Summer Inspiration: Esther Williams

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Ever since I was a little girl, I have always loved Esther Williams. I grew up in Florida, learned to swim when I was very young, and spent a lot of time in pools. I also spent many hours watching TCM with my mother in my formative years and have had images of the bathing beauty and her synchronized water ballets in my head (and heart) ever since. Last year my husband bought me volume 1 of the Esther Williams box sets and I got to revisit the fantastic technicolor world of  her 40's and 50's Hollywood movies. 

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Since seeing those movies again, I became more curious about her and decided to watch an interview with her that accompanied the box set and check out her autobiography from the library. My goodness, the woman is incredible! Sure, her autobiography was a bit formulaic and she readily admits that she wasn't the best actress ever, but she was candid, funny, intelligent and spunky. So now, I've developed an appreciation for her, the work she did, the 'look' of the films and her lovely bathing suits and bathing caps all over again.

 I just can't wait for it to get warm enough to lounge lake-side and wear some of the suits (both vintage and vintage-inspired) that I've found over the past few years. Here's the first (and so far, only) vintage swimsuit that I've purchased. Not as stylish as any of Esther's by a long shot, but cute, comfortable and capable of making me feel like a bathing beauty, none the less!