Retro Chic: 20 Iconic Movie Swimsuits (21 Photos)

Swimsuit-clad women made a splash in cinema back in the 1950s. Movies from that era reflect not only the evolution of beach fashion, but also shifts in societal morality. While Brigitte Bardot wearing a revealing swimsuit caused a sensation in 1952, just a decade later, Bond girl Ursula Andress thought nothing of strapping a hunting knife to a tiny bikini.





By the 1980s, gorgeous actresses appearing on screen in swimsuits had become standard fare, shifting the focus toward costume design. Princess Leia’s iconic look in

Star Wars

, for instance, captivated audiences precisely because of her uniquely styled swimsuit.



Brigitte Bardot, 1952. Still from

Manina, the Girl in the Bikini





Deborah Kerr, 1953. Still from

From Here to Eternity



Marilyn Monroe, 1959. Still from

Some Like It Hot



Elizabeth Taylor, 1959. Still from

Suddenly, Last Summer



Ursula Andress, 1962. Still from

Dr. No



Annette Funicello, 1963. Still from

Beach Party



Raquel Welch, 1966. Still from

One Million Years B.C.



Carrie Fisher, 1983. Still from

Return of the Jedi



Bo Derek, 1979. Still from

10



Pamela Anderson, 1995. Still from

Baywatch



Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law, 1999. Still from

The Talented Mr. Ripley



Halle Berry, 2002. Still from

Die Another Day



Demi Moore, 2000. Still from

Charlie's Angels



Angelina Jolie, 2003. Still from

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life

In Soviet cinema, the swimsuit revolution took off in the early 1960s with the release of

Three Plus Two

, starring Natalya Kustinskaya and Natalya Fateyeva. In

Operation Y and Shurik's Other Adventures

, Natalya Seleznyova turned heads in a bright red two-piece. In the 1970s, Natalya Gvozdikova rocked a monokini in

The Big School Break

. By the 1980s, movie beach scenes were in full swing, with actresses like Tatyana Dogileva, Natalya Negoda, and Lyudmila Gurchenko making waves in bold—and sometimes hilarious—beachwear.



Natalya Kustinskaya and Natalya Fateyeva, 1963. Still from

Three Plus Two



Natalya Seleznyova, 1965. Still from

Operation Y and Shurik's Other Adventures

("Obsession")



Tatyana Dogileva, 1982. Still from

The Pokrovsky Gate



Tatyana Dogileva, 1982. Still from

The Blonde Around the Corner



Lyudmila Gurchenko, 1984. Still from

Love and Pigeons



Natalya Negoda, 1988. Still from

Little Vera