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Women's Cole of California swimsuit
Women's Cole of California swimsuit

Women's Cole of California swimsuit

Maker (American)
Date1950s
Object number00003364
NameSwimsuit
MediumCotton
DimensionsOverall: 650 x 415 mm, 0.25 kg
ClassificationsClothing and personal items
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionMade in Australia in the 1950s by Cole of California, this floral print 'white collar girl' swimsuit features a shirred back, half skirt and decorative cuffed sweet heart neckline. The design incorporates a structured inbuilt bra and shoulder straps that fasten at the back with plastic buttons. HistoryIn the 1950s and early 1960s swimsuits and sunsuits were often shaped with paneling and built-in supports in order to create a curvaceous, ultra-feminine silhouette that emphasised the bust, waistline and hips. Known as a 'constructed' swimsuit, they were first developed by a Canadian designer, Rose Marie Reid, in the 1940s. Various swimwear designers drew on engineering and corsetry technology incorporating internal wiring, padding and elastic panels to achieve a sculptured cantilevered bust over a pinched-in 'wasp' waist. This voluptuous look was championed by film sirens Brigitte Bardot, Jayne Mansfield, Jane Russell, Sophia Loren and Marilyn Monroe. SignificanceThe swimsuit is representative of women's beachwear fashions in the 1950s.