Mike Benet Formals?

foofoogal

foofoogal

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I have a long gown with Mike Benet label. The bodice is all covered with prong set rhinestones.
On the companies page it states in business for 40 years.
I have several ?'s.
1. Does anyone know exact time period for this company.
2. I know it is in Dallas and a formals company. Does the VFG as a set rule not add companies like formal companies to their label resource. More broad based to general public is what I mean.
Will try to add photo tomorrow.
Thanks.
 
Hi Sandy! I thought I saw on their website that they've been in business for "over 45 years." So, that would be 1966 or maybe a little earlier, considering the "over" part. I've seen a LOT of dresses described by sellers as 50's Mike Benet, but I remember thinking when I first saw this that I didn't "think" they were around then. I have a gown I want to get listed (my one and only Benet), and have been doing some research, too.

It's hard to ever know the "exact" time a company's been around, but the info on their site seems to at least narrow it down a bit. Unless they just haven't updated the site in quite a while! LOL....

If you can post photos, perhaps someone can help date your dress. And I'm not sure why the label isn't in the label resource.... Maybe it's just that nobody has thought to submit a label!
 
Hello.. company was founded in the early 60's, in Pittsburg, Texas. Mickey and Jan Crowell were the owners when it was sold in the 90's to the Dallas based company. (Jan is the daughter of the original owners) Mickey and Jan still live in Pittsburg, Texas. I worked for them in the 80's and 90's and my mother-in-law, Dorothy Quinn, worked for them in the late 60's, 70's, 80's until their sellout in the 90's. When the Dallas owned company purchased the brand, they didnt offer the seamstresses any permanent positions, so if you got a Mike Benet pre-sellout.. you have a well made garment! :) After the sellout.. you have a pretty garment that is made vastly different than was made "back in the day". My email is [email protected]. I do still have contact with some of those seamstresses who can help give you dates of their manufacturing if you like... Tami
 
Hey VFG and Tamara,
I have a Mike Benet dress I need help dating the label on! Can you please assist? Is this early 90s or earlier? Where can I get more info on the company? Thanks! Josette
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Josette, I think, but am not sure, that label is an older one. I have a Benet gown downstairs, and the embroidery is a brighter blue, and the label says "Professionally dry clean only." Overall, I don't think the label changed a lot, but if my dress is any indication at all, I'd expect to see similar wording and placement of the other tags. The size and care labels are attached with the maker's label. Does your dress have any other labels in it? I can't see enough from the full-length photo to hazard a guess on age; would love to see some close-ups.Almost looks as if it "could be" as early as 60s or 70s. Put sleeves on it, and it looks like a dress I wore in 1972--different fabric, of course! I always think that dating relatively contemporary formal wear is hard--except when you hit the height of the 80s... And then it's hard to NOT date it correctly! LOL....

Perhaps you can write to Tamara above and she can get more info for you (and for all of us!)....
 
Thanks so much for your thoughtful reply, Anne. I did write to Tamara on yahoo but have yet to hear back from her. Here is the back of the dress and a close up of the front. I will be shooting this with my model this weekend with a lovely white feather juliet cap- sort of a white swan look I hope to achieve. I will look for more tags in the dress when I see it. It is xs- a 30" bust I believe. Very itdreamy chiffon overlay- very pretty but gosh its stumping me. Like you said, label looks older, but something about the dress reads newer to me. I believe it had serged seams. Was sold to me as a vintage piece, but we all know how that goes. I'll check for an ILGWU or any clues this weekend and get back again.:) Thanks!

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How 'bout this gem, ladies? I emailed Tamara as she suggested. My initial guess was 50s (late), based on the princess silhouette, nipped waist, short overlayer, metal back zip, and general feel of the thing. I really love this dress and it fits me. Too bad the wedding's long over ; ).
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Ladies, that is exactly how I felt about it. It's got stains at the bottom (even post-cleaning -- it came from a theater), but it is still a peach of a dress. Fits me perfectly, but maybe a smidge short-waisted (it's a juniors size, being an "11").
 
Here are the dress (garment) measurements. It's not as tiny as it looks. Small, but not crazy small:

sh: 16" to outer edge of 2" wide straps,
b: 34" + seams,
ribs: 30",
waist: 27.5",
hips: free,
length: 61" sh-to-hem front, 54" center bodice to hem front
 
i have a beautiful Michael Benet formal aqua blue chiffon dress,with champange colored crystals on bodice.it has a pencil # on lot tag 8014. Know anything about it?
 
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