
Wartime restrictions in the 1940s placed American companies on the amount of fabric they could use in fashions including swimwear. This is an ingenious way Cole used 'Parachute Colors' in advertising.

Ren Wicks was one of the artists Cole of California used in their ads in the 1940s and 1950s.

This is one of my favorites from Cole in the 1940s. Text for the main image reads "Backless Strapless swimsuit by Cole in EVERFAST. Exciting new bra engineered to stay put, trunks shirred with Lastex for perfect control. Sizes Small, Medium, Large $10.95. matching barrel skirt, ideal weekend accessory. $10.95

Esther Williams became the spokes model for Cole in the late 1940s. You can read more about that effort on our blog here. Overall, I believe these were successful and brilliant advertising techniques in their day.
1 comment:
If you ever DO find one of those suits, I'd love to know how they work, too! ADORE that skirt that transform the suit into a sundress. WHY oh WHY can't swimsuit designers extert a microbe's worth of this kind of creativity today? Thanks for sharing...these are truly wonderful!
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