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Vintage Bathing Suits

Etienne

A-List Customer
Messages
473
Location
Northern California
Today I was on eBay and typed in 40s for the search and then hit Clothing, etc. Then I hit the Vintage option. Wow, I saw lots of vintage swimsuits and lots of vintage playsuits. Who knew they could survive all these years?! I think I wandered into some of the sellers' stores also and found others. Don't know if this is of any help or not.
 

mysterygal

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,667
Location
Washington
ITG...that swimsuit is great! Very good price too...I checked out what they had for dresses as well, looks like I found another place to buy from! :D
 

humblestumble

One of the Regulars
Messages
209
Location
South Texas
Lauren Henline said:
A friend pointed me to Ester Williams Swimwear. A lot of the cuts, if not fabrics, look very similar to those of the late 40's/1950's.

I agree completely! I just found Esther's line of swimwear recently after searching for hours over the cover of a magazine from last year with desperate housewives on the cover dressed in some fancypants guys label of swimwear. His is very expensive and looks similar to hers, but his is all modernized weird.

Oh yea, no you can't knit a suit with acrylic, but there are some elastic blend yarns. I think its an elastic/cotton blend.
 

swinggal

One Too Many
Messages
1,386
Location
Perth, Australia
I love the Esther Williams line. I may have a look for some when I am in the US in September this year.

I'm a bikini girl myself so the mid waist bottoms are great. Funny how they all had the flap of fabric across the crotch area until well into the 50's even. And belly buttons were rarely seen publically til the mid 60s. They are all so flattering and yet you still get called a 'granny' by friends in string bikinis.

The Revamp ones are great but I want something I can swim in. They all look more loungey to me. I have a pair of original 1930s Speedos that are black wool. Very precious.
 

K by the bay

Familiar Face
Messages
63
Location
wilds north of Frisco
I'd show you all a pic of me in my new bathing suit if I knew how to upload pics and if you all wanted to see it. Might be good for a chuckle anyway. I was going to recommend it to the men but it's been discontinued.
 

BettyValentine

A-List Customer
Messages
332
Location
NYC
heh... for a *really* old look, Folkwear pattern #253 says it is a bathing suit from 1890.

It's so cute I had to buy it. Not even a clue where I will ever wear it, certainly not in wool and not in the water! But it was too cute to not get it just in case. ^_^
 

colleency

One of the Regulars
Messages
215
Location
Los Angeles
Colleen-SwimSuitDel1.jpg
 

BettyValentine

A-List Customer
Messages
332
Location
NYC
Hee. I'm going to make mine in white with blue.

(Though in the circles I travel I am probably just going to get asked if I'm supposed to be Sailor Moon.)


BV - Just thought of getting into the water in a white suit. Maybe blue with white is better after all.
 

BettyValentine

A-List Customer
Messages
332
Location
NYC
colleency said:
snipped awesome picture

Ah!! That is too cute! I love the stripes. You look adorable, like you're about to burst into a musical number. I half expect a bunch of bathing-suit-clad chorus girls to join you for backup.


BV - oh, now I want that to happen for real!
 

colleency

One of the Regulars
Messages
215
Location
Los Angeles
BettyValentine said:
You look adorable, like you're about to burst into a musical number. I half expect a bunch of bathing-suit-clad chorus girls to join you for backup.

Wouldn't that be fun!

Actually, the costume and the parasol are real. The picture was taken in my backyard. DH photoshopped me onto the beach in front of the Hotel Del. I'd love to do a real photo shoot there.

I'm glad you guys like my costume. I've only worn it a couple of times. I made it to go to Raging Waters water park, and then we never went!
 

Foofoogal

Banned
Messages
4,884
Location
Vintage Land
That is a cute photo for sure. :eusa_clap I was just trying on bathing suits yesterday and trying to find one with enough features to cover all the problems.
I was thinking about the ladies back then who wore those. What I was thinking was how in the world would you swim. They must of weighed a ton!

http://www.sandysfancypants.blogspot.com
 

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