60s? or 80s? XVII Buttons - Do they refer to Superbowl 1983?

Hi All,

Another set inside a trunk received from the estate of my friend's mother is this 2-piece hooded maxi coat-jacket & somewhat bell-bottomed jeans denim set. There is the ILGWU tag sewn into the jacket lining but no labels. I've been trying to figure out if it's 60s or an 80s revival of the 60s.

The set is in mint condition, with what appear to be original creases in the jeans, something I'm not sure I'd expect from a true 60s outfit. The zipper is a heavy-duty industrial type zipper (not YKK.) The lining is bright red, a satiny-acetate, and the buttons read XVII, which I believe might refer to Superbowl 1983? This is conjecture and it would be wonderful to hear from the experts!

Many thanks and best wishes to all who have been helping me recently with the items found in this trunk!

Mia

 

It does strike me as more 90's than 70's. Something about the type of denim, and the deep slashes to the coat skirt. I wonder if it was taken in, or remade and hence the disappearing label? I have just been given a set of Vogue Pattern magazines between 1976-2001 so will be looking through them for the shape!

 

Melanie,
Thank you very much for your comments. I must say I wasn't thinking so recent as 90s but now that you say it, it does make sense. I was mistaken in thinking the ILGWU label ended in the 80s in that case.

 

I don't know the code of colour combinations for ILGWU labels but the way it's sewn in makes me think it may have been altered later anyway, I've had coats relined using a lining from another garment before so there are many possibilities!

 

I half expect to see a crop top/boob tube to go with this - you didn't find anything of that nature by any chance? I'm thinking Matrix, Spice Girls looks ( I have a feeling Mel B?C wore something like this)

 

Now this is interesting. I just did a search in VFG labels and found this uploaded by Lizzie:

_big_vintagefashionguild_2493.jpg​

Apparently, this union tag does date 1963 - 1974. Here is the other side of the partly hidden tag:

 

Yes, I'm following you. Actually I thought to add a red boob tube when I photographed it, then didn't. Also, I noted that quite a few items from that trunk were altered.

 

Has anyone tried on the jeans to see how the fit looks? do the buttons have any markings on the back?

 

Karin, the jeans are hip-huggers, and Melanie, the pants are too small for any of us here to get into them (now!) Attached is a closeup of the back of the button (there's nothing much there) and a closeup of the zipper pull. Particularly when describing the item in an effort to sell, how does one reconcile the look & feel of 90s with what appears to be an authentic 63 - 74 ILGWU tag?

 

I think this is home made in the late 90's- early 2000's, using an old zip and a premade lining that contained the old ILGWU label.
In the 1976 Vogue pattern book (the earliest I have) All the trousers and jeans were seriously high waisted - up to the navel and beyond! Around the millenium and for some years after my friends and all were all wearing low waisted hip hugging jeans with super wide flares from the skate scene. Some of them also had multiple button fly's such as yours. The buttons are the oddity for me, I think they may be a leftover from the 80's/early 90's (I see them on a hairy cardigan, or a wiggle suit dress) and were just personal choice. I can also see the coat as having been made from a 70's pattern, just to confuse matters!

 

Ladies, thank you all so very much for your help.

Linn, it is a set because there are 2 buttons on the jacket on either side of the neckline that match the bell-bottoms' buttons.
Melanie, the person for whom I'm told the set belonged died in 1996 so if it was home-made using some earlier pieces, it couldn't have been made more recently than 1996. The buttons do look 80s to me. After you said that, I realized I recently sold a pair of short-shorts from about 1980 with buttons that are imprinted with the phrase "Militaires Equipments."

 

Here's the photo of the similar buttons. (The pic wouldn't upload in my post above.)

 

Hi,

I think this is true vintage, and very early 1970s. Or it could be made from a 1970s pattern of course. Just my gut reaction but it looks very similar to outfits I saw worn back then. The buttons look like a novelty thing, and the 27 may refer to a year such as 1927 or 1827, possibly a year that some award was given for wine, luxury goods, etc. The buttons could be newer than the rest of the outfit. I definitely recall the maxi hooded coat being worn around 1970, with similar seaming to your coat too. It was quite popular for 1 season. And no, all jeans were not high waisted. Hip huggers, normal rise, and lower rise jeans were still very much being worn and made in the very early 1970s. Higher rise was worn of course, but it was not the "norm" until a little later in the decade, around 1972 to 1973 if I recall correctly from my own foggy memory. High waisted jeans were still sort of a novelty thing before that, more nautical themed cruise and casual summer wear.

At least that is my take!

 

are the roman numerals XVII or are there more? 1983 would be MCMLXXXIII

x=ten
V=5
and the I's are ones.

so I think that may just be a button design as opposed to roman (superbowl) numbers
yvonne

 

I was definitely wearing hip-hugger bell bottoms in about 1974/75. Mine were a pink and white herringbone-ish pattern and I wore them with a wide white belt that had huge brass grommets all over it. They were a real favorite!