34
WBM august 2012
Circa 1920s
This woman’s wool knit suit is from the
late 1920s or early 1930s as evidenced
by the vibrant green color, replacing the
black or dark blue prevalent from the
years before. The one-button shoulder
was also seen later in these tank bath-ing
suits. The shorts are connected just
below the waist. Men’s and women’s
suits looked very similar during this
time, but the men’s necklines were cut
much lower in the front and back and
often had cutouts under the arms as
well. Bath houses rented suits like this because
many beachgoers didn’t own them. The rental
usually included a locker for the street clothes,
a towel and a shower for about 25 cents.
Owned or rented, wool suits would be packed
away in moth balls during the winter months.
The suit in this 1926 ad (below) has a rubber button on
one shoulder just like the wool 20s suit on page 40. They
both have a scoop neck and a smooth fit over the hips
with attached trunks underneath. Jantzen started out
as Portland Knitting Company making knitted sweaters,
woolen knitted hosiery and other knit goods.