Ebay Weekender

Well summer is here in Toronto...and it arrived like a blast of heat when you open the oven door. Awesome.

Have a great weekend everyone!

 1940s Satin Bathing Suit

Vintage Catalina Pin-up Bathing Suit

Sexy Retro Strapless Suit

Vintage Skirted Bathing Suit

Vintage Two Piece Jantzen Bathing Suit

Bikini Time

Well, summer is technically around the corner but I can't wait! Although it is still spring, today is a gorgeous summer-like day in Toronto. Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses...what's missing? Well, lounging by the pool of course!

The bikini is perhaps the most popular female beachwear around the globe. Archeological finds, especially in Pompeii, show the Roman goddess Venus wearing a bikini. Well ladies, if she can wear one, so can we!

This wonderful red & purple plaid bikini is a stunning and rare find. Made in Paris by Real on Rue St. Honoré, it is a fine example of 1950s swimwear. With a unique side construction, it is waiting for a vintage bathing beauty.

Now available from Proper Vintage Clothing $200.

We're baaack.....

Well I have returned from a spectacular holiday in the Bahamas, and although the weather was considerably cooler than expected, the daily karate workouts on the beach and the graciousness of our Bahamian hosts made the cool ocean water well worth it! Some of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen!

The Bahamian beaches have inspired a summer influenced post today. I enjoy looking at photos of vintage bathing beauties, particularly at the construction of the swimming costumes. People often went to the beach, but fully clothed and it was not until the early 1800's that a bathing costume was invented. Certainly not the type of bathing suit we are used to today! A lady was still fully clothed to protect her skin (hmm, think we could learn a lesson or two from that).

By the late 1890s, bathing suits were still constricting, but clues are obvious as to their evolution. Made of wool, it was finished with stockings and cap, but were now knee length.

 

As fitness was becoming more popular, clothing needed to accommodate a moving form. By the early 1900s, the Victorian layers of bathing suit gave way to a more figure flattering and skin exposing suit.

 

This was a more androgynous style, suited to the flapper figure of the 1920s. A very athletic look where the shorts were built-in to the suit.

Early swimming costumes are difficult to come by as a vintage seller, but one of the best sellers on the internet is Glamour Surf. They carry a wide collection of suits for women and men, from the 1920s on. Here is an early 1900s Edwardian suit from their collection, now available.

Swimwear Interview

Melissa over at Collector's Weekly sent me a copy of a wonderful interview they have recently done with vintage swimwear collector, Pam Fierro.

I have posted an excerpt here, and if you wish to read the entire article please visit the Featured Interview page.

Who are some of your favorite designers?
Fierro: I love Claire McCardell, and I really like Rudi Gernreich and Elsa Schiaparelli, although I don’t have anything by Schiaparelli yet. I like Christian Dior, and I would love to find a piece by Jean Patou or Chanel. Rose Marie Reid has done some fabulous pieces, as have Esther Williams, DeWeese, Catalina, and Jantzen. I have a lot of pieces by Jantzen because they have such a long history in swimwear. They were one of the first big collections that I put together.


What materials were used to make bathing suits?
Fierro: The earlier suits were often made out of jersey. Wool was popular, as was silk. Then rayon was promoted as artificial silk. Nylon came about in 1938, which was revolutionary for the swimwear market. Another innovation was Lastex, which came out in the late ’50s. In the 1960s, a lot of different fibers started coming out like Bri-nylon, rayon jersey, and Lycra. Those were very influential on the swimwear market as far as being able to dry quickly or being more form fitting and less see-through.

Were bathing suits mass-produced or made by hand?
Fierro: They were mass-produced by machines. The first wool suits were woven on machines, and then Jantzen developed the rib knit suit, for which the woolen knit was mass-produced and then made into swimsuits.

 

Vintage Esther

Remember Esther Williams? The queen of MGM pool parties? Well, since summer has arrived that means bathing suit season is also here. There has been a noticeable turn back to Esther style swimsuits - more fabric and more covered. If you are looking for a string bikini, you won't find it here! Again, it's a call to buying a more classic and subtle piece for your summer wardrobe. Something that will last a few years and adjust to possible weight changes. What woman doesn't love that?


I love these swimsuits. They are classic styles and I think incredibly sexy, fitting a variety of body types. A very athletic look I think. Esther was an incredibly fit woman in her day and those suits made her look like a triathlete. She did not need any 'sports performance enhancers'.

Now I just need to find a vintage bathing cap and I'm ready for the next pool party.

Visit Esther Williams website: http://www.esther-williams.com/