by Rosanna Carlucci
Like a pearl at home in its shell she lies across her pink towel, lounging in the shade of her white umbrella. She lets the cool breeze caress her skin and takes a sip of her lemonade in the hopes it will cool her down.

As the temperature continues to rise she decides that the cool kiss of the water is exactly what she needs. The warm sand envelops her feet and seems to pull her towards the turquoise coloured haven. Her black one-piece swimsuit fits tightly around each curve, turning heads as it reveals little but says so much more. She is both ingénue and vamp as she makes her way down to the water, each step causing waves in the crowd and beating hearts to stand still…

Any vintage vixen knows that there is nothing more glamorous than spending the day at the beach, lounging in the warm embrace of the sun. And no day at the beach would be complete without vintage inspired swimwear to lounge in.

Thankfully designers such as Michael Kors and Norma Kamali have recreated the most amazing retro inspired swimsuits for the vintage vixen in all of us.

Their Spring/Summer ’09 collections are reminiscent of the swimwear that was popular throughout the late forties and fifties. At the time, swimwear closely resembled the very structured and supportive outline of a lady’s undergarments. A woman’s bust line was very pronounced and padding was added to some suits to give a more definitive silhouette.

The Bikini did not resemble its skimpy modern day self, but rather a fuller bottom half was accompanied by a very structured and high cut bra.

The one-piece bathing suit was extremely popular and came in a variety of patterns and fabrications, more specifically polka dots and ruffles. The one-piece covered most of the body, yet the cut and proportion of the garment highlighted the female form and was, if anything, more alluring than today’s “barely there” swimwear.

So grab some friends, sunscreen and vintage inspired swimwear and head on out to the beach for a day of sun and retro glamour.

Norma Kamali Swimwear available at www.normakamalicollection.com