This 1920s advertisement just proves that babes in swimsuits have long been used to advertise products for men. In this 1924 advertisement for neck ties, a photograph of a girl in a swimsuit is surrounded by illustrations of mens neckwear, for Frank & Meyer Neckwear Co., 1130 Washington Ave.

These illustrated fashion advertisements from 1924 are so interesting! These ads seem primarily directed to retailers, rather than the consumer…. I’ve not peeked thru the pages further than I’ve scanned them, and I’ve not researched the Saint Louis Fashion Pageant yet, so maybe it was more of an industry thing like NYC Fashion Week?