Red swimsuit

Red swimsuit

Throughout the history of swimwear, the red one-piece swimsuit has created some iconic moments in popular culture.

The swimwear company Jantzen released its ‘Red Diving Girl’ logo in 1920. The logo featured a woman diving into water in a red wool one-piece, with a red cap and stockings. It could be seen everywhere from catalogues and newspapers to billboards and car decals. The marketing campaign was a hit and the American company soon established international operations in countries like Argentina, Britain and Australia.

In 1976 actress Farrah Fawcett decided to wear a red swimsuit from her closet for a photo shoot. The resulting poster released shortly before the debut of Charlie's Angels sold millions of copies worldwide.

At its height of viewership in the 1990s, the television show Baywatch resulted in the red one-piece surging in popularity again. The swimsuits worn by the actresses were inspired by those worn by real lifeguards on beaches in Southern California.