Vintage 50's Kerrybrook Sea Stars Copen Blue 1 pc. Swimsuit 38 Bust

Description

Amazing Copen Blue 1950's 1 Piece Sea Stars Swimsuit Made For Sears Roebuck and Company by Kerrybrook! Original, Flat Front Bathing Beauty Style Suit Fit For a Statuesque Beauty Queen! Bust size 38 plus. The fabric is strongly elasticized and boned through the bust. Suit is sheered or gathered into elastic bands to gather up the fabric throughout. The fabric is strongly elasticized like a girdle but also stretches easily in all directions. This fabric has not lost its original oomph!
It is obviously meant to both hold and mold the female form into an idealized shape from the minds of the swim suit designer who must have had quite an imagination! It is rare and unusual to find a surviving swimsuit of this type from its era.
Bra is boned and lined with white cotton, Straps are adjustable in length with clear buttons on suit and 3 buttonholes
on each
strap to customize the fit. Metal zipper runs the length of the back with a hook and eye at the top. Metal zipper is covered with a double thick panel of the blue suit material so it does not cut into the wearer's back. Zipper has to do the job of pulling the suit together firmly and snugly in back as it stretches tightly over the wearer's body. The construction of this suit is amazing. It is heavily constructed and engineered like a bridge inside to support and mold the female body within to the 1950's ideal of shape and form. This suit historically interesting for this reason alone!
This would be the perfect suit for an
actress from a Russel Collin's movie, for cosplay, fetish photography and pinup modeling. Also great for a movie costume and swimsuit design study. Would be a perfect addition to a collection of swimwear through the ages, or museum history of swimwear display. And, of course, it could be the perfect actual 1950's swimsuit for a lucky someone whom it will fit perfectly! A modern woman with a figure like Anita Eckberg's!
Measurements: My best guess is that this suit will fit a full busted contemporary Medium to a Large size woman with a Bust measurement of 38 with a D to DDD Cup size. The rest of the suit will most likely mold and stretch to accommodate her figure.
Because it is so scrunched up by design and the fabric is so strongly girdle-like this suit is difficult to measure.
My best
efforts give me the following results. Keep in mind that the suit is very stretchy in all directions while also having a powerful hand with which to hold and mold the figure within.
Length of body measured from shoulder across highest point of bust to a straight line across from crotch is approximately 26" and stretches easily in length. Straps are adjustable via buttons and 3 buttonholes on each strap at back top of suit so body length should actually be extended on a wearer via the shoulder strap. Due to the long line torso of these styles they measure longer than modern bathing suits. This one has a
straight
panel across the front but is gathered up a bit on the side of the leg to give the wearer a long leg look from the side view. Perfect for a bathing beauty contest!
Bust: band of bra measures, stretched a bit, 38" but could easily stretch to 2" larger. Cup size is ample and estimated to fit a full D to DD, or DDD cup. The bust on this suit is ample and will stretch to accommodate more.
Modern pushup pads for swimsuits, available at fabric stores could be inserted to push out and fill up the cups for a more modern line. These can be tacked inside with a few stitches so they do not fall out and are also easily removed.
Waist: Unstretched is 10.5", but will stretch to 16 inches (double these measurements to get circumference)
Hips: Unstretched 15", will stretch to 19" (again double this for circumference)
I ordered a fiberglass half torso swimsuit mannequin used in the photos in order to try to get decent pictures but "she" is much smaller than the suit!
I'd say "she" is an idealized modern XS - S with a size 32" bust. Thus fabric is not pulled tightly across the bust or the body of this suit. This suit is
meant
to fit a full figured Goddess!
Unfortunately my mannequins are not full figured enough to fill up this suit. Anita Eckberg would be the perfect model for this suit!
Suit is almost 70 yrs old! It is in very good condition for its age. There was a little storage related dust on it, but It will arrive clean and ready to wear. Fabric is strong and it tact for lots more enjoyment and use, even swimming! I can confidently say this is a very strong suit!
Please ask if you have any further questions.