1912: The new Cooper union suit is branded as the Kenosha Klosed Krotch. By this time, the innovative Kenosha Klosed Krotch union suit had risen to the top of the underwear market. The design was patented, and the company sold all the union suits it could make and had to license other companies to manufacture the garment to keep up with the seemingly endless demand.
1912: One of the Cooper Underwear Company's most significant contributions to the underwear industry in addition to underwear, was advertising. Henry Cooper was a pioneer in advertising. That year, Cooper hired Joseph C. Leyendecker, illustrator for The Saturday Evening Post, to create the "Man on the Bag" image, which became a staple of the company's brand identity. The "Man on the Bag" illustration is considered a classic American advertising image.
1912: Cooper Underwear Company separated completely from Black Cat hosiery.
1917: America entered World War I.
1918: Cooper Underwear opened a new plant in Manistee, Michigan to increase production capacity during World War I. The armistice in November would mean an oversupply in the textile industry and hard times for Cooper Underwear.
1919: Shortly after the war, the Kenosha Klosed Krotch finally went into eclipse. Reasons were many - some logical, others unforeseen. The mass production of cast iron bath tubs made daily bathing commonplace in most middle class homes. Among the advantages of routine bathing was that a full-body suit of undergarments was no longer necessary to keep outer garments fresh.
