack and ruching, smocking and tucking added impact to all suit designs whether they were the one-piece maillot style, the two piece bathing suit, or the bikini. In 1952, for example, swimsuit bodices boasted pompon fringe and wing-dings — contrast fabric bust-line flaps which could be tilted up to minimize a large bust or slanted down to enhance a small one. These flaps mimicked the tailfins which characterized the cars of that era.
While brightly-colored plaids, polka dots, and prints were popular for cotton bathing suits, glittery metallics like gold and silver lamé also made the scene. Swimsuits of the 1950s are especially popular with vintage fashion collectors, with particularly nice examples fetching $350 - $500. They are easily identified by their sturdy fabrication, inner corset-like construction, and modest bikini-line coverage. Most were cut in a straight line at the bikini line, shortening the leg but emphasizing an hour-glass silhouette with an elongated torso. Many were belted and some were fitted with metal zippers. Removable straps and/or halter necklines which could be untied, aided sunbathing and help distinguish suits from this era. Matching mother-and-daughter swimsuits are another iconic feature of 1950s swimsuit marketing strategies.
Swimsuit advertising posters of the 1950s — which are also highly collectible — embody the spirit of the times and exemplify both the male and female silhouette, emblematic of that fashion period. Magazine ads and cardboard posters promoting high fashion swimsuits by Janzen, Gantner, Cole, and Hollywood present an idealized image of the 1950s lifestyle. Bril-creamed male models in boxer-style lycra swim trunks worn high to cover the navel, lounge poolside, while sleekly coiffed pin-up girls in red lipstick and dark eyebrow pencil strike alluring poses in their highly structured pool and beachwear.
The Mobile Millinery Museum & Costume Archive (www.thehatmuseum.org) is home to many fine examples which were donated to us by original owners who kept them for decades because of their nostalgic fashion appeal. 1950s swimsuits and the posters that advertised them can be found in good condition in a range of prices through a careful search of internet auction sites. Vintage-inspired swimsuits are also available for purchase online, but stitchers and dressmakers can easily replicate the designs at home with a vintage pattern and a little inspiration from period photos.
