Swimwear is a funny thing. You're basically nude, after all, and yet those tiny pieces of fabric can add up to so much story. Don't believe me? Would Elizabeth Taylor have created such a stir in Suddenly, Last Summer in a maillot of a different, less tan-accenting shade than the innocent allure of bright white? Would Brigitte Bardot be the siren we know and love without her ruffled bikini bottoms, or Jane Birkin her ring-fronted top? What about **Charlotte Rampling'**s pared-back string-tied two-piece, or **Diana Ross'**s sleek stripes? From Bond girls to ingenués and queens of the silver screen, every beach babe's got a story to tell—and this summer, it's time to add your own chapter.
Here, some of the most iconic suited-up femmes of all time alongside the chicest ways to get the look today. After all, what's summer without some major seaside style? Let's break some hearts alongside those breaking waves.
