Sew Much Fun in the Summer: Fashion Designer Launches New Line of Retro Swimwear

Home Business, July, 2005 by Sandy Larson

Think Gidget. Think Annette Funicello in “Beach Blanket Bingo.” Both classic Hollywood beach babes turned plenty of heads in their day without wearing one of those “barely-there” swimsuits popular among today’s generation of sunbathers. Teresa Coates of Portland, Oregon, and designer of Two Piece Polka swimwear, is trying to bring back the less revealing swimsuit styles of the past.

The suits are reminiscent of the glamour of the 1940s and ‘50s,” Teresa says. “They are sexy in a modest way.” The single mother of two and student at Portland State University, who learned to sew at the age of 12, began sewing professionally four years ago. Prior to specializing in vintage-style swimsuits and beach totes, she sewed a variety of items, ranging from aprons to wedding...