1930s Swimsuits: Vintage Swimwear & Bathing Styles
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1930s fashion, 1930s swimsuit, vintage swimwear and retro bathing styles
This post is all about the 1930s swimsuit
Gone to the beach, back never.
Who doesn’t love sunny day at the beach or floating in a sparkling pool?
Ladies in the 1930s enjoyed this rejuvenating leisure activity just as much as we do today.
Today we’ll explore the vintage bathing suit styles of the 1930s, and get a behind the scenes glimpse into the swimwear of the glamorous Old Hollywood fashion icons like Carol Lombard, Claudette Colbert and Bette Davis.
For more summer outfit inspiration from Old Hollywood, you might like:
Best Vintage Inspired Summer Outfit Ideas from Old Hollywood
What swimsuit styles were popular in the 1930s?
Gone with the long skirts from the 1920s styles.
The 1930s ushered in five chic swim suit styles that became popular.
These styles included the including the One Piece Romper Style, the Two Piece “Tankini” Style, the One Piece “Mini-Skirt” Style, and the One Piece Swim Dress, and the Two Piece Bikini Style.
In this article:
01: One Piece Romper Style
02: Two Piece “Tankini” Style
03: One Piece “Mini-Skirt” Style
04: One Piece Swim Dress (“Dressmaker”)
05: Two Piece Bikini Style
Must-Have 1930s Swimsuit Accessories
1930s Interest In Bathing & Swimsuits
As the nation moved out of the 1920s recession and into the 1930s, positive economic changes were on the horizon.
Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal government program invested in public work projects.
Suddenly community pools were popping up around the country.
Now this leisure activity was open to everyone.
No longer did you have live next to the beach or be in the upper class in order to take a swim.
So the big question became–what do I wear?
Well, you can say goodbye to the bulky long sleeves and bloomers of decades gone by.
In the 1930s ladies now showed their feminine silhouette and more skin and legs than ever before.
This meant swimsuits were easier to move in (less restrictive fabric) and were on point for that perfect golden tan.
The 1930s introduced modern swimsuits, and you’ll quickly recognize these classic pieces in some of today’s most popular full coverage styles.
1930s Game Changer for Swimsuits: Better Fabric
A new type of material.
This was a game changer for swimsuits compared to previous bathing suits.
Why did 1930s swimsuits look so much better than previous decades?
In the 1930s, they moved away from all-wool swimsuits. Those looked stylish dry, but were saggy and heavy when they were wet.
Talk about unflattering.
Hot off the press was the newly invented Lastex, a thread covered in rubber.
This was lighter and more comfortable fabric for swimwear.
With thinner, stiffer, and stretchier fabric options, designers could build flattering support into ladies’ swimsuits.
Figure enhancing girdles and bra cups.
Now let’s dive into the most popular swimsuit styles of the 1930s.
One-piece swimsuits were the norm, but keep your eyes peeled for two-piece swimsuits.
1930s Swimsuit Style: #1: One Piece Romper Style
The first 1930s swimsuit style is a one piece romper with short legs and an open back.
This full-coverage swimsuit style stayed in place and was super functional.
Talk about ideal for swimming laps or soaking up the sun.
You can easily recreate this 1930s swimsuit style today with a vintage modern twist by looking up surf suit, short bodysuit, or unitard swimsuit styles.
The stunning blonde and reigning actress of 1930s, Carol Lombard, sizzles in her low cut 30s style swimsuit. (right)
How much skin showing was acceptable?
Well, that depended on where you lived.
France, New York, and California were the most revealing, whereas the middle of the United States was more modest.
For the daring, the low V or square back opening mirrored the back style of sensual 30s evening gowns.
Bette Davis, another Old Hollywood film superstar, sparkles in her hyper feminine swimsuit for her 1932 film Three on a Match.
Notice the thin straps and cutouts at her waist.
1930s Swimsuit Style: #2: Two-Piece suits “Tankini” Style
This 1930s swimsuit style is the vintage swimsuit version of today’s tankini.
This practical new two-piece suit provided coverage and is oh so chic and fashionable.
Simply pair your tank top or halter style top with boyshorts, and you’re ready for action.
For our lady athletes, this was a great option.
It was usually a looser fit and was more likely to stay where it was supposed to.
1930s Swimsuit Style: #3: One Piece “Mini-Skirt” Style
The sensual one piece super short “mini skirt” swimsuit style was also hugely popular in the 1930s
And we can see why, it was flattering and cute.
We love the 1930s styling details…like the low flirty back, thin straps, and a tight skirt.
Lots of solid colors, color blocking (with different colors on the top vs the bottom) polka dots, and geometrical patterns were available.
Itching to recreate this vintage modern look?
Search for one piece skort style swimsuits.
Lily James in the 2020 Rebecca movie, wears a simple one-piece 1930s swimsuit with a little skirt.
1930s Swimsuit Style: #4: One Piece Swim Dress (“Dressmaker”)
The chic swim dress with a skirted bottom was another very popular 1930 swimsuit style.
It was also sometimes called the “Dressmaker”.
We love the flattering silhouette that this vintage suit gives.
Worsted wool, silk wool, and ribbed cotton were a few of the popular fabric types, often lined with a soft cotton jersey for comfort.
Also notice the tie details that emphasize the waist and glorious feminine silhouette.
This was flattering for women of all shapes.
The beautiful Loretta Young (images above) one of the famous actresses Old Hollywood, looks so poised and cute in her 1930s swim dress.
What a perfect sporty chic look!
1930s Swimsuit Style: #5: Two Piece Bikini Style
In the late 1930s new designer swimwear introduced an early version of the two piece bikini.
And with just a bit of midriff skin exposed.
A full-coverage bra top was paired with high-waisted bottoms.
These retro bikinis only revealed a little more skin, but not the belly button.
The bikini was not mainstream in the 1930s, but this cutting edge style would gain more popularity in later decades, and would become a staple for 1940s swimsuits, 1950s swimsuits, and 1960s swimsuits.
1930s Swimsuit: The Must-Have Statement Accessories
Ready to be a mermaid a la 1930s style?
Finish off your vintage-inspired swimsuits with some beachwear accessories.
Let’s start with the swimsuit coverup.
In the 1930s, this was beach pajamas.
These were a must-have for walking on the boardwalk and strolling seaside.
Popularized by Coco Chanel in the 1920s, these loose two piece garments (which were so easy to layer on top of the swimsuit!) were very popular and considered highly chic.
The other important bathing suit accessories included sun glasses, beach sandals, rubber swim cap, sun hat, and the handbag.
Terry cloth beach robes came in fabulous colors and were perfect for drying off, before slipping back into your beach pajamas.
All of these fabulous swimming accessories were super cute and practical.
This post was all about the 1930s swimsuit styles
Now that you’ve basically gotten some beach therapy, which 1930s swimsuit style is your favorite?
Do you prefer the one piece romper style, skirted styles, or the vintage bikini style?
Other posts you might like:
How to Rock the Vintage Swimwear Aesthetic Like an Old Hollywood Glam Star
Flappers to Vintage Glam – 1920s and 1930s Fashion
Originally published Feb 07, 2024, updated Aug 21, 2024
