Old School Bikinis: A Brief Compendium of the Itsy Bitsy

There’s something about vintage bikinis, something about the way they looked tailor-made with soft cotton patterns not made in China, generously cut with so much extra puffy fabric, you could probably have stuffed a sandwich down the front of your pants for lunch at the beach.

And now that swimwear season is nearly upon us, I’m finding it a little boring choosing from all these shiny, plasticky, spandex designs. Dare I say it, they just don’t make ’em like they used to…!

Photos sourced from LIFE archives and Flickr.

Photos sourced from LIFE archives and Flickr.

Shop the old-school look:

1)

Sunsuits All Cotton by Pita Pata DiVa.

2)

Monochrome Bikini.