30 Beautiful Color Fashion Shots of Women's Bathing Suits in the 1950s

Swimsuits from the 1950s were incredible. Continuing the trend established in the early 20th century, more skin was displayed near the water than ever before.

Here, below is a collection of 30 beautiful color fashion photographs of women in bathing suits in the 1950s.

Model in bathing suit of red silk shantung, printed with pinkish flowers, worn with cyclamen pink straw hat, sashed in dark red silk. Suit by Catalina, hat by John Frederics. Photographed by Tom Palumbo circa 1959. 

Model in white shark-skin swimsuit by Jantzen, white straw sailor hat worn over polka-dotted scarf hat, both by Betmar. She stands in front of an American flag, holding an ice cream cone. Photographed by Leombruno Bodi in 1955.

One-piece swimsuit with whalebone bustier and draping culottes in printed and hand-painted cotton, natural straw hat. Model Lilli Cerasoli, from the Spring:Summer Collection.

Anne St Marie model bathed in light, shot by Tom Palumbo in 1959.

Model standing on beach wearing a bathing suit in harlequin-diamond wool, by Imports Int. 1957 Condè Nast Archive.

Model standing under beach umbrella wearing summer dress look; pleated short shorts and matching sleeveless shirt, both in a light floral pattern. 1954 Condè nast Archive.

Model seated on striped beach towel wearing grey and white patterned strapless bathing suit. Condè Nast Archive 1954. Photo: Roger Prigent.

December 1952. Photo: Richard Rutledge.

Model on beach in front of Diplomat Hotel, Florida, in calico print swimsuit and terrycloth cardigan, 1959 Conde Nast Archive. Photo: Richard Rutledge.

Model Gretchen Harris, Model standing in ocean with open green and blue umbrella, wearing knitted black maiilot of DuPont and water-velvet cap by Adolfo of Emme, and Greta Paltry suit. Conde Nast archive Vogue 1957. Photo: Richard Rutledge.

Two models in Rose Marie Reid swimsuits. Model on left stands tree wearing blue suit, mask and flippers; model on right wears white suit with matching cap, and flippers. January Vogue 1957. Photo: Richard Rutledge.

Model, looking through water-proof camera, wearing black bathing suit and black velvet bathing cap banded in red and green. June 1956. Condè Nast Archive. Photo: Richard Rutledge.

Model wearing red bathing suit by Jantzen. 1958 Condé Nast Archive/Corbis. Photo: Richard Rutledge.

Fiona Campbell-Walter (l) and Ivy Nicholson (r) in bathing suit fashion shoot by Henry Clarke,1955, Palermo, Sicily, Italy. 

Model in yellow swimsuit of knitted cotton and Orlon, by Jantzen. Photo by William Bell, 1959.

Model is in a tank-top swimsuit in moss green lace over white broadcloth and a beach coat with zipped front. Photo by Leombruno-Bodi, appeared in the May 1954 Glamour.

Liz Pringle as Liz Benn models a strapless swimsuit by Givenchy Vogue, 1953. Photo by John Rawlings “Re Edit” Condè Nast Archive.

Barbara Mullen and Marie Helene on the Riva, For ELLE Magazine, Cap d’ Antibes Eden Roc 1957 - Photo: Georges Dambier.

The Bikini Girl on the Boardwalk, For Jour de France, Deauville 1959 - Photo: Georges Dambier.

Sherry Nelms ‘Bathing Suits’ for Vogue 1954. Photo: Horst.P.Horst.

Jean Patchett in oink velvet bathing suit, Vogue, 1951. Photo: Horst.P.Horst.

A group of southern belle models sunbathe on the beach at Cypress Gardens theme park in 1953 near Winterhaven, Florida.

Vogue - January 1956. Photo: Richard Rutledge.

Vogue - January 1953. Photo: John Rawlings.

Leombruno-Bodi's photograph appeared in the December 1, 1955, Vogue.

Carlton Hotel, Cannes, France, 1958. Sundowners (Limited Edition Estate Stamped). Photo: Slim Aarons, 1958.

Model seated with basket on a rooftop, wearing Calypso designed patterned bikini. Circa June 1952. Olhao, Portugal. Photo: Henry Clarke.

Austrian actress Mara Lane lounging by the pool in a red and white striped bathing costume at the Sands Hotel, Las Vegas, 1954. Photo by Slim Aarons/Hulton Archive/Getty Images.

A young woman in a bathing suit holds a beach ball and gestures with one arm on a sand dune, 1956.

Young women on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, 1959. Photo: Slim Aarons.