Fashion Originators Guild of America aka F.O.G.A Questions

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ehappy

Registered Guest
I have a black velvet dress that I'm trying to determine thirties or forties. I don't have piccies right now because 1. the thing won't fit on my dress form even with the side metal zip undone :( because of her shoulders. ugh! and 2. the pics that I did take are horrendous so I need to figure a way of better presentation and 3. my camera hates black velvet.

Anyway, it has the F.O.G.A label in it. After doing some research, it seems the ruling of the case against F.O.G.A. came in 1941 which might lead me to believe that members of the guild no longer felt they needed to label their garments as such...however, I'm still finding that there's articles dating from 1948 (latest I could find) in which the guild was still introducing new lines.

So, if the ruling against the guild came in 1941, did members of the guild still find it necessary to label their items as such well into the late 40s? If so, why? Would guild labels still have been found on dresses in the 50's?

Anyone have a year in which the guild ceased to 'be'?
 
My hunch is that there were several garments that had been labeled earlier (thus meaning the dress may be older). This started in the 30s? 1941 (court case) as per your thoughts, can't get journal articles as they are pay to view. Your local library might have info, or if you have a University or College library through loan from larger Universitites. I will do some research on my side. Hopefully someone will come around and give a answer. My answer is to be continued...:duh:
 
I just searched to see what article you were referring to. I have never seen a dress with a F.O.G. label that would have to post date 1941 (although sometimes its difficult to be sure if something from 1939-41 couldn't date as late as 1946). My guess would be that although the guild was judged to be unconstitutional perhaps it changed its rules after the ruling and continued to survive in a different form. However, the New York Dress Institute sprung up in 1941 and pretty well usurped where the FOG had been.
 
<a href=http://news.google.com/archivesearch?q=fashion+originators+guild&as_ldate=1942&as_hdate=1949&sugg=d&hl=en&um=1&sa=N&start=10>
In doing a google search, there appears to be articles in the NY Times, the latest dated Oct. 1948, that make reference to the guild releasing new lines.</a>Of course, I don't have paid access to the times articles, but can see the reference there....
 
This 1948 article indicates three members...earlier (1945-47) articles indicate five so maybe as the years wore on, membership eventually dwindled to zero?


FALL LINES OPEN IN WOMEN'S WEAR; Out-of-Town Buyers Indicating...
$3.95 - New York Times - May 25, 1948

Openings of three members of the Fashion Originators' Guild of .4 were well attended, according to Leonard W. Gendler, executive secretary. ... All 2 related - Related web pages
 
Originally posted by ehappy
<a href=http://news.google.com/archivesearch?q=fashion+originators+guild&as_ldate=1942&as_hdate=1949&sugg=d&hl=en&um=1&sa=N&start=10>
In doing a google search, there appears to be articles in the NY Times, the latest dated Oct. 1948, that make reference to the guild releasing new lines.</a>Of course, I don't have paid access to the times articles, but can see the reference there....
Click to expand...


Cross posted with ya

Interesting link
 
OK, ugly pictures of cute dress coming up! lol!

What date do you think we're looking at here? 30's or 40's?

....here's the tag
<img src=http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/essentiallyhappy/S7303896.jpg>

front...
<img src=http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/essentiallyhappy/S7303888.jpg>

back...

<img src=http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/essentiallyhappy/S7303895.jpg>
closeup of sleeves and braided trim..
<img src=http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/essentiallyhappy/S7303893.jpg>
...and odd plastic encased metal zip...
<img src=http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/essentiallyhappy/S7303902.jpg>
 
The dress looks 1938-39 to me with those very puffed sleeves. You do continue to see puffed sleeves into 1942, but not this inflated. Also the skirt is very A-line and looks to be mid calf, which is a pre-1940 length. Also, the use of heavy braid was popular 1939-1940. So I would guess 1939ish.

I wonder if perhaps the organization continued to survive but they stopped using the FOGA labels in 1941... Since the court order was essentially anti-trust, it may have seemed like a cartel of designers using the FOGA label which brought on the suit against FOGA.
 
I've never seen a post 1941 garment with a FOGA label. Seems to me it would be pretty nervy to use that label after they lost the lawsuit!

Is that one of those fabric covered zippers?
 
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