Style Inspiration: Wendy Peppercorn

Since the weather is getting warmer and soon it will be that time to wiggle into your vintage swimsuit, I thought I would put together some vintage finds inspired by the one and only Wendy Peppercorn. If your not familiar with her name, Wendy Peppercorn was the adorable blonde lifeguard that Squints fell in love with in the 1993 movie The Sandlot. Asides from being a great movie based in the early 1960s, the Sandlot is a great family movie filled with tons of baseball history, great props and costumes inspired by the late 1950s early 1960s. If you haven't seen this great movie here is a trailer for it, its such a cute video and its only 30 seconds long.

My first find is this adorable little plaid number I found while searching on etsy and it is the perfect vintage swimsuit to recreate Wendy's look. This suit is a great style and print, the best part is that its an actual senior lifeguards swim suit from the late 1950s early 1960s.The seller is also including a great pair of never been worn totally adorable Ray Ban sunglasses which are blue and white, you have to check out this steal of a deal. The set listed at $75 here.

My new favorite etsy shop Cheesecakevintage, has this adorable vintage white swim suit from the 1950s. Sadly it is not in my size otherwise I would have bought it along with the 1940s skirt and 1940s dress I purchased from Cheescakevintage yesterday. It reminds me so much of Betty Grable and the detail on the straps are just darling. The model even did the perfect Betty Grable pose and all. This stunning white vintage swimsuit can be found here for $50.

A brief history on lifeguards:
In the 1800s bathing, which is now known as swimming became very popular in the United States. As entrepreneur's built resorts to attract folk trying to escape the heat, water activity increased as well as accidental drownings. The American Red Cross reports that by the early 1900s as many as 9,000 people drowned each year in the United States. Without any lifeguards at bathing areas a need for lifeguards was rising and in 1912 YMCA developed the volunteer National Lifesaving Service.

In 1914, Commodore Wilbert E. Longfellow established the American Red Cross Lifesaving, the originazation trained swimmers throughout the US in lifesaving and resuscitation. The volounteer lifeguards were encouraged to accept responsibility for supervision of bathing activities in their communities, drowning death rates dropped and bathing became a safer past time.

This shot is from the 1940s of a lifeguard and his uber tan gal pal at the beach.

Photo found here.