Skip to content

Jantzen began as the Portland Knitting Company, founded in 1910 by Carl Jantzen and John and Roy Zehntbauer. In the first years of the company, they produced mainly heavy wool sweaters, gloves and socks. By 1918 they were making a very popular unisex swimming suit, and the company changed its name to Jantzen Knitting Mills.

In 1920, a logo was added to the swimming suit – a diving girl in a red swimsuit. This became the Jantzen trademark. As styles changed, so did the red diving girl, and the style of her suit can be a hint as to the age of the garment.

In the mid 1920s the Jantzen girl donned her cap and stockings. In the 1930s-40s the figure became more streamlined, her swimsuit became a bit shorter and the stripes are gone from the legs. The Jantzen insignia logo is embroidered on the front of her suit in the 1930’s. In 1948 the logo insignia is gone and the Jantzen diving girl has become a bit more streamlined and her suit becomes strapless.

Through the 1920s and 1930s, Jantzen refined their basic swimsuit into the modern bathing suit. Swimwear continued to be the most important part of their business, but in 1939 they expanded into foundations, and in 1940 they introduced a line of sportswear. During the mid and late 1940s, Louella Ballerino did collections for Jantzen. In 1954, the company again changed its name, this time to Jantzen Inc.

By the mid 1960s, the company developed their sportswear manufacturing. The company went public in 1970, and ten years later was purchased by Blue Bell. Jantzen still produces swimwear and sportswear today as part of Perry Ellis International, Inc.

Written by vintage-voyager.com and glamoursurf.com

See also: Web Foot

See vintage Jantzen from VFG members on Etsy (paid link)


from a 1923 swimsuit - Courtesy of Kristin Wojkowski / Vintage.Swimwear.Collection

from a 1923 swimsuit

Courtesy of Kristin Wojkowski / Vintage.Swimwear.Collection

from a 1920s swim suit - Courtesy of glamoursurf.com

from a 1920s swim suit

Courtesy of glamoursurf.com

from a 1920s suit (Notice the cap and stockings) - Courtesy of glamoursurf.com

from a 1920s suit (Notice the cap and stockings)

Courtesy of glamoursurf.com

from a 1920s unisex bathing suit - Courtesy of pinkyagogo

from a 1920s unisex bathing suit

Courtesy of pinkyagogo

from an early 1930s swim suit - Courtesy of dorotheasvintagecloset.com

from an early 1930s swim suit

Courtesy of dorotheasvintagecloset.com

from an early 1930s swimsuit (Notice USA embroidered on hat) - Courtesy of pinkyagogo

from an early 1930s swimsuit (Notice USA embroidered on hat)

Courtesy of pinkyagogo

from a 1930 swimsuit - Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from a 1930 swimsuit

Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from a mid to late 1930s swimsuit - Courtesy of vintage-vineyard

from a mid to late 1930s swimsuit

Courtesy of vintage-vineyard

from a 1930s bathing suit - Courtesy of tintrunk

from a 1930s bathing suit

Courtesy of tintrunk

from a late 1930s swimsuit - Courtesy of cemeterian

from a late 1930s swimsuit

Courtesy of cemeterian

from a 1930s/1940s swim suit - Courtesy of glamoursurf.com

from a 1930s/1940s swim suit

Courtesy of glamoursurf.com

from a 1940s swimsuit - Courtesy of glamoursurf.com

from a 1940s swimsuit

Courtesy of glamoursurf.com

from a 1940s reindeer sweater - Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage

from a 1940s reindeer sweater

Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage

from a 1940s swimsuit - Courtesy of marie92001

from a 1940s swimsuit

Courtesy of marie92001

from a 1940s swimsuit - Courtesy of vintage-vineyard

from a 1940s swimsuit

Courtesy of vintage-vineyard

hangtag from a pair of 1940s men's trunks - Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

hangtag from a pair of 1940s men’s trunks

Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from a 1940s swimsuit - Courtesy of circavintage

from a 1940s swimsuit

Courtesy of circavintage

from a pair of 1944 shorts - Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from a pair of 1944 shorts

Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from a 1940s t-shirt - Courtesy of FabGear Vintage

from a 1940s t-shirt

Courtesy of FabGear Vintage

from a 1940s sweater - Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from a 1940s sweater

Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from a 1946 swimsuit - Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from a 1946 swimsuit

Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from a 1946 sunsuit & skirt - Courtesy of denisebrain

from a 1946 sunsuit & skirt

Courtesy of denisebrain

from a 1946 bathing suit - Courtesy of borntoolatevintage

from a 1946 bathing suit

Courtesy of borntoolatevintage

from a late 1940s knit dress - Courtesy of bonton

from a late 1940s knit dress

Courtesy of bonton

from a late-1940s/early-1950s pair of shorts - Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing

from a late-1940s/early-1950s pair of shorts

Courtesy of poppysvintageclothing

from late 1940s/early 1950s wedge shoes - Courtesy of thespectrum

from late 1940s/early 1950s wedge shoes

Courtesy of thespectrum

from a pair of early-1950s shorts - Courtesy of Inez Underwood Collection

from a pair of early-1950s shorts

Courtesy of Inez Underwood Collection

from an early 1950s swimsuit - Courtesy of coutureallurevintage.com

from an early 1950s swimsuit

Courtesy of coutureallurevintage.com

from an early 1950s swimsuit - Courtesy of pinky-a-gogo

from an early 1950s swimsuit

Courtesy of pinky-a-gogo

from an early 1950s suit - Courtesy of leisa

from an early 1950s suit

Courtesy of leisa

from a 1950s bathing suit - Courtesy of nostalgic*collection

from a 1950s bathing suit

Courtesy of nostalgic*collection

from a 1950s romper - Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage

from a 1950s romper

Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage

from a 1950s cardigan - Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage

from a 1950s cardigan

Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage

from a 1950s bathing suit - Courtesy of pf1

from a 1950s bathing suit

Courtesy of pf1

from a 1950s men's shirt - Courtesy of pinky-a-gogo

from a 1950s men’s shirt

Courtesy of pinky-a-gogo

from a 1950s sweater - Courtesy of fast_eddies_retro_rags

from a 1950s sweater

Courtesy of fast_eddies_retro_rags

from late 1950s shirt - Courtesy of tintrunk

from late 1950s shirt

Courtesy of tintrunk

from a late 1950s men's sweater - Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from a late 1950s men’s sweater

Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from a 1950s/1960s strapless suit: shorter logo - Courtesy of glamoursurf.com

from a 1950s/1960s strapless suit: shorter logo

Courtesy of glamoursurf.com

from an early 1960s merry widow corsette - Courtesy of pinkyagogo

from an early 1960s merry widow corsette

Courtesy of pinkyagogo

from an early 1960s sweater - Courtesy of vintagetreasuresgalore

from an early 1960s sweater

Courtesy of vintagetreasuresgalore

from a 1960s swim suit - Courtesy of coutureallurevintage.com

from a 1960s swim suit

Courtesy of coutureallurevintage.com

from a 1960s knit dress - Courtesy of Vanity Flair Vintage

from a 1960s knit dress

Courtesy of Vanity Flair Vintage

from a 1960s girdle - Courtesy of wyogems

from a 1960s girdle

Courtesy of wyogems

from a 1960s men's beach cabana set - Courtesy of marie92001

from a 1960s men’s beach cabana set

Courtesy of marie92001

from a 1960s men's sweater vest - Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage

from a 1960s men’s sweater vest

Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage

from a late 1960s- early 1970s Hawaiian shirt - Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage

from a late 1960s- early 1970s Hawaiian shirt

Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage

from a late 1960s swimsuit - Courtesy of vintage-vineyard

from a late 1960s swimsuit

Courtesy of vintage-vineyard

from a late 1960s/early 1970s bathing suit - Courtesy of themerchantsofvintage

from a late 1960s/early 1970s bathing suit

Courtesy of themerchantsofvintage

from a 1970s pair of men's trunks - Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from a 1970s pair of men’s trunks

Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from a 1980s cardigan - Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage

from a 1980s cardigan

Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage

from a 1980s cardigan - Courtesy of fasteddiesretrorags

from a 1980s cardigan

Courtesy of fasteddiesretrorags

from a pair of 1980s men's swim trunks - Courtesy of Metro Retro Vintage

from a pair of 1980s men’s swim trunks

Courtesy of Metro Retro Vintage

from a 1980s men's sweater - Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage

from a 1980s men’s sweater

Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage

from a 1980s polo shirt - Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage

from a 1980s polo shirt

Courtesy of Ranch Queen Vintage