Did you realize that there was a collaboration between Life Savers & clothing designer Kirkland Hall in the 1940s to 50s? You can just imagine a young housewife thinking, "This Cryst⭕Mint is so gorgeous, I'd like to have an outfit in this exact shade."
And don't you just want to find actual Life Savers flavors for each of these colors?! (Okay, maybe that part is just me...)
🆕! To make this a little bit more interactive, I have added a Pinterest board:
I've loved Life Savers since the '70s, but discovering that there were suits matching Life Savers colors in the 1940s and early 1950s is a scream!
The suits came in at least 7 designs, including single and double-breasted styles. One of the suits came with bows on each of the front pockets. The ones I've seen so far were in 100% rayon or 100% cotton. The rayons were Burlington ™️ fibers (crease-resistent "Shandura," or the suitably-named "Candy Cream" and "Candy Nub"), varying by product.
They were available in up to 20 colorways (referred to as "delicious solid candy colors"), depending on the style. They were for heights up to 5 feet 5 inches, and in sizes between 10 and 22-1/2. From the perspective of the advertisements I've seen, their price points appear to range between $17.95 USD and $19.95 USD, or about $1,000 (!) in 2024 USD.
Each suit was labeled as Kirkland Hall™️ and Life Savers™️; my favorite label (there were several designs) is white with multicolored lettering, and it pictures 9 individual ⭕ candies.
Some that I have seen have also been private-labeled, by local retailers. While it is unclear where they were originally sold, in the 21st century I have observed them for sale in multiple countries besides the United States.
Confirmed years: ⭕1952 (date included within the ad)
If you are not familiar with this clothing brand, you're not alone! It was a division of Gaines, Inc., 500 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 18, according to one of the advertisements. A New York Times article in 1979 referred to "Jones N.Y., Evan Picone, Kirkland Hall, Jack Mulqueen and Diane Von Furstenberg" as manufacturers of moderately-priced office wear (Working 1979). An 8-piece wardrobe of coordinating pieces worked out to $461, or $2,089 in 2024 USD.
Who knows what other surprises Life Savers are going to bring?
Unless noted, all pictures on this page are from the Pinterest board noted above.