Malco modes start up date?

[LousyLoversVintage]

I have what I think to be a 50s Malco Modes dress, I checked their modern website for history of the company. I have looked up as many dresses as I can find to match my tag and with no luck.

Wanted to just see if anyone knows when Malco Modes went into business
?
I have seen many 70s and 60s tags

Mine looks like a 40s to 50s. They way its made looks very similar to other tags of those times.
Thank you

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

Their website says they've been going for 'over a hundred years' so you could be right.

https://malcomodes.biz/our-story/

If you want help dating your item, you can always post pics in the forum Q&A section.

 

[LousyLoversVintage]

Oh yes I have plans to. It is just being cleaned and restored now. It was awfully yellow like wow yellow lol

The before and afters will be stunning!

Thank you. The style looks 50s bc the circle skirt, but maybe it's a 40s square dancing dress.

When it's all ready I will post here

 

[LousyLoversVintage]

Ok for anyone following here are some before and afters of the Malco Modes dress. GREAT transformation.

I had to do some sewing on this one. There is still some slight staining on skirt area but its very hard to see. I didn't want to keep trying to get it out bc i was losing some color

I think this is a 50s square dancing dress.

But if anyone knows differently please correct me im still looking for dating confirmation

The tag seems to be any where from early 50s to maybe 60s?

 

[Midge]

Wow, that's a great result!

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

LLV, I agree it's likely a square dancing outfit but styles don't change must so construction is your friend. The metal zipper suggests you're likely right on approx date but it can also help to look at skirt length, seam width and hem method. If you can show pics of these (and measure the waist to hem) we can help more.

 

[LousyLoversVintage]

Wow, that's a great result!

Thank you!

 

[LousyLoversVintage]

LLV, I agree it's likely a square dancing outfit but styles don't change must so construction is your friend. The metal zipper suggests you're likely right on approx date but it can also help to look at skirt length, seam width and hem method. If you can show pics of these (and measure the waist to hem) we can help more.

The length from bodice to hem us 24 inches , no picking but I did post a photo of the tag. Maybe It could be early 60s?

Here's a photo of hem stitch and some seamwork

 

[Circa Vintage Clothing]

Thanks LLV, I think it could be more modern than '60s: construction looks more '80s? Styles like this can be hard to date but the length and label do look more '60s.

 

[lkranieri]

I found a few references to Malco Modes, but not exactly when they started:

-- the earliest reference I found to Malco Modes is a 1958 classified ad soliciting salesmen for: "Coats, toppers, raincoats, car coats. Rocky Mountain area. Experienced salesman. Malco Modes, 973 Market, San Francisco 3, Calif." Note that they may have been around much before that, but this was the earliest reference in the database I utilized.

-- a 2011 article about fashion designer Babette Pinsky noted "In 1964, she resettled in San Francisco, where she became the sole designer for Malco Modes, which makes coats and square-dance dresses." By 1968 she was selling her own Babette line and opened her own retail store in Sausalito.

-- a 1989 photo caption (I couldn't see the photo) referenced a cotton-polyester square dance dress by Malco Modes, $60, and a scarf tie by Malco Modes, $3.

-- in 2014 the US Patent and Trademark Office announced: "The trademark MALCO MODES (Reg No 4484615) was issued on Feb 18 by the USPTO"

 

[lkranieri]

I checked another database for Malco Modes and found the earliest reference there was from 1954. The first mention of their square dancing apparel there was in 1973.

 

[LousyLoversVintage]

Thanks LLV, I think it could be more modern than '60s: construction looks more '80s? Styles like this can be hard to date but the length and label do look more '60s.

I was thinking later too , but I found alot if square dancing dressing with malco modes tags from the 80s and the tags don't look like this so I would put it in the category of 60s. In the 80s They had updated their tags by then also there are no care tags on this dress.

 

[LousyLoversVintage]

I found a few references to Malco Modes, but not exactly when they started:

-- the earliest reference I found to Malco Modes is a 1958 classified ad soliciting salesmen for: "Coats, toppers, raincoats, car coats. Rocky Mountain area. Experienced salesman. Malco Modes, 973 Market, San Francisco 3, Calif." Note that they may have been around much before that, but this was the earliest reference in the database I utilized.

-- a 2011 article about fashion designer Babette Pinsky noted "In 1964, she resettled in San Francisco, where she became the sole designer for Malco Modes, which makes coats and square-dance dresses." By 1968 she was selling her own Babette line and opened her own retail store in Sausalito.

-- a 1989 photo caption (I couldn't see the photo) referenced a cotton-polyester square dance dress by Malco Modes, $60, and a scarf tie by Malco Modes, $3.

-- in 2014 the US Patent and Trademark Office announced: "The trademark MALCO MODES (Reg No 4484615) was issued on Feb 18 by the USPTO"

Thank you very much it was much more than I could find
My best guess is this is from the 60s to 70s era with the tag being the way it is and having other tags from the 80s look so differently.
The metal zipper and no care tags on this dress.
The pink and lace just remind me of a 60s to 70s garment

Maybe this is a Babette dress

I did alot of cross referencing tags and styles and I can't find anything matching my tag

 

[lkranieri]

...so I would put it in the category of 60s.

As I noted in my second reply above, the first appearance of a Malco Modes ad for square dance apparel was in 1973.

 

[Vinclothes]

I live in the "Rocky Mountain area." In 2021 I researched the social history of square dancing groups in rural Southern Idaho. Styles of dresses changed very little as others have said, but skirts became fuller and shorter in the late 60's early 1970's. I think this outfit is from that time period. One of the people, I interviewed was the wife of a caller. She said "We had to wear pettipants to keep everything from showing when we danced."
Marian

 

[LousyLoversVintage]

As I noted in my second reply above, the first appearance of a Malco Modes ad for square dance apparel was in 1973.

Hi these are the 70s 80s tags . But it seems to be for the partners please line.

I cant find anything malco modes with the style tag that's on the pink dress. Hmm now confused more than before

I wish I could find out when they phased out my tag or maybe partners please is just a completely different line?