When did Dry CLEAN ONLY labels appear in clothing? I am evaluating clothing for the Model A Era which is 1928 - 1931. Would a man's panama Suit which has no other tag in it, have a tag which says "Dry Clean Do not WASH" Inside the pocket is a label sewn into the pocket which says Union Made Clothing Series Y
Hello and welcome! Perhaps someone will come along with an answer, but if you are able to post photographs of the labels in question this would help.
We would like to be of assistance but we do really need for you to post photos of the label (s) and the actual suit in order to help you out with this. here is the link below to show you how to post a photo here http://forums.vintagefashionguild.org/threads/how-to-post-a-photo.42320/ please note size should be 500 x 500 pixels
This appears to be a union label. Would that date this garment as later than 1930? This is inside the pocket on the jacket of the suit.
Thank you for the pics - do you have a copy of the union tag that is clearer? From my list of labels, if it has "copyright 1934" in the lower left under "Workers of", then it dates from '34 to '36. If it says something else and you can read it, please let us know. I can't find the same label in my list, but it is similar to the '34 to '49 labels. I don't think it can be any earlier than '34.
I will try on that photo again. It is down inside the pocket, so it is very hard to get a photo of it. I was really wondering about DRY CLEANING. But you make a good point about the union label.
Dry cleaning labels became mandatory in the 1970s but you do see it on evening wear and good quality garments in the '60s and less often in earlier times - so I'm sorry to report that the Dry Clean label is not that useful on its own - hence why I was focusing on the union label, which is much more informative. Personally, I have never seen a dry clean label in a '30s garment but they're not out of the question.
The garment came from California. It has no other tags in it. We wondered if was a reproduction made for a movie. It looks the part, but there is no manufacturer information in it.
The union label is a good dating tool though - if you can show a clear photo of it, where we can read the writing or perhaps sharpen this one, it will help. They're unlikely to go to the trouble of sewing an old union label in a reproduction. Manufacturer information is rare in '30s garments.
Dry-cleaning labels can be found on very old items. It's not common, but no unheard of. I agree with Nicole that sewing an old-time Union label into a reproduction seems very unlikely. I'd assume it's authentic.
I THINK that is the 1939 label which was used from 1939 to 1949. Very hard to determine from that photo - I tried to clean it up a bit and I think that last digit is a 9.
