Friday 4 September 2015

British vintage archive film - Swimming Caps from the 1950s!


Yesterday evening I decided to go for a swim. It is something I have not done for such a long time. The pool is in a building which was built in the 1930s and as I was swimming up and down I was thinking about the history of the building and what it must have been like when it opened. It got me thinking about vintage swimwear and I found this fabulous clip from the 1950s on swimming cap fashion! 

As if having a whole fashion show for swimming caps wasn't strange enough, just to make things a little more weird, the fashion show is set within a Punch and Judy show! For those who aren't familiar with Punch and Judy, Punch and Judy is a puppet show. It has a long history but is often associated with traditional British seaside culture. The first record of a Punch and Judy show in Britain was in 1662 in Covent Garden, London. The show features violence but is also meant to be a comedy show.

The designs in the video range from glamorous to outlandish designs. My favourite I think has to be the swimming cap with fringe (bangs). A fake fringe is attached to the front of the swimming cap which can then be trimmed and styled meaning you could have the look of a fringe without getting your hair wet! I imagine I would turn a few heads if I turned up to the pool wearing that next time!

The commentary itself is pretty hilarious too. 

Some of my favourites are these gems...

 'Most of the new caps are strapless which does away with the double chin effect that straps often give a girl....or at least some girls'

'Here's a cap which is so captivating....' (we see what you did there!)

Hope this video made you smile and have a wonderful weekend everyone!

The Dorothy Days Xx

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