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Category: Vintage Advertising

Vintage Soap Advertisements 1920s-1960s

Kick off the New Year on a fresh note with these delightful vintage advertisements for body soap—celebrating the charm of yesteryear while inspiring a squeaky-clean start to 2025!

1945 Woodbury Soap Bridal Kiss Advertisement featuring a 1940s bride and her Canadian groom in uniform.

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase


1920s-1960s Vintage Advertisements for Body Soap

“Why fade at 30?” 1922 vintage advertisement for Palmolive soap for your face.

1920s Vintage Advertisement: "Why fade at 30?" 1922 vintage advertisement for Palmolive soap for your face featuring a woman in her 30s looking at her younger self.

Source: Etsy-RelicEclectic

“The Soap Success Of The Century-Pears”. 1928 Pears Soap advertisement.

1920s vintage advertisement for Pears soap featuring an illustration of a 1920s woman with a 1920s flapper hairstyle - September 1928

Source: Alamy

“She pays $780 for nice hands-mine cost me next to nothing!” March 8th, 1930 Ivory Soap advertisement as seen in the Saturday Evening Post.

1930s vintage advertisement: "She pays $780 for nice hands-mine cost me next to nothing!" March 8th 1930 Ivory Soap advertisement as seen in the Saturday Evening Post.

Source: Saturday Evening Post

Even men take a bath especially when they are feeling Blue. March 17th, 1934 Saturday Evening Post featuring another ad for Ivory Soap.

1930s vintage advertisement: Ivory Soap for a bath for men.

Source: Saturday Evening Post

“Lux Girls are Dainter!” 1940s vintage advertisement for Luz Soap featuring Barbara Stanwyck.

Further Reading: Vintage Towel Advertising 1920s-1950s

1940s vintage advertisement: Barbara Stanwyck for Lux Soap, Full Page Vintage Print Ad from the 1940s.

Source: eBay

Another Lux Soap ad because the celebrity endorsements for this brand, are great! 1939 Joan Blondell Lux Toilet Soap storyboard ad.

1930s vintage advertisment: 1939 Joan Blondell (Actress) Lux Toilet Soap advertisement. Super late 1930s vintage hairstyle inspiration.

Source: eBay

“Don’t let them whisper behind your back! The refreshing bath that gives lasting protection”. 1941 Lifebuoy Soap advertisement.

I LOVE our one ladies brooch, stunning!

1940s vintage advertisement: 1941 Lifebuoy body soap featuring an illustration of two 1940s women in 1940s fashions.

Source: eBay

“The Gentle Art of Making Friends-Swan Soap”. 1940s vintage ad.

1940s vintage advertisement featuring all the way Swan Soap can get you clean, your baby clean, clothes clean and more.

Source: Etsy-PlentifulPages

“Doctors Prove 2 our of 3 women can have Lovelier Skin in 14 days!” 1947 Palmolive Soap advertisement.

1940s Vintage Advertisement: 1947 Palmolive Soap Vintage Advertisement featuring images of 1940s women and 1940s hairstyles.

Source: Etsy-RelicEclectic

“Beauty Is My Business” & “Microscope Reveals Floating Lift of SweetHeart Soap’s Extra Later!” 1950s vintage advertisements for SweetHeart Soap.

1950s vintage advertisement for SweetHeart Soap featuring a 1950s woman in 1950s fashion.
1950s vintage advertisement for SweetHeart Soap featuring a 1950s woman in a 1950s hairstyle.

Source: Etsy-PlentifulPages

“Only one soap gives you this exciting Bouquet”. 1950’s Cashmere Bouquet Soap advertisement.

1950's Cashmere Bouquet Soap Vintage Ad featuring an illustration of a 1950s couple.

Source: Etsy-PlentifulPages

1955 Camay Beauty Bar Soap ad featuring an image of a 1950s Bride.

Further Reading: Vintage Photos: The 1950’s Bride

1950s Vintage Advertisement: 1955 Camay Beauty Bar Soap Ad featuring an image of a 1950s Bride.

Source: Etsy-PlentifulPages

“Wash natural beauty back into your complexion”. 1960 Woodbury Beauty Bar Soap ad.

1960s vintage advertisement: "Wash natural beauty back into your complexion". 1960 Woodbury Beauty Bar Soap.

Source: Etsy-RelicEclectic

Vintage advertising was definitely..different at times, like this 1963 Palmolive Soap telling a tale of a woman of the same age as her college friend but looks older due to not using Palmolive (hence why her husband has wandering eyes). Yeesh, harsh much? LOL!

1960s vintage advertisement: 1963 Palmolive Soap featuring a story of how a woman loses her husband to another woman in a 1960s dress.

Source: Etsy-PlentifulPages

Thanks for dropping by friends! I hope all my readers have a wonderful 2025 and thank you for supporting my blog by reading this post (and all the others I have as well).

Question Time: What is your favourite soap? Was it mentioned above? Or not? Share any thoughts on this topic in the comment section below.

Further Reading: Vintage Advertising Archived Blog Posts 1920s-1960s

Liz

Pendleton: 100+ Years Of Keeping People Stylishly Warm

To me, nothing says “Fall/Winter” quite like a vintage Pendleton. These cozy jackets, with their timeless plaid patterns, and the beautifully designed blankets and accessories—often inspired by Indigenous designs—are absolute must-haves. Until about a month ago, I didn’t have one in my collection. But thanks to a clothing swap, I’m now the proud owner of a vintage Pendleton 49’er jacket (just as soon as I finish a bit of mending). I couldn’t be more excited!

In today’s post, I thought it would be fun to dive into the history of the Pendleton brand, take a peek at some vintage advertisements, and explore the vintage market to help you find your own stylish piece.

Let the fun begin!

Note: I will be focusing on the tartan / plaid patterns of the brand for this post.

1950s Vintage Pendleton blanket vintage advertisement featuring a plaid blanket in a bag with illustrations of a 1950s family

Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase


Brief History of the Pendleton Brand

A tradition of American craftsmanship started by one family over 100 years ago.

Pendleton Woolen Mills vintage photo of the mill

Pendleton Woolen Mills has been in business since 1863, when Thomas Kay, an English weaver, began operating a wool scouring mill in Oregon. The company was formally established in 1909 in Pendleton, Oregon, by Kay’s family members, including his grandsons Clarence, Roy, and Chauncey Bishop.

The company is founded on an intimate knowledge of the wool business – from fiber to fabric. Whether it’s a wool garment, wool fabric, or a wool blanket, Pendleton offers over 100 years of expertise, imagination and dedication to quality.

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • 1924: The legendary Pendleton virgin wool shirt is introduced in solid colors and colorful patterns
  • 1929: Pendleton begins offering a full line of men’s apparel
  • During WWII, Pendleton Woolen Mills switched to war production which meant that they mostly manufactured uniforms, blankets and clothing for soldiers.
  • 1949: Pendleton begins offering a full line of women’s apparel
  • 1960: Pendleton introduces washable wool
  • 2017: Furthering its connections to the Indigenous community, we partnered with Manitobah Mukluks and Christi Belcourt, a celebrated Métis visual artist, to create a limited edition Pendleton blanket using their signature floral motifs.
  • 2023: Pendleton products are proudly distributed in Canada by Ray Fine Enterprises (Yay!)

NOTE: The history of Pendleton is detailed ( (Founded in 1863), so please take a read all about the History of Pendleton on their website after your done with my post (including their relationship with the Indigenous communities).


Pendleton 49’er

At the beginning of this post, I mentioned that I owned a vintage Pendleton 49’er, but what exactly am I talking about?

Full History of the ’49er on the Pendleton Website.

1950s vintage advertisement for the Pendleton 49'er Jacket for women. Fantastic wool plaid coats for Fall and Winter Outfits.

In 1949, when market research identified an opportunity for sportswear for women, Pendleton entered the market with their first women’s line. This was a test offering of classic skirts, jackets and shirt, to test exactly how the American woman would react to a branded line of virgin wool sportswear. The positive response was resounding, but no one could have predicted the enormous success of a single garment introduced that year.

Says Linda Parker, head of Pendleton Communications, “The first women’s line in 1949 was composed of five items.  It is amazing to me that out of such a limited initial offering that the 49’er would develop such an immediate following and reputation.”  The jacket referred to both the year of its introduction, and the California Gold Rush, in a nod to Pendleton’s Western roots.

The Look:

The designer was Berte Wiechmann, a young woman who came to Pendleton from Jantzen,  another iconic Portland apparel company. Miss Wiechmann sewed the original samples herself, taking styling particulars from the Pendleton men’s shirt. The 49’er jacket featured discreet tucking at the yoke, and two bias-cut patch pockets near the hem. The boxy cut showcased Pendleton’s famous plaids, and larger iridescent shell buttons softened the look.

1950s vintage plaid coat-1950s Pendleton 49er Jacket. Fantastic Winter Outfit idea.

Source: Etsy- ValhallaVintageShop (avail for purchase at time of post)

The 49’er was a hit!

The desirability of the 49’er was immediate, despite the introductory retail price range of $14.95 to $17.95. Says Parker, “We have many testimonials of how young women saved their babysitting and strawberry-picking money in order to buy a 49’er.  Women everywhere had it on their wish list of gifts.” The first consumer was the collegiate girl, who were in the grips of a menswear inspired trend. The 49’er was perfect over a white cotton dress shirt over “trews,” narrow wool pants

Photo: 1950s image from Life magazine series of Jayne Mansfield cooking breakfast in a Pendleton shirt.

1950s Vintage Photo: Life magazine series of Jayne Mansfield cooking breakfast in a Pendleton shirt. 1950s fashion on display.

The FIRST Print Advertisement for the Jacket

The first print ad for the 49’er ad was done by Fred Love in 1950. A college girl in a MacLamond tartan 49’er pretends to ignore the cartoonish interest of the college boy behind her, snug and stylish in her 49’er. Love continued to illustrate the ads through 1951, when famed illustrator Ted Rand took over the job of communicating the Pendleton 49’er with ads that are still iconically beautiful. He changed the focus from the teenager to the woman, and incorporated elements of the Western landscape when he could (Source).

1950 Vintage Advertisement for the Pendleton 49'er Jacket. The ad was done by Fred Love in 1950. A college girl in a MacLamond tartan 49’er pretends to ignore the cartoonish interest of the college boy behind her, snug and stylish in her 49’er. Fantastic early 1950s fashion.

Vintage Shopping: If you are interested in owning your own 49’er, I have put together an Etsy Collection for the coat style that is updated monthly. Happy Shopping!


Pendleton Vintage Advertising

“What a happy moment…receiving or giving a new Pendleton for Christmas! 1950s vintage ad featuring plaid robes, plaid 49’er jacket and a plaid skirt.

Further Reading: Vintage Plaid Party Time!

1950s Pendleton vintage advertising featuring a 1950s woman hanging decorations on the Christmas tree wearing a Pendleton jacket. Other people are wearing plaid robes and a plaid skirt.
Source: Pinterest

“Depend on Pendleton for his Christmas gift with the timeless Prince Charles Edward Stewart Tartan, perfect for men’s shirts and cozy blankets”. A classic 1950s advertisement.

1950s Fashion Advertisement for Pendleton Men's shirts and wool blanket featuring the Prince Charles Edward Steward Tartan

Source: Pinterest

Now I believe this is the real life version of the 1950s jacket featured above. The tartan looks exactly the same and it’s in great shape. Pick it up HERE.

1950s / 1960s Vintage Men's Jacket Shirt from Pendleton featuring the Prince Charles Edward Stewart Tartan

Source: Etsy-ClubhouseVintageNY

The Men’s Plaid Wool Shirt History: In 1924, Clarence Morton Bishop came up with the idea to produce men’s woolen sport shirts in bright colors and patterns. Until that point, woolen shirts had been only used for work wear and hence they only came in plain colors. The Pendleton Plaid Shirts turned out to be a success and by 1929, Pendleton was producing an entire clothing line of woolen sportswear (Source).

Fun Fact: The Beach Boys used to be called “Pendletones” after the wool plaid shirts they wore.

1960s photo of the beach boys in Pendleton wool plaid shirts holding a surf board

“Outdoor Men never have enough Pendletons”. 1940s vintage advertisement.

1940s vintage advertisement for Men's Wool Pendleton Shirts. 1940s men's fashion.

Source: Gentlemen’s Gazette

The Reversible Skirt-THE TURNABOUT

Pendleton’s Turnabout debuted in 1953, and along with the poodle skirt, it was THE skirt craze of the 1950s.

Every teenaged girl coveted one. Their customers have shared their stories with remarks like, “None of the other parents on the block ever forgave my parents for buying me my reversible skirt, because after that, ALL the girls had to have one.”

How did the garment come to be made?

The idea probably arose from the fact that the interior of a Pendleton pleated skirt is almost as attractive as the exterior, as our weaving is beautiful on both sides of the fabric, and quality construction is our hallmark. There are no design notes, but one of our designers probably noticed how the colors changed on the interior of a skirt, due to the pleating, and started thinking about a skirt that could be worn either side out. A great idea, yes, but to construct a skirt that could actually be worn both ways required tremendous teamwork between designers and engineers. Even the closure and label required a special design.

The item was a work of engineering so precise that they had to patent it (Source).

1950s vintage advertising for a Pendleton Turnabout Reversible Plaid skirt. The perfect Fall and Winter outfit.

Here is an example of a 1950s reversible skirt red plaid skirt available for purchase at time of posting. Isn’t it fantastic?

1950s vintage skirt: the 1950s Pendleton Turnabout plaid reversible skirt

Source: Etsy-EmotionalOutletShop

“Our spring secret is out…Pendleton Skirts”. 1956 advertisement.

1956 vintage advertisement for Pendleton Skirts featuring an illustration of a 1950s woman surrounded by 1950s pencil skirts.

Source: Pinterest

Here is another real life example of the 1950s skirt featured above (avail HERE at time of posting). Love the blue paid pattern.

Vintage 1950s Blue Plaid Wool Tartan High Waisted Pencil Skirt by Pendleton

Source: Etsy-RiverTraceVintage

“The gift: authentic 1960s Pendleton wool robe for the lively warmth of “Merry Christmas”.

1960s Vintage Christmas Advertisement for Pendleton Men's Plaid / Tartan Robe, shirts and blanket.

Source: Etsy-RetroReveries

Take home your very own men’s 1960s tartan robe to be the most stylish lounger in your home.

1960s Men's Tartan / Plaid Robe from Pendleton. 1960s Men's Fashion.

Source: Etsy-LostFortyThrift

1962 advertisement for the “Doughnut Skirt-the most stridable, danceable skirt ever”. Price: $16.95.

1960s Vintage Fashion Advertisement: 1962 Pendleton advertisement for a woman's plaid skirt called the "Doughnut skirt". Perfect for dancing in.

Source: Pinterest

And here is the wool circle skirt in real life, available to take home today!

I love that the label actually says “The Doughnut Skirt”.

1960s Fashion: The Pendelton Doughnut wool Skirt in Plaid.
1960s Fashion: The Pendleton Doughnut Skirt-a 1960s circle skirt in plaid.

Source: Etsy-PrettyinPDX

Another fantastic example of the Prince Charle’s Tartan this time on fashionable clothing for women. The ad features the 49’er, a tailored straight skirt, tapered trews, a vest, purse and matching hat.

1950s Women's Fashion advertisement: fantastic example of the Prince Charle's Tartan this time on fashionable Pendleton clothing for women. The ad features the 49'er, a tailored straight skirt, tapered trews, a vest, purse and matching hat.

Source: Pinterest

The Pendleton Triplet: A coat, a robe and a dress. 1950s vintage ad.

1950s vintage fashion advertisement for women: The Pendleton Triplet: A coat, a robe and a dress. The perfect winter outfit for your wardrobe.
1950s / 1960s Vintage Fashion Advertisement for Pendleton Sportswear featuring a plaid bib and slacks combo and plaid skirts
1950s vintage advertisement for men's wool shirts from Pendleton featuring an illustration of a young man and his dad building model cars together.

1957 advertisement for matching Pendleton jackets in blue plaid for men and women.

1957 advertisement for matching Pendleton jackets in blue plaid for men and women. 1950s fashion inspiration.

More Vintage Shopping: I have created another Etsy Collection that you can purchase vintage Pendleton items from, like the turnabout skirt (lots available). Take a look today and pickup something nice for yourself or someone else.


Question Time: Do you own a Pendleton? Or a brand similar? Share any thoughts on this topic in the comment section below.

Thanks for dropping by!

Further Reading: Vintage fashion archived blog posts 1920s-1960s

Liz