• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, April 2, 2010

Jantzen, a venerable swimwear brand, turns 100 this year, and is kicking off a series of centennial promotions at stores around the United States.

On April 10, it heads down to Daytona Beach, Fla. for a special promotion with Harper's Bazaar and Dillard's department stores. (Cue the Spring Break music, please.) In addition to showcasing imagery from the 1910s through today, it will also include a splashy showing of this year's new Heritage Collection. The event will also include a "Fit Clinic," offering expert advice on what suits work best for each body type, as well as a goody bag.

Fit is critical to sales. While the recession has cut into swimsuit purchasing, down roughly 5% last year, women's aversion to the whole bathing-suit shopping experience doesn't help. Women's Health, for example, reports that the average woman would actually prefer to have dental work done than shop for a new suit, and that 22% prefer just to wear shorts and T-shirt and skip the ordeal entirely.

Jantzen has also a second show, dubbed "Fabulous at Every Age," which will take place at a handful of Dillard's stores in Florida, Arkansas, and Oklahoma in April.

Then in May, the brand is working with Elle and Macy's to create an event called "Swim Days: What Suit's Your Style," a road show it will take to nine Macy's stores around the country.

Finally, Jantzen is sponsoring "100 Years of Timeless Glamour" at the Art Institute of Portland, Ore., its hometown. In addition to swimsuits, imagery, celebrity advertisements, and accessories, the installation includes a 21-foot fiberglass version of its Diving Girl logo.

Jantzen is owned by Perry Ellis International, which also makes swimwear for Nike and Jag.