How to make an incredibly authentic looking 1920s bathing suit

✯ Day 261 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

Carrying merrily along with celebrating National Sewing Month, today's post comes in just under the wire - the end of summer wire, that is.

I am continually impressive by the resourcefulness and creativity of vintage lovers, especially those who know their way around a needle and thread.

Recently I came across a detailed set of instructions on the superb historical costume blog, American Duchess, which provides detailed step-by-step instructions on how to turn a large sized men's heavy weight cotton knit shirt and a belt (paired, optionally, with knee-high trouser socks and Mary Jane shoes) into a staggering authentic looking 1920s bathing suit.

 

With a bit of pattern design and sewing, the lovely woman (and creator of this tutorial) pictured above, has made a bathing suit that really and truly looks as though it could have been plucked from your great-grandma's attic.

Run, don't walk, over to American Duchess and feast your eyes on the (relatively) easy steps needed to transform the most basic of everyday times (a black t-shirt) into a very historically accurate looking, completely delightful bathing suit that's both inexpensive (especially compared to buying an authentic 1920s wool swimsuit!) and incredibly charming.

Though summer may be nearly over, you can always whip up this great sewing project during the nippy months to take on a tropical vacation or tuck loving away in your closet for next summer.

The photographic illusionist

When one watches a talented magician’s act, though you are keenly aware that what you’re observing is, at its root, skilled deception, it rarely matters, for you are engaged in the entertainment and sense of awe that comes with viewing a master at work. The enjoyment and wonder that stems from being a part of the audience sweeps you up and sets your imagination a flutter, as you try to decipher the secrets behind what you’ve just witnessed.

This very feeling is what resonated through me the moment I discovered the incredible creations of a Ukrainian gentleman who goes by the moniker Retroatelier. At the heart of this fellow’s sublime work is re-enactment style photography. However his shots are blended with an unparalleled sense of post-production artistry that turns historical themed photos into pieces so astoundingly beautiful and attentive to detail that one cannot help feel as though you’re staring through the looking glass of time, observing not so much a photograph, but an actual moment from the distant, mysterious past.













































{The images above are but a small sampling of the stunning, origional photos displayed on Retroatelier’s website, which I truly recommend you visit.}


Retroatelier succeeds in marrying the most modern of techniques with the epitome of well-crafted historical settings and perfectly costumed models. His work embodies elegance, grandeur and markedly great skill. With a camera, props, period clothing and computer retouching work, he brings to life history with the sort of sophisticated aplomb that makes it seem as though doing so is the easiest thing in the world.

As though he was a magician performing under a stage name, I can find little information about this incredible artist (beyond his website and other online haunts such as Model Mayhem and LiveJournal), yet I really do not feel as though I need to know more. I love that these remarkable nouveau-vintage pieces were crafted by someone who leaves you enthralled, impressed, and deeply eager to see what incredible feats he has up his sleeve – or perhaps more aptly, up his lens.