Dry cleaning label and dating -- coin operated method?
- Thread starter Jen S
- Start date
Here is the thread you recall: http://forums.vintagefashionguild.org/threads/coin-operated-dry-cleaning.39965/
However there's nothing conclusive on the date of that wording. As in that thread, if you show the garment it can be dated by other methods
However there's nothing conclusive on the date of that wording. As in that thread, if you show the garment it can be dated by other methods
persephone60
Registered Guest
The pieces I've seen with this label have been late 1970s to early 1980s (but that doesn't mean it couldn't be from another period/decade)
Here's a thread about people reminiscing about coin-op dry cleaners (there's a forum for everything isn't there 
!)
http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?39953
It doesn't say anything about the labels, but peoples first memories of the machines are in the 60s. I imagine it would take a few years from the machines being available, to filter through to care labels?
!)http://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?39953
It doesn't say anything about the labels, but peoples first memories of the machines are in the 60s. I imagine it would take a few years from the machines being available, to filter through to care labels?
I did a bit more research. A good tip for researching labels is to google the exact text of the label in quotes. You will then usually find other examples of the label, and possibly sites discussing the label.
So by googling: "do not use petroleum solvents or the coin operated method of dry cleaning" I found:
There are several news paper articles from early 1972 discussing the then new care labelling requirements. In July 1972, care labelling became mandatory for new garments in the USA. In the guidance given to manufacturers from the Federal Trade Commission, this exact text was given as an example of an acceptable label. See here.
Dry cleaners were not happy about this wording, as most dry cleaning was either petroleum solvent or coin op, and so the label ruled out most available dry cleaning methods. So later that year, the authorities changed the suggested wording to simply "Dry Clean Only" (see Family Ecnomics Review, published 1973)
This doesn't mean that such labels were only used in 1972 - and certainly they are later examples, into the 1980s. But it does means that a quantity of labels with this wording would have been made up in 1972, to meet the new 1972 labelling requirements. Also probably not many such labels were made after 1972, as the guidelines had changed. As with other labels, manufacturers probably had stocks of them that they used up, after the guidelines changed.
Whether this wording existing on labels before the 1972 guidelines, who can say - it quite possible some manufacturers already used that wording, and that's where the authorities got the wording from. But to me the likelihood is that it's post 1972.
I also found several examples of garments with that labelling, and none were earlier than 1970s.
So by googling: "do not use petroleum solvents or the coin operated method of dry cleaning" I found:
There are several news paper articles from early 1972 discussing the then new care labelling requirements. In July 1972, care labelling became mandatory for new garments in the USA. In the guidance given to manufacturers from the Federal Trade Commission, this exact text was given as an example of an acceptable label. See here.
Dry cleaners were not happy about this wording, as most dry cleaning was either petroleum solvent or coin op, and so the label ruled out most available dry cleaning methods. So later that year, the authorities changed the suggested wording to simply "Dry Clean Only" (see Family Ecnomics Review, published 1973)
This doesn't mean that such labels were only used in 1972 - and certainly they are later examples, into the 1980s. But it does means that a quantity of labels with this wording would have been made up in 1972, to meet the new 1972 labelling requirements. Also probably not many such labels were made after 1972, as the guidelines had changed. As with other labels, manufacturers probably had stocks of them that they used up, after the guidelines changed.
Whether this wording existing on labels before the 1972 guidelines, who can say - it quite possible some manufacturers already used that wording, and that's where the authorities got the wording from. But to me the likelihood is that it's post 1972.
I also found several examples of garments with that labelling, and none were earlier than 1970s.
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Given what I've discovered above, I'd be very interested to see your garment and have it dated.
Here it is! It's all silk, just gorgeous fabric, and the dry cleaning label is hidden beneath the Andora label. It zips up the back with a metal zip, all the seams are pinked and it's fully lined. Also, as you can see from the 3rd picture, it had been at one point about four inches shorter, so a bit above knee-length, and then was let down and never re-hemmed, so that now the seam tape is what you see around the bottom. I would've dated it to the very early 60s, but please tell me what you think! Thanks.
Hmm I'm not sure - let's see what others say on date.
Are you that is a metal zip - eg metal teeth? It looks like a nylon zip to me in the pictures.
Are you that is a metal zip - eg metal teeth? It looks like a nylon zip to me in the pictures.
It's a lovely dress. I hope someone else weighs on dating.
