Evolution of suits over the years

[Torchwatch]

Interesting to see that close up of the pipe smoker suit Byron.
The sides are made by sewing in tapes of the same fabric as the suit, so avoiding the use of eyelets.
I have tried to use eyelets with poor results, the suit edge up scratchy.
possible even to put a wait cord through the top tape.

[dorcas3]

I had one of those open X suits-intersting tan pattern! Also one were it was actual lacing on each side-were not that comfortable. I remember a guy who cut out panels and then punched holes and tied the sides to gather with string-could also use rawhide-more like Tarzan.

[Byron]

OK, I give in and Peter Hurley was not making it up if suits with the lattice sides really existed (though he's probably dead by now and I cannot ask him and I would have preferred to see some proper Jantzen photos to confirm that design was in production at the time).

As I live and learn I also picked up this:
I still cannot find the swimsuit with lace-ups on BOTH sides but it seems there was one (blue here) from the 1940s which so performed on just ONE
side.
Never seen that before but it apparently comes from Allen-A Lifeguard (yes,
that is what it says) and has just been sold (22nd April) by Etsy (which seems to be a sort of Ebay from Leesburg VA).

See if this works: http://img3.etsystatic.com/il_fullxfull.314628295.jpg


PS: I thought KW died about a year ago - it was in fact 2002

[dorcas3]

Some of the outlet stores had all sorts of suit styles. They were not usually of good quality and many times were "no name" Also Parr of Arizona had suits when I was in the Army-wore them at the O Club pool-no problem. One was blue nylon with white piping all around including the leg notch. You had to wear a jock as there was no liner. They were short short and the straps were apparent unless you pulled them into your crack.May a thong would have be less obvious. It was a sharp looking suit. Parr also made zip side trunks which really conformed to your butt and package. Parr is not making much in that line today-seems to have very risque stuff which dont't appeal to me-after all there are limits of decency in public.

[louis]

Yep etsy is effectively a ebay style including sellers of VINTAGE CLOTHING.

[Byron]

Don't know the brand but lace-up at front here contributes to a rather
messy design overall, don't you think?

http://speedomusings.blogspot.co.uk/...kus-ricci.html

[Lap Counter]

Looks like he's packing a football.

[Byron]

LOL - didn't realise we've seen him before (Joe Sneider)

http://i2.listal.com/image/3127842/6...rkus-ricci.jpg

(not much room for a football there)

[Torchwatch]

Jantzen were an up market swimwear manufacturer, they charged a premium for their suits and were able to use better fabrics and spent more time in making them.
The pipe smoker suit of 1952 has lattice sides, the objective was to make a skin tight suit with non stretch fabrics. I suspect that there is elastic hidden in each of the straps of the lattice, the waist and leg straps hold the suit on while the lattice straps running at different angles tighten the fabric up making the whole suit more skin tight.
It is interesting to note that although at first glance the suit appears to be square cut they are in fact very high waisted briefs. This would hold your belly in and make a man appear slimmer and more muscular. Since this was before the invention of the teenager when everyone wanted to look like their parents this style would appear to be a good thing.
There have been 89 movies with Tarzan in the title between 1918 and 2008, many with Olympic swimmer Johnny Weissmuller in between 1932 and 1948, men in 1952 would have been familiar with Tarzan's open loincloth look and so wished to emulate it, perhaps with a more civilised Jantzen swim suit.

According to David Wallechinsky's Complete Book of the Olympics, while playing in a celebrity golf tournament in Cuba in 1958, Weissmuller's golf cart was suddenly captured by rebel soldiers. Weissmuller sized up the situation, got out of the cart and gave his trademark Tarzan yell. The shocked rebels soon began to jump up and down, calling "Tarzan! Welcome to Cuba!" Johnny and his companions were not only not kidnapped, but were given a rebel escort to the golf course.

[Byron]

Good Tarzan story (and that is what Parr would have been trying to emulate with its chamois bikini would it not ?)

Do we have any evidence of support for JW under the loincloth?
(the fitting at the hip is so tiny and there is no string give-away
if so).