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Mike Benet Formals?

Discussion in 'PUBLIC Vintage Fashion - Ask Questions Get Answers' started by foofoogal, Mar 27, 2011.

  1. foofoogal

    foofoogal Registered Guest

    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.
     
  2. MyVintageCocktail

    MyVintageCocktail VFG Member

    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!
     
  3. sMarie

    sMarie Registered Guest

    I have several mike benet dresses, I can submit some labels.
     
  4. tamiq

    tamiq Registered Guest

    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
     
  5. 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
    $(KGrHqIOKosE4uE7+fq2BOL6MWYsQ!~~_12.jpg $(KGrHqQOKj!E4jg(e0JrBOL6L2RcU!~~_12.jpg
     
  6. MyVintageCocktail

    MyVintageCocktail VFG Member

    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!)....
     
  7. 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!

    $(KGrHqYOKokE4uYQcy5qBOL6L-Vwpw~~_12.jpg $(KGrHqMOKisE4p9oqFLCBOL6MFUkCw~~_12.jpg
     
  8. Linn

    Linn Super Moderator Staff Member VFG Past President

    I think the lines of your dress look late '60's but I wasn't sure about the diaphanous chiffon.
     
  9. 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 ; ). 00329-001aboveSMALL.jpg 00329-001anglefarSMALL.jpg 00329-001tagSMALL.jpg
     
  10. Midge

    Midge Super Moderator Staff Member

  11. MyVintageCocktail

    MyVintageCocktail VFG Member

    Oh, my, that has to be the nicest Mike Benet I've ever seen..... So understated, in an elegant & good way, than most of them.
     
  12. 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").
     
  13. grazia83

    grazia83 Registered Guest

    Stunning! Just out of curiousity, what is the waist size? It looks so tiny!
     
  14. 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
     
  15. The dress is clipped to Cecelia, who has a 23.5" waist. That's why it looks so tiny. Plus, I have my (modern) wedding crinoline beneath.
     
  16. grazia83

    grazia83 Registered Guest

    Oh I see! It's so beautiful and timeless!
     
  17. Cecilia has a really good figure ; ). But she has no head and not much personality.
     
    Catherine Cox likes this.
  18. aqua12

    aqua12 Registered Guest

    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?
     
  19. MyVintageCocktail

    MyVintageCocktail VFG Member

    Aqua, we'd need to see photos in order to hazard guesses about it. Photos of the gown and any labels, including maker's label and union label, if any.
     

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