Women's Paula Stafford bikini

Hailed as the designer who introduced the bikini to Australian beaches, Paula Stafford was innovative in her approach to the swimsuit. Made in the 1960s, this reversible bikini offered the wearer the choice of an abstracted tartan design, or plain navy blue.

The halter neck top is padded and shaped, with slight gathering between the cups to emphasise the bust. The short-style pants have a zip at the centre, below a single button, with an elasticised back.

Stafford is remembered as one of the first bikini designer/manufacturers in Australia, designing and selling bikinis on Queensland's Gold Coast from as early as 1946. She gradually expanded her business and promoted the bikini in Sydney and Melbourne and later successfully exported to the UK and Asia.