This week we are bringing you a swimwear special, thanks to the warm weather. We are throwing it back to last summer, with the Riviera Style: Resort & Swimwear Since 1900 exhibition which was shown at The Fashion & Textile Museum, London. So if you need some swimwear inspiration for next week in Ibiza, you have come to the right place!

“From the English seaside to the Côte d’Azur and California, Riviera Style celebrates fashion at its most fun.”

Covering everything for the beach from swimsuits, cover-ups, sarongs and even beach pyjamas, Riviera Style takes us through a timeline of 100 years of swimwear.

The exhibition first takes us time travelling back to Edwardian bathing dresses, designed to keep the wearer covered up and modest.

The 1920s and 30s saw a more relaxed attitude for swimwear, with more skin on show. As rules, such as the law that required men to cover their torsos, were relaxed, we saw two pieces become available for women and detachable torso pieces for men. Elastic based threads in the 1930s were introduced, replacing knitted wool based pieces.

In the late 1930s and 40s, beach pyjamas were loose and bright, keeping women stylish at the end of a long day on the sand.

Partnership with King & McGaw

“King & McGaw, the online art print store, has curated a display of Riviera-inspired prints to accompany the Riviera Style exhibition. Selected from the archives of British Vogue, P&O Heritage and National Railway Museum, the prints celebrate fashion and travel from the 1930s to 1960s.”

These photographs are by famous photographers for Vogue such as Henry Clarke, Don Honeyman and Laurence Le Guay in the 1950s and 60s.

You can see more amazing vintage posters with the book ‘Vintage Travel Posters: Going Places In Style’ by Patience Coster.

Thanks to the use of elastane in the 1960s, pieces became more structured and wide range of styles became available, suiting a wide range of sizes, in bright colours and vibrant prints.

“During the 1960s and 70s, pattern predominated with psychedelic prints in acid colours. Palazzo pants and other resort wear with designs by Emilio Pucci are particularly noteworthy.” – F&T Museum

The fabrics on show were beautiful, ranging from older, specially knitted pieces to more modern printed designs.