I'm trying to find more info on a dress I just purchased. Listed from the 40s, it's a blue number, metal side zipper and the label says "The Nancy Frock" Does anyone have any more info on when this dress came about, by who and age based on cut?
I have Nancy Frock in my shop, but it is SO obviously from the mid 60s. This company has been around for a long time, so 40s is a good guess here. Late 40s, early 50s by the length. You didn't show a label, but here's some TM info here: http://www.trademarkia.com/nancy-frocks-72083977.html
Thank you Luna!! Yeah I posted this way past my bedtime so I lazed out on the label. Heres the picture from the original listing. It says "The Nancy Frock" A Dan River fabric, wrinkl-shield. (I believe that's the last line - I'm actually wearing it now sooo haha) & the tag is machine embroidered and it looks like it may be missing an extended tag on the bottom of it? Or it could just be fraying.
The Trademarkia link notes that the logo Nancy Frocks (note the plural 'frocks') was filed for in 1959, so I assumed from that your logo was earlier than that. I found only one newspaper ad for "Nancy Frock" and "wrinkl-shield" Dan River fabrics and that was from 1950, so I agree with Luna that it is probably early 1950's.
Wait...I just noted your label says "wrinkl(I assume) SHE-something" not "shie..." What would the "she..." be?
You are epic for diving so hard into this for me!! Yes I had actually found the trademark page Luna shared and couldn't find much else on it, and spot on with the 1951 ad! It def says wrinkl-shed. So early 1950s is the consensus?
I found this 1949 quote (emphasis is mine): "...Wrinkl-Shed Finish on Gingham: For the first time a successful wrinkle-resistant finish has been applied in high volume to lightweight cotton gingham, it was announced by John Hughlett, Vice-President and General Sales Manager of Dan River..." So, we know your item should not be any earlier than 1949. All the Wrinkl-Shed/Dan River references I found so far are from 1950-1955. After that I see references to Wrinkl-Shed with Dri-Don (whatever that is), so those are among the reasons I think it dates to the early 1950's.
You two are seriously the best! Ok, well that sorts that out for me, I wish it was 40s as it was marketed but by the cut I was thinking 50s, but that doesn't make it any less of a beautiful piece of clothing and the fabric is so wonderful. Thank you endlessly! I love this site!
