Rose Marie Reid: Swimsuit Visionary

Molly Elizabeth Hartvigsen
Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice

About this Item

Title
Rose Marie Reid: Swimsuit Visionary
Contributor Names
Hartvigsen, Molly Elizabeth (Author)
Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York. Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice (Degree granting institution)
Ben-Horin, Keren (Thesis advisor)
Date
2021
Degree Information
M.A. Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York 2021.
Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice.
Advisors: Ben-Horin, Keren. Committee members: Lourdes Font.
Abstract
Rose Marie Reid (1906–1978) revolutionized the swimsuit industry when she designed her first lace-up swimsuit in 1936. The lace-up swimsuit design launched Reid into a twenty-seven-year career, in which she rose to the top of the swimsuit industry in Canada and the United States, among other countries around the world. Reid's contribution to the swimsuit industry is evident in the endurance of the construction techniques she helped to launch, such as, tummy tuck panels and stay down legs that are still being used in swimsuits today. Reid was among a pioneering group of designers such as Louella Ballerino, Margit Fegelli, Lea Gottlieb and Rudi Gernreich that transformed the bathing suit from a relatively utilitarian garment into a fashionable item of clothing in a new category of resort wardrobe. The extent of the recognition of Reid's work shows the success of her designs and her company. Rose Marie Reid bathing suits appeared in films and were worn by Hollywood starlets of the time, such as Rita Hayworth. In 1958 a few short years before she retired, Reid received the prestigious American Designer Sportswear Award for her "significant contribution to American sportswear through a specific collection, idea or innovation." This paper highlights Reid's legacy and how her contributions impacted the swimsuit industry. Beginning with how Reid first came to design swimsuits, the paper moves into an analysis of her design practice of creating suits for six different body types. The following chapter explores how Reid was able to create the ideal figure by using innovative structural undergarments, in addition to her use of functional fibers and fabrics. The paper concludes by delving into the creative marketing techniques Reid and her company used to promote her swimsuits.
Subject
Bathing suits
Fashion
Fashion designers
Clothing and dress
Costume
Reid, Rose Marie, 1906-1978
Rights
In Copyright
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Identifier
FIT Repository ID: etd_000889
pqdiss: 28417048
ISBN: 9798728273325
Related Materials
Also available from ProQuest
Type
Text
Thesis
Language
eng
Publisher
Ann Arbor : ProQuest Dissertations & Theses

Citation

Hartvigsen, M. E. (2021). Rose Marie Reid: Swimsuit Visionary [Master's thesis, Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York]. FIT Institutional Repository. https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/4047
Hartvigsen, Molly Elizabeth. Rose Marie Reid: Swimsuit Visionary. 2021. Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York, Master's thesis. FIT Digital Repository, https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/4047
Hartvigsen, Molly Elizabeth. "Rose Marie Reid: Swimsuit Visionary." Master's thesis, Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York, 2021. https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/4047