In 1959 the first Barbie wore cat-eye shades, her blonde hair up in a voluminous high ponytail and most notably rocked a striped black and white strapless one-piece swimsuit. Most girls that owned or even gazed at that original Barbie probably wanted what Barbie had –aside from the tiny waist and perky breasts- a sexy bathing suit just like hers. The more “modest” first cousin of the two-piece has made impressions in photography, TV and film. Their imprint on fashion and history so deep that women continue to hunt down similar swim styles.
Two of Hollywood’s most glamorous goddesses so seamlessly dawned white one-piece bathing suits, setting immense standards for any woman trying to copy. In 1956, photographer Sam Shaw captured Marilyn Monroe in one of her more relaxed looks. Although no stranger to having her picture taken showing this to more amounts of skin, Monroe’s image in a white bathing suit, hugging around her hips is among her most notable. These particular portraits, capturing Monroe on a beach in Long Island, NY, show her in little makeup with wind tossing her short blonde hair- natural beauty. Three years later, 27-year-old Elizabeth Taylor sat on another beach, wearing a white suit with a low-scooped neckline and thick straps just inches from falling off her shoulders. Although the movie itself garnered Taylor her third consecutive Academy Award nomination, it is the movie still of her on sitting on a shore, leaning forward in that one-piece that is one of her more tantalizing images. While in today’s standards their suits might be considered rompers to wear on any summer afternoon, these legends edge out anyone trying to wear white on a beach.
Before moving past the decade that gave us color television and credit cards, there is no bypassing one particular suit. Arguably even a bathing suit, the cheetah print one shouldered one-piece worn by Bettie Page helped create one of the pin-up’s most recognizable looks, one she herself designed. The images captured by Bunny Yaeger in 1954 exude sex and that’s that Page is not even naked in most of the shots. Page’s style and images are so notable that Katy Perry, although in a two-piece, seemed inspired by them for her music video for “Roar.”
The 70’s gave us Bo Derek in “10.” The romantic comedy also stared Dudley Moore and Julie Andrews, but it is Derek’s scene walking on the sands that is most popularly regarded. Although her hairdo is arguable the most recalled aspect of her image in that scene – her cornrows are even referenced in a Jay-Z song – the wet flesh-toned one-piece she dawns is a close second.
Farrah Fawcett. The image that most likely comes to mind following that name is that of the famous picture of the actress –possibly one of the most popular posters of all time. Her wavy blonde locks. Her huge grin. That red one-piece bathing suit. The year was 1976, the same year she would begin her run in “Charlie’s Angels” and photographer Bruce McBrown captured this innocent yet provocative image of Fawcett –helped by the nipple outlining material of the bathing suit – that would make its way into millions of teenage boys’ bedrooms.
The one-piece saw the 80s as well –largely over sheer tights for workout clothes-but not until the 90s did it once again pick up where Fawcett left off and this time around another soon-to-be recognizable red suit took the forefront. “Baywatch” babes came and went every season -hell even every few episodes- but there was none like sexpot Pamela Anderson and when she put on the red one-piece everyone took notice. Unlike Fawcett’s suit, this one was extra high cut on the legs and super low cut on the front and back. The results of the Anderson – red swimsuit combo is written in history and continues to influence warm-weather-lovers, just check out American Apparel.
While passing decades push the limits of coverage, the one-piece continues to evolve and cement iconic images of the extraordinary women who’ve famously worn them. The one-piece bathing suit is like the little black dress of poolside or beach attire, timeless and always a right choice, especially when keeping the above images in mind.
