March 2008 Newsletter
Satin Swim wear of the late 1930's & 1940's
This months Glamoursurf newsletter focuses on those lovely stretch Satin swimsuits of the late 30's and early 40's. Prior to the middle of the twentieth century, bathing suits were typically constructed of wool or cotton. Until rayon was introduced in the 1920s, the main available fabrics were linen, cotton, silk and wool.
In the early 1930's Lastex was introduced and in the late 30's Nylon came on the scene. The introduction of the new fibers gave the swim wear industry a much needed boost. The new technology in fibers brought flexibility into the swim wear industry itself and made it possible for stylistic diversification. Examples of the form fitting, curve appealing stretch satin suits shown below have all the shimmer and shine to add highlights undulating every curve.
Curve Appeal
Many of these bathing suits were slip on style and some manufacturers started using the zipper at the back or the side in the late 40's to help give even more definition to the female form. The bust line is still unpadded at this time. It's not until the 1950s, when the swimsuit started being even more revealing, that manufacturers we able to start designing swim wear that hid the faults in a womans figure by adding stretch tummy control panels, bra cups and boning to give the bust support.
Old Hollywood Glamour
We love the old Hollywood glamour of these stretch satin suits. We've added a few to our website this past month, our favorite is shown to the right. Anchors away matey!
And let's not forget the men, shown below is a pair of 30s satin lastex swim trunks available on our site.
As always, we wish you happy swimming & surfing!
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