Button, button, who's got the button?

“Button, button, who’s got the button?” ask the children who have played this traditional game for more than a century. The first buttons appeared over 3,000 years ago and were originally used for decoration. Functional buttons for clothing made their debut in Europe in the 13th century. Buttons of great value and artistry were worn in France by the aristocracy; the peasants were permitted to use only cloth. In 1520 King Francis I of France, bedecked with 13,600 buttons, met King Henry VIII of England who was similarly covered with the elite symbol of status and ornamentation.

This fabulous sheath of black Lastex faille is total glam with the adornment of shining white buttons. It was produced by Jantzen 1953 and named “pick-a-pocket”. The retail price was $19.95. Our ancestors in the Bronze Age got it right to begin with and so did we, proving that the button and the brand remain timeless representatives of status and beauty.

White River Valley Museum Exhibit

Jantzen will be on display at the White River Valley Museum in Auburn Washington for their "Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini and Tummy Crunches" exhibit celebrating a century of female bodies and swimsuits. The exhibit opens on May 4th and will be available to the public through July 31st. Here is a sneak peek:

Family and the green suit, will go on forever.

There are some things about childhood that make a lasting impression...a favorite person, a nostalgic time, indelible memories. Aunt Virginia’s green swimsuit is a classic example. “Old Green”, as the article by Penny Ward Moser mentions, was worn year after year, decade after decade dispensing tireless consistency and love. The beloved suit became the symbol of stability and was cherished by a third generation in the hopes that the “family and the green suit will go on forever”

Made of nylon Moire for fast drying, this featherweight suit could face any situation. Jantzen produced the “Postage Stamp” in 1953, so named because “that is about the size and weight of it in the hand”. It is a swimsuit powerhouse, beautifully shirred and stylish today with a glamour legacy for eternity. National ad illustrated by Pete Hawley.