Cole of California
An American swimwear brand associated with fashion-led design innovations, Hollywood visibility, and influential mid-century swimsuit styling.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Cole of California is an American swimwear brand whose origins trace to West Coast Knitting Mills, a Vernon, California, knitting manufacturer established by F. L. Drane and Joseph Drane in 1917. The company initially produced men's knitted underwear and socks and became one of the largest knitting mills in the western United States. In the early 1920s, apparel manufacturer Morris Cohn acquired an interest in the business. His son, Fred Cole, joined the family enterprise after a short period as a silent-film actor and helped redirect part of the company's attention toward women's swimwear. The brand's early importance came from treating the swimsuit as fashion apparel rather than merely functional beach clothing. In 1925, the company introduced the sleeveless Hollywood Swimsuit, a colorful, elasticized design with a low back, low neckline, and short skirt. At a time when women's swimsuits commonly included sleeves and knee-length legs, the style was considered daring. It was also known as a Prohibition suit and became an immediate commercial success. The design helped establish Cole as a competitor to major swimwear companies including Catalina and Jantzen. Cole strengthened its fashion credentials in 1936 when it hired Margit Fellegi, a Hollywood costume designer, as head of design. Fellegi contributed designs such as the Swoon Suit and helped develop a distinctive approach based on dramatic silhouettes, unusual coverage, and visually striking materials. That same year, Cole began using cotton as the primary material for swimsuits, departing from the wool commonly used in the period. The company also helped popularize white swimsuits, despite concerns that white fabric could appear transparent when wet. After Morris Cohn died in 1941, Fred Cole inherited control and changed the company name to Cole of California. During the Second World War, the business shifted much of its manufacturing capacity to parachutes. It returned to full-scale swimwear production after the war and built visibility through celebrity and entertainment-industry associations. Actress and competitive swimmer Esther Williams served as a Cole spokesperson from 1948 to 1952, reinforcing the brand's connection with glamour, swimming, and Hollywood presentation. Cole continued to introduce overskirts, tank suits, deeply cut backs, and other construction and styling variations. It also briefly collaborated with Christian Dior in Dior's only swimwear venture. Fred Cole sold the company to Kayser-Roth in 1960. Margit Fellegi remained with the business, and Fred Cole's daughter Anne Cole continued as executive vice president before developing her own lines and eventually establishing a separate company. One of the best-known products from the later period was the 1964 Scandal Suit, which used a deep V-neck, mesh insertion, and a lower back. It became the first swimsuit credited with exceeding one million dollars in sales and demonstrated the commercial potential of provocative fashion swimwear. Several Cole designs from this period, including the Scandal Suit, entered the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and other fashion-design institutions. The brand changed corporate ownership again in 1993 when it was acquired by Authentic Fitness, which combined Cole with Catalina. Authentic Fitness was subsequently acquired by Warnaco, and the Cole of California and Catalina brands were later sold in 2003. The brands are now associated with the InMocean Group. Cole of California's historical significance rests primarily on its role in making American swimwear more fashion-oriented, its use of Hollywood design and celebrity promotion, and its influence on the visual language of twentieth-century bathing suits. Publicly documented information about current collections, management, and the scale of present-day operations is limited.
History
Cole of California developed from West Coast Knitting Mills, founded in Vernon, California, in 1917 by F. L. Drane and Joseph Drane. The original business made men's knitted underwear and socks and grew into a major western American knitting mill. Morris Cohn acquired an interest during the early 1920s, and his son Fred Cole later became involved after leaving a short-lived career as a silent-film actor. Fred Cole encouraged the family business to enter women's swimwear. The resulting 1925 Hollywood Swimsuit was unusually sleeveless and low-cut for its period, with a short skirt and elasticized construction. Its immediate popularity helped establish Cole as a fashion-oriented competitor to Catalina and Jantzen. The swimsuit was sometimes called a Prohibition suit, reflecting the social environment in which it appeared. In 1936, Cole hired Hollywood costume designer Margit Fellegi to lead design. Fellegi introduced influential styles including the Swoon Suit and helped give the brand a recognizable relationship with film costume aesthetics. Cole also adopted cotton as a major swimsuit material, replacing or challenging the wool commonly used by competitors. Its use of white fabric and increasingly sculptural cuts contributed to the company's reputation for daring design. Morris Cohn's death in 1941 led Fred Cole to assume control and rename the business Cole of California. During the Second World War, the company produced parachutes rather than concentrating exclusively on swimwear. After the war, it returned to swimwear and used entertainment-industry promotion extensively. Esther Williams represented Cole products between 1948 and 1952, linking the brand to both competitive swimming and Hollywood spectacle. Cole also experimented with overskirts, tank suits, open backs, and other changes in swimsuit shape. A short collaboration with Christian Dior marked Dior's only reported entry into swimwear. Fred Cole sold the business to Kayser-Roth in 1960. Fellegi remained involved, and Anne Cole, Fred Cole's daughter, served as executive vice president before pursuing separate product lines and eventually creating her own company. In 1964, Cole released the Scandal Suit, a deep-V design with mesh filling and a low back. It became a landmark commercial product and was associated with more than one million dollars in sales. Designs from the period entered the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and other fashion museums. The company was acquired by Authentic Fitness in 1993 and combined with Catalina. Authentic Fitness later became part of Warnaco, and the Cole and Catalina brands were sold in 2003. The brands are now associated with InMocean Group. Although Cole of California has a long historical presence in swimwear, reliable public information about its current management, product range, and operating scale is limited.
- 2003
Brand ownership moves to the InMocean group
[1]After further corporate transactions, Cole of California and Catalina become associated with InMocean Group.
- 1993
Authentic Fitness acquisition
[1]Authentic Fitness acquires Cole and combines it with Catalina.
- 1964
Scandal Suit reaches landmark sales
[1]The Scandal Suit becomes the first swimsuit associated with more than one million dollars in sales.
- 1960
Kayser-Roth acquisition
[1]Fred Cole sells the business to Kayser-Roth.
- 1948
Esther Williams becomes a spokesperson
[1]The actress and swimmer begins representing Cole products, strengthening its entertainment and performance associations.
- 1941
The company adopts the Cole of California name
[1]Fred Cole takes control after Morris Cohn's death and changes the company name.
- 1936
Margit Fellegi joins as head of design
[1]The Hollywood costume designer begins shaping Cole's fashion-oriented design direction.
- 1925
Hollywood Swimsuit launches
[1]Cole introduces a sleeveless, elasticized swimsuit with a low neckline, low back, and short skirt, helping modernize women's swimwear.
- 1917
West Coast Knitting Mills is established
[1]F. L. Drane and Joseph Drane establish the Vernon, California, knitting company that later becomes the corporate foundation for Cole of California.
Products and positioning
Fashion-led American swimwear combining dramatic styling, novelty construction, and practical stretch materials. Historically, the brand occupied an aspirational to premium position and used Hollywood associations to distinguish itself from more utilitarian competitors.
Women's fashion swimwear · 1925
Hollywood Swimsuit
Introduced in 1925, this sleeveless swimsuit used a low neckline, low back, short skirt, and elastic construction. Its colorful and revealing appearance contrasted sharply with the more covering wool swimsuits common at the time and helped make Cole a recognized fashion swimwear company.
Women's fashion swimwear · 1936
Swoon Suit
A design associated with Margit Fellegi's tenure as Cole's head of design. The Swoon Suit represented the brand's use of Hollywood costume principles, dramatic styling, and novelty silhouettes in commercial swimwear.
Women's fashion swimwear · 1964
Scandal Suit
Launched in 1964, the Scandal Suit featured a deep V-neck partly filled with mesh and a deeper back. Its provocative construction made it one of Cole's most recognizable designs and a major commercial success.
Swimwear and beachwear
Cole of California swimwear collections
The broader Cole range historically included one-piece swimsuits, tank suits, suits with overskirts, deeply cut-back styles, and other fashion-oriented bathing suits. The brand's collections emphasized silhouette, color, and construction as well as basic swimming functionality.
Marketing campaigns
- 1948Esther Williams spokesperson program
United States
Cole used actress and swimmer Esther Williams as a spokesperson from 1948 to 1952. Her public image connected the brand with Hollywood glamour, swimming expertise, and the era's aspirational leisure culture.
Outcome. The association increased the visibility of Cole's products and reinforced its entertainment-oriented brand identity.
Brand decisions
1993
Acquisition by Authentic FitnessM&ABackground
Cole entered another phase of corporate consolidation within the swimwear industry.
Action taken
Authentic Fitness acquired the brand and merged it with Catalina.
Aftermath
Cole and Catalina were operated together under the acquiring group before subsequent ownership changes.
1964
Launch of the Scandal SuitProduct launchBackground
Cole continued pursuing increasingly dramatic silhouettes in the fashion swimwear market.
Action taken
The company introduced a deep-V design with mesh filling and a lower back.
Aftermath
The suit became a landmark product and was associated with more than one million dollars in sales. It was later represented in museum fashion collections.
Sales. More than $1 million (1964)
1960
Sale to Kayser-RothM&ABackground
Fred Cole decided to sell the company after decades of family involvement.
Action taken
Kayser-Roth acquired Cole of California, while key design and family management figures remained involved for a period.
Aftermath
The transaction shifted the brand from family control into a larger corporate ownership structure.
1941
Renaming as Cole of CaliforniaStrategyBackground
Fred Cole assumed control after the death of Morris Cohn.
Action taken
The company changed its name to Cole of California.
Aftermath
The new name formalized the connection between the brand and its California origin.
1936
Appointment of Hollywood costume designer Margit FellegiStrategyBackground
Cole sought to differentiate itself from established swimwear competitors through stronger fashion and entertainment-industry links.
Action taken
The company appointed Fellegi as head of design and developed styles including the Swoon Suit.
Aftermath
The brand became more closely identified with dramatic, fashion-led swimwear design.
1925
Launch of the Hollywood SwimsuitProduct launchBackground
Women's swimwear in the period generally covered the arms and legs more extensively and was often made from wool.
Action taken
Cole introduced a sleeveless, elasticized, colorful suit with a short skirt and lower neckline and back.
Aftermath
The design was considered daring but became popular and helped establish Cole as a fashion swimwear competitor.
Sources1 sources
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