Help dating this women's swimsuit...

sandymess

Registered Guest
Help dating this women\'s swimsuit...

Hello again, everyone.

I'm a little stumped by this swimsuit. The label reads Channel West, and when I looked up the company on the USPTO site I found the company registered in 1974. However, when I researched the RN #, I found the original company was called Sea Fashions of California, then SEA FASHIONS, INC. with the first use in 1946.

Now, when I look at this suit with cotton bra insert and shall we say, rather upward pointing bust, (sort of a bullet shape, as well) it makes me think 1950s. But could this have been later 60s or even early 70s? I don't recall styling like this in the latter era, but I was a young teen then and could very well be wrong.

Any thoughts?

Thanks, guys. I appreciate any and all feedback.
Sandy
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I think this could easily be post 70s, and sorry, I dont see 50s at all. ;)

It looks like a suit for a more mature woman and appears to me that it could be fairly recent.

Maybe one of our swimsuit experts will drop in, for a more informed opinion.
 
I'm no expert, but that label looks relatively new to me... I've seen new swimsuits like this one before - they still make styles like this for, as Brenda says, more mature women. I get these mail-order catalogs that have swimsuits for all ages & shapes - and they do have stuff like this. Usually they're also in larger sizes.

Karin
 
I agree with the others: for a mature lady and I don't think it's any earlier than the '70s but it's hard to know more without seeing photos of all the labels. Any more for us?

Nicole
 
I think it's late 70s, maybe early 80s. I remember having suits with that sort of belt & buckle around then. And I think as you get later into the 80s the bra inserts aren't that cottony stuff anymore but spandex and nylon, and are more unstructured, even for the "mature" figure. They still make styles like this, but I can't remember seeing that style of cup in a "new" suit in eons.
 
The "lift and separate" bra thing happened around the time that the other gals are stating was. It was before the whole wonderbra trend. I don't interpret the cups here as "pointed/bullet" but rounded at the edge and "uplifted." True that a lot of later suits are a little shapeless on the top and if you are not small up top, some of them have the "uniboob look", there have always been options of "bra sized" suits and more structure up top for gals that are trim and fit with an ample bust line gals and also plus sized gals. I think that this is a classy choice for a gal with the simple belt and not a lot of frou frou, but I don't think its any older than what was stated.
 
Thank you for the input everyone. I've added a picture (above in first post) of the only other label--a cardboard one with the size and RN# on it.

I guess it's the cotton bra that is throwing me off here. And the very UPlifting style. ;) I don't remember either of those details in swimsuits in forever! Oh, and the only other thing I can tell you is that the registration for the name Channel West was cancelled in 1981, if that helps at all.

Thanks again!

Sandy
 
Now that I've seen the second label, I'm going with late '70s-early '80s too.

If Channel West only operated between 1974 and 1981 that seems to confirm things too.

Nicole
 
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