Old swimwear styles still making a splash

Jantzen swimwear company - which celebrated its 100th anniversary on the sidelines of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim - has reinvented five bathing suits from the last century to create a Heritage Collection.

Designers created new suits and cover-ups based on classic styles, a project that coincided with the old-school, glamorous trends seen on the catwalk in South Beach. One thing is clear: retro is definitely back.

Jantzen reinterpreted the woollen suits of the 1920s as a boucle fabric maillot in a red-currant colour and Swarovski crystals on the front. It now gets a matching cape.

The 1940s mark the introduction of what's recognized as the modern bikini and it's represented in the collection by a skirted two-piece with ruffles. The iconic strapless one-piece from the '50s that emphasized the hourglass figure was also reinvented, as was a stretch velvet, deep lunging monokini from the 1970s.

From the '80s, it was the brand's Mod Squad suit, which had a hood that could be worn draped around the shoulders.

Designers created new suits and cover-ups based on classic styles, a project that coincided with the old-school, glamorous trends seen on the catwalk in South Beach. One thing is clear: retro is definitely back. Jantzen reinterpreted the woollen suits of the 1920s as a boucle fabric maillot in a red-currant colour and Swarovski crystals on the front. It now gets a matching cape. The 1940s mark the introduction of what's recognized as the modern bikini and it's represented in the collection by a skirted two-piece with ruffles. The iconic strapless one-piece from the '50s that emphasized the hourglass figure was also reinvented, as was a stretch velvet, deep lunging monokini from the 1970s. From the '80s, it was the brand's Mod Squad suit, which had a hood that could be worn draped around the shoulders. "I wanted to pick what I feel was the best of every decade and make it relevant for today," said Jantzen designer Lisa Dixon. Dixon wasn't the only designer mining the past for inspiration during the swimwear shows. Miami Beach-based designer Red Carter, for example, who sent a model out in a long black cover-up with short sleeves, said he was influenced by a 1940s glamour girl silhouette.

Source: Canadian Press
http://www.jantzen.com/spring_collection.asp