If you’ve ever jumped in to the water with your t shirt on, you know how long regular clothes take to dry. Sadly, the women in the 50s had to put up with that feeling every time they went swimming. Why? Well, the very stretchy material that is now vital in all swimwear, spandex, didn’t really exist until a decade later. In the 1960s, spandex changed the swimsuit industry forever, and for good, giving swimwear designers the chance to create a more fitted, lightweight suit. In Vogue’s 1965 June issue, the magazine stated “When it’s dried in the sun, it’s a sinuous velvety black, and when it’s soaked with water, it glistens like a seal on the rocks.” I bet Anna Wintour hopes a quote like that would have been accompanied by a suit like the Black Serpentine One-Piece from Badgley Mischka 2010.
As Vogue put it, spandex is the closest thing to a second skin. Before that, swimsuits were a constricting piece of non swim-ready fabric. So when you’re donning your favorite swimsuit or bikini, keep in mind how superior spandex – exclusive to designer swimwear - changed the fashion world.
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I love vintage and read quite a few blogs where the girls collect vintage swimwear and the styling is so classic and classy – but no – I can never see getting wet in one! Can you imagine in the early 1900s when they wore knitted jumpsuits to the beach?
seriously that would be a diasaster
can you imagine what it took for those things to dry?? i pitty them… so uncomfortable
Thats interesting. I couldnt imagine swimming in cotton. Thank god for spandex!!
and what ever else the suits are made of
thank god for the orchid boutique!
Thank you Spandex! At one point they were even experimenting with bikinis mad out of wood…can you imagine!?
no, i don’t even think that is possible, are you sure
probably wood fibers… there are some that are quite flexible
Wool… yikes! Who ever invented spandex… love you!!!
that wool would be such an uncomfortable suit to wear
and it was probably very warm!
wool, probably wore it once in water and then it would rot… and wood?? jeez… what would we do without spandex!!
or shrunk off lol
haha that made my claustrophobia kick
Swim naked!! LOL
who need the suits? wait thats what this is all about lol , love suits lol
exactly! gotta love them
vintage looks great but not on everyone….. fashion in moderation is the key
I agree! sometimes there are fashion trends that only look good on the catwalk
the maaji reminds me of this type
agua bendita more, in my opinion
I wouldn’t want to wear wool not that into vintage
nor am i but alot of people are
i don’t think they even use wool anymore
I love what spandex did for beach goers…not for gym goers, lol
lol, the gym now thats a place you could wear these suits nice and cool for work outs, and you would look hot
haha! that’s a way to get some use out of them
EWWW just made me think of spandex at the gym.. yikes!!!
me too, the thought of all that lol the visions i am having yuk
old guys in tights… eww
Yeah, thats exactly what I meant. Turns out spandex is a mixed blessing, lol
great for the beach
bad for the gym! lol
spandex at the gym, a curse for sure! do they really think it looks good?!
i hope not its to much to imagine, espesially the guys lol
haha they probably do think it looks good, that’s why they wear it
thats a bit embarasing
try a lot!
The above is a nice suit and I like black nut probably not my first choice
it look like it creates a nice figure, very regal
they have a nice figure though
yeap, very clean cuts
spandex changed the swimsuit industry forever, what a revolution
it sure did! great discovery
is crazy how long regular clothes takes to dry. the women in the 50s had to put up with that feeling every time they went swimming so many layers on yuk
yeah, yuk indeed! i can’t even imagine what it could’ve been like
They write “When it’s dried in the sun, it’s a sinuous velvety black, and when it’s soaked with water, it glistens like a seal on the rocks” , wow now thats a suit i would like
that’s a very appealing description!