Buy 80’s Clothes - Men and Women 80’s Fashion

Buy 80's Women's Swimwear

80s Swimwear Combined Sass and Splash

With the body hugging Spandex outfits and tight fitting shorts, what were the 80s bathing suits supposed to do in order to stand out? This was the question that swimwear designers were faced with as they tried to create figure-flattering bathing suits that were new, sexy, and modern enough to make an impact during this electrifying decade.

Women have long had a love/hate relationship with bikinis and swimsuits and there were plenty of designs to love during the golden years of the 80s. Let’s take a tour back in time and look at the wacky, wonderful beach fashions that people were desperate to wear 30 years ago.

Vintage 1980s GOTTEX Cover up Caftan Dress sz OS Silk    US $49.99

VINTAGE RUCHED DRAPED RUFFLE SWIMSUIT 36 BUST    US $89.99

Vintage Swimsuit Maxine Of Hollywood 16    US $9.99

The 1979 movie, “10” starred Bo Derek as the perfect woman in the perfect bathing suit. At the beginning of the 80s, this was the image that every woman had in their mind as they searched for their own “perfect bathing suit”. Unfortunately that body hugging number worn by Derek only suited certain styles of figures, but it gave the one piece bathing suit industry a tremendous boost in the sales market.

The one piece bathing suit for women had once more become a must for sun and surf lovers. Many of the 80s bathing suits often looked like mini sundresses. The halter style top had thin straps that tied at the back of the neck. The bottoms of the bathing suits had skirts with ruffled flounces or flared skirts that helped camouflage some bumps and bulges. This swimwear could be successfully worn by women of almost any age.

Bright and bold flowers were one of the most popular patterns for bathing suits. Even people searching for solid black swimwear had a problem locating a suit that was devoid of colorful and fun decorations. Following the trend of “More is More” designers would add beads, metallic trim, and sequins to bathing suits to create a more glamorous effect.

Some of the beachwear for women looked very much like the rompers. These sun-loving swimsuits combined the boy cut pants with a body hugging halter style bodice. This combination created a figure friendly look in swimwear.  This was an added bonus for women who wanted to keep their upper thigh area under wraps.

Although bikinis were also on the market, the sales of one-piece bathing suits outpaced bikini sales in the 80s. One of the ways that designers ramped up the look of the more modest one-piece models was with the clever use of cut outs. This style technique created a peek a boo effect that was enticing and fresh. Many women enjoyed being able to display less skin while continuing to be fashionably sexy.