Vintage Bathing Suits

[dahliaoleander]

You can't get what you want, till you know what you want!

I suggest haunting the thrift stores - there was a rash of dresses in the 80s that pass for those early cotton bathing suits very well. I have a friend who wore one, wet, with seaweed to be "M is for Maud who was Swept Out to Sea" at our Edward Gorey party... very effective!

Ooh! Gashlycrumb Tinies anyone?!

 

[deadpandiva]

I got this. I hope the color look okay. They were out of black. It has removable straps.

 

[Rockapin-up]

"M is for Maud who was Swept Out to Sea" at our Edward Gorey party... very effective![/QUOTE]

fftopic: I love that book. Do you have any photos of this party?

 

[dollydaydream]

I was so happy to find this vintage inspired swimsuit pattern on the Burda Style Website for free (woop!!!). The Burda patterns are so easy to modify too. And I have a funny long body which doesn't really allow for the wearing of swimsuits, so this is goood!!!

 

[Miss 1929]

"M is for Maud who was Swept Out to Sea" at our Edward Gorey party... very effective!

fftopic: I love that book. Do you have any photos of this party?[/QUOTE]

Somewhere, i do... I will dig them up and scan them! We decorated the place with tombstones and cobwebs and everyone dressed and brought documentation, and all the food was grotesque and it was so much fun!

 

[KittyT]

I got this. I hope the color look okay. They were out of black. It has removable straps.

Yes, I love this suit. They have it at Newport News and it's cheap. And yes, the strap is removable.

As for the pinupgirl clothing Marilyn suit, I saw someone wearing one this weekend and it totally did not cover her rear. It looked exactly like it does in the photos on their website - totally riding up and letting the rear hang out the bottom.

 

[Miss 1940's]

the esther williams suit my fab deco mother gave me!

 

[BeBopBaby]

A fabo vintage-styled suit for the larger ladies:

http://www.torrid.com/torrid/store/...T<>prd_id=845524442169051&bmUID=1216307360145

I ordered this suit from torrid and it is so much cuter in person than pictured! I've never liked to wear swimsuits because they always looked like crap on me (Is it possible to get a plus-sized swimsuit that doesn't look like a sack?), but this one is amazing. I've never been this happy about a suit before. It has a built in slimmer lining that makes me look like I'm practically wearing a corset and the little skirt bottom provides nice coverage to the backside. I am very happy with this suit.

Here's another cute one that I tried on:

http://www.torrid.com/torrid/store/...T<>prd_id=845524442169051&bmUID=1216307360145

I ended up keeping the first one because halter straps make my neck hurt.

 

[deadpandiva]

Yes, I love this suit. They have it at Newport News and it's cheap. And yes, the strap is removable.

As for the pinupgirl clothing Marilyn suit, I saw someone wearing one this weekend and it totally did not cover her rear. It looked exactly like it does in the photos on their website - totally riding up and letting the rear hang out the bottom.

The Newport news suit is great. The first one I git was two small so I gave it to my sister. I ordered a lilac and a black. They must have run out of black again because they cancelled that order. The Lilack is darker and brighter in person and they are only 19.99 now.

 

[KittyT]

Here is a vintage suit I got from Miss Bella Hell quite awhile ago. It's a Catalina. It had boning through the middle of the cups and it just didn't look right, so I cut it out. Unfortunately, the pads in the cups are a little stiff, which makes them look lumpy, but it looks great if I add in bullet bra pads! I unfortunately wore it in a chlorinated tub which almost ruined it - it has all kinds of staining and streaking. A good Oxyclean soak fixed most of that, but there's a little left. Time to try another soaking! Too big in the waist, unfortunately, so I don't really wear this one

 

[ricki]

Looking around my vintage clothes I found this beauty that I forgot I had:

It's a maroonish velvet covered in shiny things, with a matching swimcap! I can't imagine anyone actually swimming in this, but it would look great next to a pool.

 

[Miss Molly]

*gasp!* that is so darn pretty!

 

[StaceFace]

I was so happy to find this vintage inspired swimsuit pattern on the Burda Style Website for free (woop!!!). The Burda patterns are so easy to modify too. And I have a funny long body which doesn't really allow for the wearing of swimsuits, so this is goood!!!

I haven't yet sewn anything beyond hemming a pair of slacks (with much help from my grandmother), but I think I may give this a try!

I purchased a suit at Penny's at the end of the season a few years ago, and by then, I had to take what I could find. It was either a skimpy blue bikini with glittery blue flowers, which, even in my size, looked like it was made for a 12-year-old boy, or the black and white polka dot swim dress, just like this:
Penny's I got the swim dress, and it's not so bad, but I would like to find something a tad more vintage and flattering (or flattening lol ).

 

[Joie DeVive]

Ok, I have a question.

I found a Jantzen swimsuit. It is heavy and black, so I am guessing it is wool. It has the little embroidered swimmer on the leg. Kind of the straight across cut leg (today called boy short). I did not see a zipper. It looks like you step into it and tie it around your neck like a halter. It has woven tags. One has the little swimmer on it and some words I can't make out, and the second says 38 (I am assuming this is the bust size).

It's for sale for $17. Is this a good deal? Does it sound like it's an original? If it turns out not to fit me, should I be able to make my money back?
Well girls, what do you think??? Thanks!

Joie

 

[retrogirl1941]

Quick question for you ladies. In may I am portraying Miss Florida Sunshine 1940. I need a bathing suit for it. The requirments: no bikinis, one peice, satin, decoration if possible. I was hoping to find a pattern to make one but I am having trouble finding a pattern thats not for a bikinis. Any help would be good!

Samantha

 

[Miss Sis]

Ok, I have a question.

I found a Jantzen swimsuit. It is heavy and black, so I am guessing it is wool. It has the little embroidered swimmer on the leg. Kind of the straight across cut leg (today called boy short). I did not see a zipper. It looks like you step into it and tie it around your neck like a halter. It has woven tags. One has the little swimmer on it and some words I can't make out, and the second says 38 (I am assuming this is the bust size).

It's for sale for $17. Is this a good deal? Does it sound like it's an original? If it turns out not to fit me, should I be able to make my money back?
Well girls, what do you think??? Thanks!

Joie

I think you'd make your money back on it. Any Jantzen swimsuit in good nick from the Golden era would definitely be worth $17.

Do the shorts part have a separate over skirt or just the separate legs? Does the bust have cup areas sewn in - actually into and part of the swimsuit body, not cups inside? I have a Jantzen swimsuit that was my Nana's and I think it dates from the early - mid 1950s. It had two straps that crossed over at the back and hooked with special clips to the inside of the suit. One of the hooks was missing when I got it so I just tie it halter style and it looks like it was meant to be worn that way.

Sorry, it's literally half the world away at my mother's house so I can't provide you with any pictures. Earlier swimsuits (1920s/30s) usually don't have any bust support and may or may not have a separte skirt across the front of the legs. I'm not that up on 40s/50s ones, I'm afraid.

And yes, the 38 is the bust size.

 

[PS]

A little Jantzen info

http://fuzzylizzie.com/swimsuits.html

I haven't worn a suit in 10+ years. Might give this Target suit a go. Price is right.

 

[Joie DeVive]

Quick question for you ladies. In may I am portraying Miss Florida Sunshine 1940. I need a bathing suit for it. The requirments: no bikinis, one peice, satin, decoration if possible. I was hoping to find a pattern to make one but I am having trouble finding a pattern thats not for a bikinis. Any help would be good!

Samantha

Sorry, I don't have time to post the pics, but I went through my pattern pics, and here are some pattern numbers to search for, for a 1940s one piece. I'm guessing on the age for some. I hope this helps!


Advance 2467
Advance 3904
Advance 5794
DuBarry 6082 (I think one of the gals on here has this one...)
McCall 6899
McCall 5188
Vogue 6633

 

[Joie DeVive]

Do the shorts part have a separate over skirt or just the separate legs? Does the bust have cup areas sewn in - actually into and part of the swimsuit body, not cups inside? I have a Jantzen swimsuit that was my Nana's and I think it dates from the early - mid 1950s. It had two straps that crossed over at the back and hooked with special clips to the inside of the suit. One of the hooks was missing when I got it so I just tie it halter style and it looks like it was meant to be worn that way.

Thanks PS and Miss Sis!

It has separate legs. It doesn't have the skirt. There is no separate bust support sewn into the suit, though the bust itself is sort of sewn with the shape of cups. (It doesn't look at all supportive.)
I think it is supposed to tie, as one of the strings ends in a white plastic cap. It looks somewhat like the 1930s one in the fuzzylizzie link provided by PS, but the legs are different, the bust doesn't look quite right and the one I found is definitely either black or dark navy.

I think I'm going to have to head back and give that suit another good look over, and if it's in as good of shape as I think it is, I think it's coming home with me!!

Thanks gals!

 

[laurakitty]

Has anyone seen a repro like this? It's so gorgeous! I need it!