Tony Ruocco for Alper Schwartz?

R

Rebecca

Registered Guest
I picked up a dress/jacket/belt combo at an estate sale the other day, but I can't find any info on the label that is in the outfit.

It says "Tony Ruocco for Alper Schwartz", but googling doesn't come up with much about Tony Ruocco, and I couldn't find it in the label directory here.

The jacket has a store tag in it that says "Samuel Spigel Roanoke, Virginia" and the dress still has the original price tag on it, of $190.00 Quite a pricey outfit back in the day.

The dress is a pretty shapeless shift dress with a gathered yoke and a belt and the jacket has a very narrow collar and features a very bright paisley print lining. I took a picture of the label but I will update it when I can get a pic of the whole outfit.

Does anyone know anything about this label? Id' love any info! Thanks so very much!

ETA: Are non-members allowed to add labels to the resource if they're not currently there?
 

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Hi! I have one too. I suspect this was a brand that catered to plus-size ladies, but that is just a hunch. I've asked a few of my "plus-size vintage specialist friends" and they couldn't provide too much information, but concurred that they've only ever seen larger sizes with this label. How big is your dress?

p.s. I think anyone can submit labels. I have a slew of them, but am not entirely sure how to go about it. Read the directions, but it didn't help much, as the contact form doesn't contain an "upload photo" gadget. Maybe you'll get an answer here?
 
Thanks LizaJane- The dress and jacket aren't terribly large, but it may have been considered plus size in it's day. I have about a 38" bust and I couldn't quite get the jacket closed though, so it isn't terribly large.

I'll keep doing some more research to see what I can find.
 
I don't know anything about Tony Ruocco but I do have a Alper Schwartz dress and jacket. They are not what I would call a plus size, having a bust of 40". The Samuel Spigel store was very high end ladies' dept store in Roanoke which is my neighborhood. I would love to see the outfit.
 
Alleycats- I'll get a picutres posted tomorrow hopefully. There isn't enough light since it's so dreary out. Just wondering, do you know where Spigels was located in Roanoke? I picked up quite a few from there as well as Smartwear Irving Saks from Roanoke as well. Any idea where that store was? I'm guessing downtown.
 
Yes they were large dept stores in downtown Roanoke VA. I was only in Samuel Spigel's once with a friend's mother. It was way out of our price range. They carried a big line of evening wear and furs. I do find this label around here often in my vtg hunts. Smartwear Irving Saks carried high end and more affordable clothing. Both stores were still in downtown Roanoke in the late 1960's. Smartwear moved to the malls when they started opening on the outskirts of town. I'm not sure when Spigel closed but I'm thinking it was sometimes in the 1970's.

Are you in this area?
 
Alleycats- Yes, I am. I actually picked the clothes up at an estate sale just off Franklin Road over the weekend. I'm only 21 though, so I'm a bit young to know where the stores were, lol.
 
I just found this web site & the letters that were sent. Alper Schwartz was a family business based in Philadelphia, from the mid fifties till 1985. At that point it became Don Elliot, manufacturing under that label in addition to Carelle, Don Elliot Sport Dress, CD by Christion Dior, CH by Carolina Herrera & Pierre Balmain.
 
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