The Most Iconic Swimsuits of All Time
If a Museum of Swimwear existed, these suits would belong in it.
![swimwear](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9SxGJdvUfh2mJ4cvAj7mEd-415-80.jpg)
Every girl can have a swimwear moment if she's got a patient friend and some good lighting, but if you want something longer-lasting than an Instagram photo, you're gonna need a full crew and a culture-defining moment. Here, 30 suits that did just that to become the most memorable and iconic of all time. If a Museum of Swimwear existed, these pieces would belong there.
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![Raquel Welch](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WwZ8maiBn4kHRb6ZZdZqd6-415-80.jpg)
Raquel Welch
Cavewomen probably did not look like this. But tatters sell, so that's what Hollywood did for One Million Years B.C. #marketing
![Kim Kardashian](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/E83okUrVEGmueQoZBNroNJ-415-80.jpeg)
Kim Kardashian
On the flip side (heh), a celebrity most of the world has seen naked in some capacity managed to top even herself...with clothes. Seen here on a girls' vacation in Mexico, Kim Kardashian wears thong swimsuit bottoms.
![Farrah Fawcett](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eMQx7DAQBgNgZV5xYKChKi-415-80.jpg)
Farrah Fawcett
Hung in teenage bedrooms the world over.
![Carrie Fisher](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9kytTazXo5zSSYueHY8RtC-415-80.jpg)
Carrie Fisher
Though the late Carrie Fisher drew attention to how problematic it was, the bondage-inspired two-piece remains firmly in the HOF of movie costumes.
![Romy Schneider](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nEwQsF2f4zimY9xPWggbbQ-415-80.jpg)
Romy Schneider
La Piscine had everything: extremely beautiful stars, an extremely French plot, and the chicest wardrobe, including this flawlessly cut white maillot.
![Brooke Shields](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/36wq9S6xdPPwBPBHvAF8Ld-415-80.jpg)
Brooke Shields
If you didn't already know, you could probably guess what the Blue Lagoon was about by looking at Brooke Shields' shipwreck-underwear-thing. (Answer: naked, unsupervised teens.)
![Brigitte Bardot](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Dwva9EWnvu7tCBX8iPz8Do-415-80.jpg)
Brigitte Bardot
The film is literally titled Girl in the Bikini. So they tried to make it a good one.
![Elizabeth Taylor](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dVDtnMAwXTvHD4VNfudRRB-415-80.jpg)
Elizabeth Taylor
Her polka dot halter-top one-piece may look conservative now, but at the time, this portrait of Elizabeth Taylor was considered the epitome of risqué.
![Ashley Graham](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DHRG9hsKA4hpMv8XSJK3GM-415-80.jpg)
Ashley Graham
In 2016, the supermodel made history when she became the first curvy girl on the cover of the Sport's Illustrated swimsuit issue in a blue bikini. Slay, girl!
![Reese Witherspoon](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aWWgWEMcobrfuR59iQdhaW-415-80.jpg)
Reese Witherspoon
Who can forget the Elle Woods Harvard audition tape in Legally Blonde where she shows off how studious she is while rocking a sparkly pink bikini? You know you've worn an iconic swimsuit when Kim Kardashian turns it into her Halloween costume.
![Deborah Kerr](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/czbM9DazEfZyxky4bMJYth-415-80.jpg)
Deborah Kerr
After wearing her structured, belted bathing suit in From Here To Eternity, Deborah Kerr was quoted as saying, "I don't think anyone knew I could act until I put on a bathing suit." At least it was a great suit!
![Sally Field](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tfT3M9cCfKvzLK9ZvMuWS5-415-80.jpg)
Sally Field
Sally Field made the world fall in love with Gidget in the 1965 television show, and it probably didn't hurt that she was constantly wearing a bright bikini we wish we had on right now.
![Denise Richards](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/A59S7VLJW7EjvUwfFbqneE-415-80.jpg)
Denise Richards
Wild Things is an all-around racy movie, so it really says something that Denise Richards' blue one-piece is remembered more than the actual plot of the film.
![Gloria Hendry](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Y799cXSij97As3as6EyWUQ-415-80.jpg)
Gloria Hendry
The colorful bikini Gloria Hendry wore during Live and Let Die may be the most important of the film. But her pose is basically the definition of "badass."
![Salma Hayek](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xAnr3NLrtBH4yWreFkdjaZ-415-80.jpg)
Salma Hayek
The giant snake casually tossed around her shoulders, the burgundy bikini, the gold charms...Salma Hayek in From Dusk Till Dawn is a true icon.
![Jessica Simpon](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YWyJstRCqBFPRtUuxQFhAj-415-80.jpg)
Jessica Simpon
It was all about the Daisy Dukes in Dukes of Hazzard, but it's not surprising that Jessica Simpson also made it all about this bright pink bikini.
![Angelina Jolie](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gsNh7gRrYz8aAoaZewitB8-415-80.jpg)
Angelina Jolie
The sleek black bikini that Angelina Jolie wore in Tomb Raider as Lara Croft may not have been the most practical, but it's a simple look we still aspire to today.
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I'm the Digital Visuals Editor for Marie Claire and I help pick the most interesting, relevant and prettiest photos for our site.
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