Yep. It's that time of year. Time to either dust off the old swim suit, or if it appears to have 'shrunk' a size or two, bolster your courage and go shopping for a new one. The good news is for those facing tummy trouble, midriff coverings are back. Retro looks have caught on swimmingly, thanks in great part to the styles embraced in the tv hit Mad Men, and most recently by The Great Gatsby.
Without getting into the swimsuits of the 1920's—for the sheer reason that I could post 10 blogs worth of pics on that topic alone—here are a few blasts from a few decades past that would be just as fetching worn seaside today as when they were originally de rigueur:
Bathing Suit
1945-1955
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Bathing Suit
1950s
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Bathing Suit
1950s
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Swimsuit
Cole of California, late 1930s
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Yellow playsuit with black lace details, 1950s
Beach Ensemble
1944
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Bathing Cap
Klienert’s, 1950s
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
And now for the modern batch
Now you have no excuse to not enjoy some fun in the sun this Summer. So grab your beach tote and meet me on the sand!
The designers have spoken. And have done so in no uncertain terms. Clunky 'stripper' shoes are out. Pointy heels are in... especially ones that are Metallic... as well as Strappy... and Tappy... as in tap shoes... yep tap dancing shoes... especially the ones with straps. Here's a bit of what your feet can expect as the weather warms.
A dishy recipe to Pin Up on your fridge — perfect for Summer, the No-Bake Cheesecake
Cheesecake — which Webster defines as "photography displaying especially female comeliness and shapeliness" — is said to have gotten its name when, in September 1915, a newspaper photographer, George Miller, noticed a visiting Russian diva, Elvira Amazar, just as she was debarking her ship in New York. Miller asked the opera singer to hike up her skirt a little for the sake of the picture.
Later, the photographer's editor, something of a gourmet, is supposed to have exclaimed, "Why, this is better than cheesecake!"--Kevin Freeman [MutoWorld.com June 2004]
Prep Time: 30 Min | Ready In: 2 Hrs 30 Min
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup margarine, softened
1/4 cup sugar
Filling
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 (12.5 ounce) can cherry pie filling (or other filling of your choice)
Directions
Mix together graham cracker crumbs, margarine, and sugar in a bowl until well incorporated and crumbly.
Press into a pie plate, going up the sides as much as possible.
Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth and spreadable.
Whisk whipped cream into cream cheese mixture until smooth.
Pour cream cheese into prepared crust.
Smooth the top with a spatula, and refrigerate until firm, about 2 to 3 hours.
Spread the cherry pie filling over the top, and refrigerate until serving.
Cheesecake had always existed in the realm of pin-up, but it wasn't until the 1940s and 50s that it really took off. Cheesecake is a style of pin-up characterized by playful expressions, story line themes, and over the top poses; in short, "hamming it up". Cheesecake images were used throughout WWII: painted on the noses of airplanes, decorating both magazine pages and GIs' lockers, not to mention advertising for countless companies." [DallasPinup.com]
Nutritional Information
Servings: 12 | Amount Per Serving Calories: 296 | Total Fat: 18.5g | Cholesterol: 48mg source: AllRecipes.com
Age does not define me -- period! (... ok, exclamation point...)
Angie Dickinson at age 78
Whenever anyone asks how old I am I reply, "Oh, I don't do age actually. I would have to do the math to figure it out."
The uniform response is a snicker followed by a comment along the lines of "Forever 21, huh?"
I then explain, to the listener's bewilderment, that nope, I have no desire to be 21 again. In fact, the day I turned 21 was the very day I stopped telling my age. Having grown up with constant age discrimination based on my youth, I vowed while in my single digit years to stop being labeled by age the moment I was totally legal... ie 21.
Also, I have never understood society's current obsession with youth. I have no desire to be younger, just to be me! As a child I so admired the reverence given the 'elders' of Native American tribes. That made sense to me -- to respect and look up to those who have experienced life... oh, the stories they could tell. To me, wrinkles and scars were badges of honor and victory. I thought of fresh, young unlined skin as a sign of inexperience. It looked pleasant, but was not nearly as interesting to me as crows feet and laugh lines.
Raquel Welch at age 71
As I mature, and yes, I have thankfully matured, I am feeling more and more attractive as a human being, which is certainly not because of improved physicality -- far from it. Over the course of the last 3 years I have given up almost all physical activity goals and plans in favor of helping others. It won't always be this way, but for now, I am grateful to be of service. So how has this affected me physically? How do I look? Well, I have never felt better in my life, in part because I have been nourishing my soul. As for my physique -- meh, I've gained 45 pounds, lost muscle, and am flabby. But you know what? I couldn't care less! I have been enriched beyond measure, and have planned my do-gooder activities so that I can start getting out in the picture postcard perfect Spring weather following Mothers Day. From there I will have a whole Summer to cycle and swim, run and dance... and best of all... sleeeeeeep.
The women shown in this post are seasoned livers of life... ugh that sounded wrong... but you get what I mean. They have lived and aged, with panache!
Mimi Kirk at age 71
Now, yes, there may have been cosmetic surgeons involved for at least one of them, and yes, these photos may show them in their best light, but as far as I am concerned, they are gorgeous because of the confidence and poise they express.
Sofia Loren at age 72
And guess what, they are ALL over 70! Between their example and the increased vibrance I feel with each passing year, I look forward to my advancing years, and see them as golden indeed.
Bonus confidence-booster video for any age, showing the reality behind the airbrushing
... I mean, Photoshopping
[Note: I did my best to find photos with verified ages. If you have a different age or date for the photos, by all means, chime in]
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