swimsuit

Grey bathing suit with high neck, long torso and high cut leg with black belt

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Swimsuit

Designer Claire McCardell (1905 - 1958)

Manufacturer Cerey Woolens

Manufacturer Bettman Fabric

Manufacturer Townley (American, 1929 - 1976)

1946

Wool jersey

USA

Gift of Marina Hiatt

Object number2002.69.1A

Many 1940s bathing suits had structured interiors that molded the body. Claire McCardell’s jersey suit was more scandalous: it had neither a lining nor padding. An iconic Louise Dahl-Wolfe photograph of a model wearing this design was featured in the May 1946 edition of Harper’s Bazaar. Model Betty Bridges’s relaxed, seated pose underscored the suit’s uncomplicated elegance and emphasized her tanned, toned limbs.

DescriptionBathing suit in heathered grey wool jersey; high boat neck, long torso with fitted waist, diaper bottoms with high cut leg; LS metal zipper

Collections

1940s

Exhibitions

The Women of Harper's Bazaar, 1936-1958

Fabulous! Fashions of the 1940s