1951 Maillot - Fabulous Style is Timeless!

Cole of California placed its model "under water" in this wonderful ad from 1951. It features a cotton one-piece swimsuit with details such as shirring, shelf bust trimmed with a cuff, and a halter neck. Love that pose!

Resort Fashion - Strapless on the Beach

Up for some sun? Cotton flowers that don't wilt in the water trim the strapless top of this fabulous one-piece swimsuit from 1951.

Resort Fashions 2013 - Swimsuit Retrospective 1935, 1936, 1938

1935

 This Jantzen suit was almost a bra and pants bathing suit but had a thin isthmus of material between top and bottom. Sun bathing had by now become a national craze, and women let down suits when no one was looking. :0 !

1936

By 1936, bare midriff suits like this one were widespread. It is really the Riviera maillot cut in half. The bra was ot shaped but it was still too much for Rye, New York and Dover, New Jersey, where it was banned.

1938

In 1938, "lastex" suits, very tight with molded bras, were worn everywhere. It was also the era of the clammy, easily torn, all-rubber suit. This was about the last summer that men wore any tops.

Resort Fashions 2013 - Swimsuit Retrospective 1932, 1933, 1934

1932

Backless one-piece suits were the new thing! Skirts had now been hiked to the top of the thighs but necklines were still quite high and few had dared to think of a bare midriff.

1933

The first really slinky bathing suit was the maillot, borrowed from the Riviera. Police had to control crowds when it was first displayed in a window in New York. It was skin-tight all over and cut very low in back.

1934

This was an adaptation of the maillot. It consisted of a discreet halter fitting into separate pants. The bust was still not shaped. This conservative halter and pants paved the way for the two-piece bra and pants combination.