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Catalina is a brand of women's swimwear. It was once one of the oldest clothing manufacturers inCalifornia. Their history began in 1907, as Bentz Knitting Mills, a small manufacturer ofunderwear and sweaters. The name was changed to Pacific Knitting Mills in 1912, accompanied by the introduction of swimwear to their existing knit lines. The name was changed again finally to Catalina in 1928.[1][2][3]
Catalina founded theMiss USA andMiss Universe pageants as a promotion.[4] This happened after a contestant in theMiss America event refused to do a photo shoot in swimwear, prompting Catalina to withdraw their support.
In the 1920s, Catalina produced increasingly daring swimwear,[5] including the boldly striped "Chicken Suit", men's "Speed Suit" and "Rib Stitch 5" suits.[1] With the rising glitz of the silver screen in the 1930s, Catalina adopted the slogan "Styled for the Stars of Hollywood". They added to the prestige by using Hollywood starlets, includingBette Davis,Joan Blondell, andOlivia de Havilland in their marketing campaigns. At the time, the average Catalinaswimsuit retailed between five and ten dollars, equivalent to $115–$229 today (assuming 1935 dollars).[citation needed]
In the 1950s, Fred Cole, a silent movie actor in the 1920s, promoted Catalina swimwear with Esther Williams.[4]
In the 1960s, Catalina became a sister company to Cole of California,[6] a swimwear manufacturer established in 1925.[citation needed] The duo later joined Authentic Fitness Corporation, a subsidiary ofWarnaco Inc, in 1993. The merger created a company of swim, active and fitness brands. The following year, with the rising importance of mass market retailers, the decision was made to offer Catalina toWal-Mart stores across America.
Catalina had a presence in South America, through license agreements, especially Brazil,Argentina, Uruguay andChile, sponsoring the beauty pageants in these countries, with several contestants winning the Miss Universe event.[7] Today the brand is manufactured in Brazil, and distributed in theMercosur countries by Grupo Aguia.
Catalina was part of the Warnaco Swimwear Group's portfolio of brand names includingSpeedo,Anne Cole,Nautica andMichael Kors. It was sold in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico.[when?]
Catalina is predominantly women's swimwear, including a rib suit known as the "Everybody Tank", as well as Separates, Athletic, and Maternity lines. In 2007, Catalina landed seventh on a list of top swimwear brands ranked by consumer awareness, as published inWomen's Wear Daily's 4th Annual Book of Lists.[citation needed]
In December 2007 The Warnaco Group announced it had sold the Catalina business to In Mocean Group.[8][9]
