I was very surprised to receive my Swimsuit, and Swim Skirt today (Friday, Aug 15). I just ordered it yesterday and did not expect it in time for my trip this weekend.  I was willing to wear my faded old speedo to the hotel pool. I want to thank you for making my day… and, excited to wear my new Swimsuit this weekend! Thanks for the excellent service!

Jantzen Swimwear will be featured on the upcoming season’s credits of Mad Men.  Jantzen Swimwear, one of the oldest and most recognized brands in swimwear will celebrate their 100th anniversary 2010, marking a century as a leader in style, innovation, fit and design with Swimwear made for the glamorous and modern beauty.

Jantzen Swimsuitscreative inspiration comes from their archives.  Whether it’s using an Art Deco 1930s image from Jantzen Beach Theme Park where you could “Dance, Swim, and Play” or their successful 1960s “Just Wear a Smile and a Jantzen” campaign, promoting a form of “happiness” reflects today’s marketing pitch to consumers who are responding to old fashioned values.  Images from the Jantzen Archives have been seen in the last two seasons of Emmy Award winning Mad Men on AMC and will again be featured in opening credits this fall with images from the 1960s Smile campaign. 

To honor their 100th year, Jantzen will explore their archival garment treasures, launching the Heritage Collection by Jantzen – classic Jantzen reinterpreted for the modern woman. The design team pays homage to each Jantzen decade as a milestone in fashion history with a collection reminiscent of the 1920s through today, evoking the signature style and decadence of eras gone by.  Jantzen will showcase their 100 years of fashion in partnership with The Wolfsonian–Florida International University beginning July 10th during a thirteen-week exhibition entitled, Beauty on the Beach: A Centennial Celebration of Swimwear. The exhibition will highlight materials such as original artwork by noted artists, advertisements, packaging and bathing suits, and celebrity swim suits. Jantzen, always a leader in international exhibits, looks forward to sharing their treasures with a whole new generation. A kick off reception on Saturday, July 18th, 2009 sponsored by Elle magazine will take place in conjunction with the SAF show for retail partners and local media.

With the trend of nostalgia surging, Jantzen has re-launched Curvallure by Jantzen replacing TrimSwim swimwear line. Curvallure’s clever copy and unique advertising illustrations originated in 1940 with Jantzen’s intimate apparel and “the foundation of Natural Beauty.” In the 1950s Swimwearour Curvallure bras created glamour by changing the shape of America. Today, Curvallure by Jantzen swimsuits are targeted to women who seek all the fit attributes, of contouring and slimming design, including tummy control and lifting features….without sacrificing style.

Empowering women by providing them with confidence to flaunt their curves and taking empowerment to the next level, Curvallure by Jantzen swimsuits will partner with the IFW Go Red for Women Red Dress show event in October to help combat Heart Disease.

As Jantzen commemorates this centennial celebration, the future appears bright. Jantzen, led by its iconic Diving Girl, remains one of the most recognizable brands in swimwear and will continue to provide innovation, style, quality and design in years to come.

–jantzen.com

Pamela Levenson designer of the Popina Swimwear brand offers five tips for Swimsuit shopping.  Pamela is based in Portland, Oregon, she sells her bathing suits on line, Wholesale at approximately 50 retailers in twelve states and from her brick and mortar Portland Swimwear boutique.

Tip #1 - Pick colors and prints that suit your skin and hair colors and then - “Just Try it On”!

Said so well by the housekeeper in the Movie Spanglish, it is surprising how many women come into my Swimwear Boutique with pre-conceived ideas of what is the best Bathing Suit for them.  There is no substitute for your own opinion and comfort level, try on a few things you think would never suit you, break all the conventional rules, you might just be surprised.  I always encourage the customers in my store to try on as much Swimwear as they have time for if they are not sure.  It is not uncommon that my customers will spend 1-2 hours trying on Swimwear, but why not, it should be fun!

#2 Go Retro

Personally I love Retro Swimwear styles, before the march to make Swimsuits smaller and smaller, there was a time that mystery and modesty had value.  1940’s-1950’s Bathing Suits are my favorite era, these Vintage Swimsuits did a great job of covering up the right stuff and still having a great sense of style.  Interestingly Retro Swimsuitsare now fashion forward, if you want to have a fun, unique look from the crowd, retro is a great way to set yourself apart and have a great fun look!

# 3 Care for your Suit

Chlorine and Spandex have a very tenuous relationship.  It makes me very optimistic that there has been a trend toward converting skin drying, swimsuit destroying chlorine pools into saline which is way less harmful to swimwear.  If you are using your suit in a pool, be sure to wash it out with a mild detergent and hang it to d.  I have heard stories that if the chlorine is strong enough (like you can smell it - yuck!) and a suit has been left in a ball un-rinsed, a suit will literally disintegrate in days.

#4 Try a Tankini rather than a One Piece

Our most popular Swimwear style is the Tankini.  My Tankini styles are designed with “Meet and Greet” Sizing which means for an averaged woman’s body, the bottom of the Tankini meets the top of the Swimwear Bottoms so that it has the look of a One Piece Bathing Suit.  There are many advantages to a Tankini from a One Piece Bathing Suit first off the convenience of…….well let’s just say it, going to the bathroom.  With a One Piece Swimsuit you basically need to undress, a Tankini is much more bathroom friendly.  Second, with Tankinis you can mix and match tops and Swimwear Bottoms.  A great way to stretch a budget is to buy one top and two bottoms or two bottoms and one top that coordinate.  One extra piece gives you a whole new outfit!  Finally, for those with longer torsos who have difficulty finding a One Piece Swimsuit that fits right, a Tankini will provide most of the coverage of a One Piece Swimsuit.

#5 Try to have fun

Swimwear buying for many women is an experience of dread.  My Portland Swimwear Store is located next door to a Dentist, if I polled some of my shoppers I think some would rather have their teeth drilled than to try on Swimwear; in fact my very first store customer cried when she tried on a swimsuit.  Many women are way too hard on themselves.  I am sensitive to these feelings and that is a big part of why I created my line and when designing my Portland Swimwear Store I took great lengths to try to make it a fun and comfortable place to try on Swimsuits.  I strive to create swimwear that allows women to feel good about themselves and create an environment that makes the process fun.  But lets face it some of us do not have perfect bodies, in fact probably 5% of women have the to die for bod, and believe it or not, the women with the perfect bodies can often be the hardest on themselves!  So remember, you are buying Swimwear because you love to have fun and when you put on your suit you will be in the water.  Life is too short lets swim!

We have been wanting to start a Blog devoted to Retro Swimwear fashion, travel and all things related to recreational swimming for sometime at Popina Swim.  Since we have begun our swimsuit venture we have recieved a lot of questions ranging from being a small business owner to starting a business to the most important questions related to fashion and design.  Thank you for visiting the Retro Swimwear Blog!

Pamela Levenson, Owner/Designer Popina Swim