Esther Williams, Swimwear Designer And Actress, Turns 91: 'I Was Just A Swimmer, Like Michael Phelps' (PHOTOS)

Esther Williams: I Was Just Like Phelps

After watching female swimmers Missy Franklin, Alison Schmidt and Dana Vollmer win big at the London Olympics this past week, it's hard not to think about how swim style has evolved over the years.

One of the women most responsible for the popular vintage-inspired swimsuit aesthetic today is actress and swimmer Esther Williams. Although she is best known for roles in films such as "Take Me Out To The Ball Game," "Ziegfeld Follies" and "Million Dollar Mermaid," Williams was an Olympic-level competitive swimmer before becoming a Hollywood movie star (she won three US National Championships and was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1966). She still swims on a daily basis but skips the competition (unless, that is, to watch Michael Phelps win yet another gold medal). Williams also has a line of retro swimsuits that were inspired by the ones she wore in her famous water spectacle flicks.

To celebrate the bathing suit style icon's 91st birthday on August 8th, we've asked Williams to take a look back at some of her fashion moments over the years. What exactly does she think of her swimsuits from the 1940s and 1950s today? Take a peek in our gallery below to find out and check out Williams' autobiography "Million Dollar Mermaid" for more.

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Esther Williams' Style

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