25 Iconic Celebrity Swimsuits
By Julia Malacoff,REDBOOK
Get poolside style inspiration from some of our favorite swimsuits of all time.
1. Jean Harlow - 1930's
The "Blonde Bombshell" was one of the earliest screen stars to be photographed in a swimsuit.
2. Esther Williams - 1950's
Swimwear is close to the heart for teenage swimming champion, Esther Williams. The star has even lent her name to a line of retro swimwear.
3. Marilyn Monroe - 1951
Marilyn Monroe posed in polka dot bikini with a ruffled skirt just before she made it big.
4. Brigitte Bardow in The Girl in the Bikini - 1952
One of the most referenced swim icons, Brigitte Bardot's curvy figure made an impact in a tiny bikini.
5. Bettie Page - 1956
The pin-up star was known for her risqué photos, but here she is looking rather tame in a printed bikini.
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6. Elizabeth Taylor in Suddenly Last Summer - 1959
The late mega-star's white one-piece is the epitome of iconic.
7. Ursula Andress in Dr. No - 1962
Andress was the original Bond girl in a belted bikini.
8. Sally Field in Gidget - 1965
Field was the original surfer girl in an actual itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny, yellow polka-dot bikini.
9. Raquel Welch in One Million Years B.C. - 1966
Though she barely spoke in the film, Welch's "fur bikini" made her performance unforgettable.
10. Farrah Fawcett in Charlie's Angels - 1976
Fawcett's red Norma Kamali one-piece is one of the most imitated swimsuits ever, and this poster was on the wall of many teenage boys in the '70s and '80s. It was even donated to the Smithsonian in February 2011.
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11. Cheryl Tiegs - 1978
Tiegs is best known for her multiple appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
12. Bo Derek in 10 - 1979
10 put Derek on the map as one of the biggest sex symbols of the 1970's.
13. Christie Brinkley's Sports Illustrated Cover - 1981
This was the last of Brinkley's three consecutive Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue covers.
14. Phoebe Cates in Fast Times at Ridgemont High - 1982
Cates' infamous bikini-drop scene in Fast Times at Ridgemont High made her every teenage boy's fantasy in the 1980's.
15. Elle MacPherson's Sports Illustrated Cover - 1987
Macpherson, also known as "The Body" for obvious reasons, wore a high-cut one piece on the 1987 cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
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16. Baywatch Cast - 1989
The Baywatch cast was known for wearing barely-there swimwear, and looking amazing in it while sprinting down the beach (sometimes in slow motion).
17. Gwyneth Paltrow in The Talented Mr. Ripley - 1999
Paltrow stunned in a retro printed bikini.
18. Halle Berry in Die Another Day - 2002
What can we say? Bond girls look amazing in belted bikinis. Berry has become known for this orange two-piece.
19. Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider - 2001
Jolie's simple, black bikini emphasized her fit figure in this action-packed film based on the popular video game.
20. Kate Bosworth in Blue Crush - 2002
Bosworth, who worked out like crazy to play an amateur female surfer trying to turn pro in Blue Crush , is the modern incarnation of the surfer chic.
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21. Demi Moore in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle - 2003
Moore astounded audiences with her unbelievable over-40 bikini body.
22. Cameron Diaz in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle - 2003
As one of Charlie's Angels, Diaz also showed of her athletic bod in a classic white bikini.
23. Beyonce Knowles - 2007
While on vacation in the French Riviera, Beyonce showed off her rockin' abs in a tiny yellow-embellished bikini.
24. Helen Mirren - 2008
At 63, Helen Mirren demonstrated that women of any age can look beautiful in a bikini.
25. Jennifer Aniston - 2010
With one of the most admired bodies in Hollywood, Aniston showed us how to keep it simple in a teeny black bikini while on vacation in Los Cabos, Mexico.
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