Ho ho ho - said Santa ! He certainly wasn't expecting to find these lovelies waiting at the bottom of the chimney! If you're a vintage fashion fanatic, you really can't complete any outerwear wardrobe without the luxury of genuine 1940s and 1950s style lingerie, corsets and hosiery. From the queen of vintage faux lingerieWhat katie Did. Their devine range of bras, corsets, shapewear, fully fashioned stockings and hosiery should warm any girls heart [ and her loved one ! ] this winter. And if you are lucky enough to be in the southern hemisphere, then it's summer time ! and what a beautiful range they have of vintage retro style swimwear ! To much to resist ? We think so !
Inspired by the vintage era of the 1940's and 1950's in particular, What Katie Did is the epitome of feminine glamour for women. harkening back to Edwardian fashion, their waist cinchers and beautiful range of corsets are mouth watering to say the least.
Stripes, Parasols,tunics and snoods were summer favourites in the late 1940's. The playdress was just the thing for sports." Her gaudy stocking cap is a pet !". Boleros and belts were common to the beach fashion ensemble. Wedge shoes were a must for the hot days. Cool, comfortable and extremely smart.They were the most popular sports shoe of the summer in the late 1940's Featured here is a black and white pair.
Perhaps more than any other garment, the swimsuit has changed beyond all recognition in the last century. One of the most appealing aspects of early 20th century womens swimwear fashion, was the gradual uncovering of her body again after the stuffy and repressed days of the Victorian era. In those days, women were expected to wear even more clothing when they went to the beach!
The Edwardian years saw a gradual change in attitudes, thanks in part to the French women in post first world war Deauville and Biarritz , and to the growing influence of the USA in womens liberation. Liberation of her knees that is - the pursuit of equal rights is still on the agenda in 2010 .
Knitted swimwear was the first big change. very naughty at the time by all counts, those early images of daring women are priceless.Caps were usually made of uncomfortable rubberized fabric, which discouraged many women from going for anything more than a paddle.
Looking at the timeline of Vintage Swimwear design, some major companies come to mind - in particular the famous Jantzen Swimsuit.
Founded in Portland in 1910, The Jantzen Knitting Mill coined the term swimsuit, instead of bathing costume. Jantzens infamous red diving girl logo came to epitomise the 1920's flappers new found freedom. Hollywood played their part and Max Sennetts Bathing Belles began to adorn magazine advertising all over America.
The popular one piece swimwear design for the 1920's resembled the minidress of the 1960's, and even employed the use of tights! Bathing caps were now made from stretch latex rubber , and were beginning to become a fashion accessory.
She adapted the more traditional tank top Mailott or One piece Swimsuit and designed the first backless swimsuit to allow a woman to get a more even tan to show off in her evening dress.
Lucien Lelong designed the hugely popular one piece jersey belted swimsuits, shown below by Vogue photographer George Hoyningen-Huene
As the 1930's progressed, womens swimsuits had grown a lot shorter.
In 1935 Claire McCardell, the creator of the American Look, took a pair of scissors to this and created the first two piece, which was the forerunner of the Bikini.
Louis Réard unveiled his Bikini in 1946, though two piece swimwear had been around for a good decade by now. He could not find anyone who was willing to wear this stringy skimpy excuse for a swimsuit and subsequently hired model Micheline Bernardini - pictured below to pose.
It caused a sensation, and still finds its way into the average womans swimming attire to this day. For the record Reard claimed that you do not have a ' genuine' bikini unless you can pull it through your wedding ring!
Cannes Film Festival became the glamour capital for a while with the likes of Brigitte Bardot and Diana Dors turning up in Bikinis.
Most women however stuck with the one piece swimwear. The forerunner of todays Miraclesuit Swimwear was the Corset swimsuit which became popular for women not blessed with a perfectly toned body. Faced with a drop in sales, traditional corsetry manufacturers branched out. Soon, tummy panels and boning with bra cups began to creep into designs. Apron designs were popular and skirted two piece outfits also.
Wide Hips - One piece skirted suits or Apron suits
Thick waist - Single color one piece swimsuit - avoid floral designs.
Big Tummy - The Miraclesuit is ideal, either way look for swimwear with tummy support.
If you don't suffer from these ' normal' body shapes, then - lucky you!
We'll leave off with a charming fashion film from the late 1940's featuring some of the latest 1940's swimwear design. Time to throw off the clothes and expose that pale skin girls.
The principle design factor of was to be figure flattering - often incorporating the new stretch fabrics to offer tummy support and hourglass shape to a womans figure.This marked a major departure in the history of vintage swimwear
In 1946, the shocking introduction of the bikini threw the swimsuit fashion world into a new generation of swimsuit design. The original bikinis were quite modest and offered full coverage. Vintage Swimwear -available now over at Amazon - chronicles the whole history of vintage swimsuits. Beautifully illustrated with fashion photos and designs - it's a must if you're a vintage fashion nut. The book covers the impact of Hollywood on advertising swimwear fashion - most notably through the Esther Williams film Bathing Beauty.
With the summer months coming for the northern hemisphere - it may well help you decide on what vintage bathing costume you want. Right now over at Pandoras Choice - there's a beautiful range of retro style swimwear from the 1940's and 1950's by What Katie Did. This sporty nautical theme costume is our favourite.
Vintage swimsuits in the 1940's and 1950's had far a greater variety of swimwear fabrics, like lined cotton, stretch latex and nylon. The new bathing suit of that period was tailored to flatter a womans figure with tummy control panels,support cups for the bust and boning to create an hourglass figure. This charming film from 1948 gives us a good idea of what was popular in the early post war years
These wonderful color images of 1940's swimwear really evoke the glamour of that period. Included is the infamous new bikini' ! Vintage swimsuits in the 1940's and 1950's had far a greater variety of swimwear fabrics, like lined cotton, stretch latex and nylon. The new bathing suit of that period was tailored to flatter a womans figure with tummy control panels,support cups for the bust and boning to create an hourglass figure.Vintage Swimwear - Sarah Kennedys marvellous book tells a complete history of vintage bathing suits
has changed beyond all recognition in the last century.
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were now made from stretch latex rubber , and were beginning to become a fashion accessory.
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, the creator of the American Look,
swimwear from the mid 1950's
and Diana Dors turning up in Bikinis.
Swimwear was the Corset swimsuit 
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