Women's Great Expectations maternity swimsuit
Date1960s
Object number00032179
NameSwimsuit
MediumCotton, nylon, metal
DimensionsOverall: 870 x 640 mm
ClassificationsClothing and personal items
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionThis brightly coloured baby doll style maternity swimsuit was made by Great Expectations in the 1960s. It features a built-in bra with an adjustable hook and eye fastening at the back and narrow shoulder straps attached to the front with gold metal buckles. With a wide scalloped full skirt and an elasticised zippered back, the swimsuit's shirred briefs sit under the skirt and are sewn onto a cotton stockinette lining.HistoryThe baby boom of the 1940s and 1950s saw even international designers such as Miguel Dorian, Givenchy, and Norman Hartnell create maternity wear clothing lines. These often included swimwear. Despite this new emphasis on maternity wear, fashions were still generally photographed on non-pregnant women for advertisements in the 1950s.
SignificanceThis maternity swimsuit is a rare example from the 1960s. It reflects changing attitudes to the female body, and the growing market for maternity specific garments from the 1950s onwards.
1950s-1960s
