The Jantzen Up-lifter – 1936

I was very happy to find this 1930s swimsuit, as I had been looking for one of the later wool suits that had lastex added.  Lastex was invented in the early 30s, and by 1936, the date of this Jantzen suit, it had totally changed the nature of the swimsuit.  No longer were they droopy affairs that looked good only when dry; now the lastex helped the suit conform to a woman’s curves, even when wet.

A plus is the label, which shows the suit was originally purchased from Louis Sherman in Hendersonville, NC.  Sherman’s Sporting Goods is still in business on Main Street in Hendersonville!

I was doubly happy to get home and find the suit in a Jantzen ad.  It’s from 1936, and is called the Uplifter – “A chic new figure-flatter superbly styled from a basket weave Kava Knit fabric $5.95”