Fashion

The One-Piece Bathing Suit

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The one-piece bathing suit actually came a long time ago. Traditionally women wore Victorian style bloomers that were not revealing or figure hugging. They appeared more like dresses than swimsuits.

Annette Kellerman was an Australian swimmer born in 1887 and she was arrested for wearing a one-piece swimsuit – otherwise known as a maillot in these time period. There was a huge public outcry and she was released. In fact, this caused an outpouring of support from women to wear a one-piece versus the Victorian bloomers.

By the 1920s one-pieces with shorts started to see a rise in popularity. They were more common because women needed a functional outfit when they were at the beach. Going to the beach became a common activity for relaxation and therefore, the Victorian style outfits were not conducive to swimming and tanning. Stockings were worn with these one-pieces and long sleeve tops were worn over these too.

Necklines got lower in the 1930s. New fabrics like nylon and latex meant that women could wear tighter swimsuits; although these were not like the ones we have today. Previously in the 1920s swimsuits often came in fabrics we wouldn’t see today; like silk or jersey style fabric.

The next style of swimsuit was the Swing Style Bathing Suit. It may look modest today but it was not in the 1940s. It was a step away from the one-piece with shorts. It covered the entire backside area and it was almost like a short skirt. I think they were kinda cute!

Swing Style Bathing Suits

I really think the styles were so cute especially the colours. Bikinis are so much more simplistic mostly. I mean you get fancy cut outs and designs on one-pieces but these are so cute.

50s bathing suits

Vast improvements were made for bathing suits in the 1950s. Suddenly the fabric was better suited for the water and the beach. Nylon and elastic were added to the bathing suits. This basically made it easier for you to dry and for you to move around. It’s so crazy for me to think that swimming suits were not like they are today.

Comparatively, from a fashion perspective, the patterns were different in the 50s to the 40s. Solid colours were in. Patterns weren’t as popular now. I still can’t get over how cute these are – not going to lie – not digging the hair though.

50s bathing suits


The princes bathing suit

50s bathing suits


The bubble swimsuit

50s bathing suits

I think it is really cool that the style wanted to emphasize your hips. I wish more styles did that today. Sometimes, I feel shy about my hips so I think more styles should embrace larger hips and celebrate them.

 Baby Doll swimsuits

50s bathing suits

These swimsuits seem so foreign to me. They look like very simplistic playsuits to me. I can’t even imagine going swimming in these. The fabric doesn’t even look like a bathing suit!

The Empire Waist Swimsuit

50s bathing suits

Waists were there to be shown off. If you wanted to show off your curves then this one would have been the one to get.

If you want to know more about one-suits then check out these cool links!


Wikipedia – One Piece History

Wikipedia – Maillot

History of Bathing Suits – Victoriana Magazine

History of Bathing Suits – Good Housekeeping

Annette Kellerman

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this. I definitely enjoyed researching this. Have a good one!


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Fashion

Mod Dresses in the 60s

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So what were mod dresses? Mod Dresses came out of the 60s and they were dubbed mod, short for modern. This was meant to be a minimalist style, but you’ll see that mod style was actually really colourful and brightly patterned.

One thing about 60s fashion is the mindset that ‘anything goes’. So with mod fashion it was a mix and match of different styles and patterns.

Mod Dresses

Some Mod Dresses would look weird in 2019, but some of the plainer ones might look cool. Like this orange one looks kinda cool and so does the black pinafore mod dress. Obviously I would be drawn to simple ones… I am kind of minimalist too. I kind of think I would have rocked Mod Dresses if I had been more in the 60s. Mini skirts too…

What are your favourite Mod Dress styles? Do you prefer the traditional colour-block Mod Dresses? Would you consider wearing a Mod Dress in 2019?

Fashion

Why do I like Capri Pants?

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I’m on a history buzz at the moment. Learning all about different fashion and where it all started. I decided to take a deep dive into Capri pants. They were made famous in the 60s.

They were designed by Sonja de Lennart in 1948 and the name came from Capri, the Isle of Italy. Seems like a good start to be fair. Naming a type of pants on an isle. But besides that Capri’s will always have a place in my heart.

I mean look at them. Their so versatile; they can be fun and in bright colours or they can be more toned down and fitted. To me Capri pants were almost like the pre-skinny jean. A good pair of black skinny jeans can look so smart. With Capri pants you can dress them up or down but also their a nice break from a world filled with people wearing jeans.

Audrey Hepburn is the person I think about when I think of Capri pants. She rocked them. Talk about 60s chic. She’s definitely one of my style icons and I just love her hairstyle, her natural poses, and how she looked so at ease in front of the camera.

Capri Pants

The bottom collage shows Kendall Jenner wearing the cutest Capri pants. Their loose fitting but they also show off her great legs. Next to her, we have a more modern approach to the traditional Capri with zips on the front. I personally love this style.

The reason why I love Capri pants is they look great for work and for relaxing. Their easy to put on and their very summery and fun. You should get a pair of floral ones if you want to make yourself stand out!

Fashion

Turtlenecks all over the 60s

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Turtlenecks are one of the 60s trends that never went out of fashion. In fact, I’ve seen them worn by guys and girls throughout 2018. They have become very popular with the hipster movement. It’s weird when I think of hipsters; like do they even exist anymore? I’m sure they do. I just have to UCT Michaelis campus to find them. 

However, their fashion style has become more integrated into mainstream fashion that there is less of a distinction. Heck, even I own a pinafore now. 

As a child, I remember my mom used to buy me a lot of turtlenecks. I always found them strange, but I just tolerated it (I was very fussy as a child). I suppose they did their job though; they kept me warm. I think next season I would like to purchase a turtleneck (I don’t own any currently), but I think they look so great on people.

Their one of those tops that anyone can look good in. I must admit, when a guy wears a turtleneck I’m always like whoa look at you trendsetter cause it’s not so common. And as I said before, they look good on anyone so I do hope people try these out more.

I think I will get a black and grey one next year and give the trend a try. However, I have composed a little gallery of the turtlenecks that people wore in the 60s. Enjoy!

Turtleneck collage
Turtleneck collage
Fashion

Do You Know the History of Bell-bottoms?

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Would you believe me if I told you that the bell-bottoms fashion trend did not start in the 60s, nor did women first wear them?

Yes, bell-bottoms originated in a place you probably wouldn’t imagine, and that’s at sea. In the 19th Century, sailors in the 1812 War did not have a set uniform. Reports dating back to this time spoke about sailors who wore pants that billowed out at the bottom. They were not like the traditional bell-bottoms that we know today, as the “real” trend of bell-bottoms began in the 60s. Sailors would use them because they were easily rolled up and allowed for easier water navigation.

When people think about Bell-Bottoms in the 60s, they think about hippies wearing brightly coloured, patterned Bell-Bottoms. They don’t think about how Bell-Bottoms became synonymous with jeans. However, when the Brady Bunch was on TV, wearing Bell-Bottom style jeans became the in-thing. Sonny and Cher, two notable celebrities also helped to make this trend as famous as it was.

Bell-bottoms collage

I personally think that bell-bottoms have such character and pairing them with a cute peasant top is just so swell… I love how free they are and I guess I hope that more people start to embrace this trend.

What do you guys think about bellbottoms? Yay or nay?

Fashion

Do you wear Tie-Dye Clothing?

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Tie-dye shirts are famous for being a huge part of the 60s. Hippie style basically was synonymous with this style.  

So when I was younger a lot of my friends parents had been hippies in their youth. So they dressed their children in tie-dye t-shirts or dresses. I wasn’t really a big fan of this trend; mainly because I think my style is much more girly than this. But I still think it’s really cool.

I can’t ever imagine having so many tie-dye t-shirts but if you gave me a choice to get long-sleeve blouses that all look similar I would be on board. So no judgement here – you do you.

If I’m being honest I actually prefer the darker tie-dye shirts. I don’t really like orange, yellow or green so the pink’s and blues are legit to me. 

This is such a cool sweatshirt. I think I would really wear this and I like the dark splashes. It is moody and much more dreamy. I don’t really wear bright colours, I prefer dark or light hued clothing. So this would be cool to wear if I was chilling at a braai. 

This is more like your traditional meets modern tie-dye tank top and I think it’s cool because you can show off your style and sill wear something summery. 

This makes me think you have a lot of passion for bright colours. I dig that. You should wear what makes you feel good. I think it’s awesome when people wear things that represent their personality and make them shine. I like that this is also a twist on the traditional t-shirt and they’ve made it into a dress.

Fashion

Why should you buy a pair of go-go boots in 2018?

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Go-go boots were a huge trend in the 60s. Their one of the trends I haven’t seen come back with as much popularity as the other trends, but they have their place on Superbalist. Shiny, white and black angle boots are extremely popular and very chic and sophisticated; for the ultimate fashionista. 

I actually like this look because it’s so fun and fresh. The bright colours remind me of childhook and I love the subtle detail of the sleeve billowing out. The sunglasses are also so cute. If this look was more common I would be happy to wear it.

I’ve noticed these skirts are also making a come back. I’ve posted about them recently on my Icecoffeecouture Instagram page. I actually love this whole look and wish this could make a comeback. It’s so soft and feminine. I suppose I could be daring and just wear this look myself, but sometimes I am not the biggest trend setter. 

This look reminds me of the Charlie’s Angels vibes. So sultry and like futuristic. I really like this headband. It reminds me of Blair Waldorf and how gorgeous she managed to look every time she was on screen.

This is the look that reminds me of what Superbalist is selling. It’s much easier to wear as it’s a shorter boot and it really elongates her legs. Paired with this glorious pink fluffy jacket, I am just obsessed with this outfit. 

Love, love love this look. I adore these kinds of pullover dresses that almost look like long sweaters. Add a statement necklace and clutch bag and you’ll be ready to go. Also, pink is my favourite colour so yaaaassss.

This blog post has really made me want to go out and buy a pair of go-go boots. Their actually really cute and super fun. Maybe this will be my next Superbalist purchase…