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Adelaar Clothing | Do you know anything about it?

Discussion in 'PUBLIC Vintage Fashion - Ask Questions Get Answers' started by shutterspeed, Oct 8, 2010.

  1. shutterspeed

    shutterspeed Registered Guest

    Hi there. I'm wondering if anyone know's anything about the background of the Adelaar clothing label? I've seen items dated 50s to 70s so far, and guessing it comes from Holland, but would love any further information anyone may have? :)
    Thanks!
     
  2. joules

    joules VFG Member

    I see the label quite often on blouses, seems to have been a line in fairly wide distribution. My impression is that it was a US manufacturer, perhaps based in L.A. but that is just a guess. I have a few around here somewhere.
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  3. lkranieri

    lkranieri VFG Member

    If you e-mail me at:

    my VFG name at comcast.net

    I will send you an article with a little information. I am not certain I can post it here.
     
  4. joules

    joules VFG Member

    Lynne, just out of curiosity, could you possibly please post the basics about this label? I've often wondered as well.
     
  5. lkranieri

    lkranieri VFG Member

    Just e-mail me and I will gladly send you the article.
     
  6. joules

    joules VFG Member

  7. joules

    joules VFG Member

    Founded in 1934 in Chicago, then on to New York, and yes, blouses.
     
  8. Cock-A-Doodle Jo

    Cock-A-Doodle Jo Registered Guest

    Just found this forum as I too was trying to find out about the Adelaar brand. I have a fantastic blouse with poodles on it by her. Any chance you could send me the article ?
     
  9. PersonalPursuits

    PersonalPursuits VFG Member

    I have seen blouses and suits with this label. I also have several pieces with this label. The company also had a line called Adelaar’s Aristocrat. Adelaar is listed under the U.S trademark and first use began in 1939. They made women's wear from dresses to blouses. The New York based company canceled the trademark in 2002.
     
  10. PersonalPursuits

    PersonalPursuits VFG Member

    Oh, I just saw your comment Joules that the company was founded in 1934 in Chicago! I found my information on TESS (U.S. trademarks) and they did not include that information. Very interesting :)
     
  11. PersonalPursuits

    PersonalPursuits VFG Member

    I did forget to mention, I have found a union tag on a few of my Adelaar pieces.
     
  12. joules

    joules VFG Member

    Maxine, thanks for that extra info. I've not seen the suits, but no doubt, they're out there!
     
  13. claireshaeffer

    claireshaeffer VFG Member

    After we moved to Palm Springs, I met one of the Adelaars. It was a long time ago and I've forgotten her name.
     
  14. PersonalPursuits

    PersonalPursuits VFG Member

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    This is an early 60's suit I have from Adelaar.
     
  15. Iremember

    Iremember Registered Guest

    I have a lot of familiarity with Adelaar. My uncles were the jobbers that made most of the blouses that were sold in the US. One shop was in Brooklyn. The second was on Long Island. They started making them right after WWII. The height was in the 1950's and 1960's. At that time I would venture that my uncles employed about 150 people, mostly first generation and immigrant Italian-American women. They were producing thousands of dozens a month. The blouses were very high quality material--silks, cottons, some linens (although they really didn't like working with linen). They had a lot of style and wore very well. In fact, my aunt (my uncles' youngest sister) passed away last year. Cleaning out her closet we discovered a number of Adelaar blouses including some that never came out of the box. They looked and felt brand new.

    When a new run of blouses came in my uncles would sit down with Manny Adelaar and "make prices"--negotiate the wholesale cost of putting the blouses together. They had a great relationship with the Adelaar's. There were no contracts. Everything was done on a handshake and an invoice. Adelaar would then ship the material, the buttons and the thread. Then the cutters would use the patterns and make all the sizes. Eventually some of the blouses were coming pre-cut. Toward the late 1970's there were several trends occurring: women weren't wearing those style blouses as much (didn't quite fit the Woodstock generation profile); Adelaar was moving more into man-made material; US production costs were rising; and overseas competition was able to shave significant costs. The cost differential was too much for Adelaar to ignore so they had to move production overseas. One of my uncles passed away in 1979. The other one closed the second shop in about 1986. During the mid-70's on Saturdays my cousins and I would occasionally help out as sweepers, packers, etc.

    The reason I ended up on this blog is that I just came across some Christmas Party pictures from the Brooklyn shop that was in my mother's boxes. My cousins and I had gotten together to talk about the old days, and I brought out the old pictures. We had some great laughs and a few tears. I can remember a number of family parties where most of the women were wearing Adelaar blouses
     
  16. poppysvintageclothing

    poppysvintageclothing VFG Board Member Staff Member VFG Past President

    Thank you so much for posting about your uncles and their workings with the Adelaar company.

    It's always interesting to hear about what went on behind the scenes.
     
  17. ValuableVintage

    ValuableVintage Registered Guest

    here is an example of a 70's Adelaar maxi skirt - hope this helps :)
    20150224_140326.jpg 20150224_140413.jpg
     
    Pinkcoke likes this.
  18. claireshaeffer

    claireshaeffer VFG Member

    This is a US manufacturer. I met one of the Adelaars many years ago.
     
  19. VintageLiz

    VintageLiz Registered Guest

    A6BF35F1-74D7-4CAA-97C7-1855FD1DF764.jpeg 97E969BE-268B-4273-83A0-7B95A97A21B3.jpeg F784DE7C-861D-46E5-A8AF-E554D9FC4D14.jpeg Hi all! Thanks so much for all this wonderful information! I just acquired this Adelaar blouse from a former vintage dealer in the Bay Area and was looking for some info. Love the history! So exciting!
     
    Vintagiality likes this.

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