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36
WBM august 2012
Surf Togs was one of the first companies to
have built-in, figure-control features in their
suits like the Cup-Lift built-in bra and Phan-tum
girdle. A tape measure in ads is still used by
some of the miracle suit brands of today.
1940s Surf Togs
The advent of DuPont’s nylon
in the late 1930s gave way to
new choices of fabrics for swim-wear.
Surf Togs was a company
that began using a nylon, lycra
blend called Bengaline to make
suits with figure-hugging quali-ties.
Bengaline was a woven
fabric that looked like faille with
a faint rib pattern, had lots of
stretch and was not prone to
wrinkling. This royal blue suit is
a sheath style with a modesty
panel in the front and a halter
strap with an adjustable metal
clip. The bust, decorated with
white braid, is lined but has
no boning. There is an inner
panel over the tummy Surf
Togs called a built-in Phan-tum
girdle for control. White blan-ket
weave stitches adorn the
middle from the top to bottom.
The back has a metal nine-inch
zipper, or slide closer, as it was
called in those days. The zip-per
placket has hooks and eyes
and contains boning the length
of the placket. The Surf Togs’
label indicates that it was made
in the 1940s. Even though it is
almost 70 years old, this suit
retains its stretch and shape.
O
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