Union Label Question
- Thread starter VenusVestiaire
- Start date
Yes, it's a Canadian ILGWU (https://vintagefashionguild.org/label-resource/union-label/) used 1968-1984. I don't know the decade of your gown. Maybe @NylonNostalgia would be able to help.
NylonNostalgia
VFG Member
Warning: the following gets a bit messy and complicated. Read on only if your brain is in gear and you've had sufficient coffee, lol 
I am a bit suspicious here, and I think we may have exposed a gap in our own knowledge base - perhaps. Let me explain. My gut instinct, based upon the style of the nightie, construction and the fact that the label face has been 'cleansed' of all but the cursive/calligraphic logo (unlike other earlier Dominique nighties and peignoirs) tells me it is later than 1984. Based on overall style I'd say mid-90's if I were pushed. But, my 'mid-90's' assessment was held back by the VFG's ILGWU info kindly highlighted by Maggie, so at first I did the dutiful thing and accepted 1984 as the latest it could be - but I wasn't happy with that notion and I still have the feeling there's something not quite right somewhere along the line.
It appears that our ILGWU label info originally came from this source. Fair enough. But may I draw your attention to the sentence on the page under the heading 'Colour Claim*' that says "The mark is in blue, except for the words Etiquette Syndicale, Union Label and Canada which are in black, all placed on a white background". Hmmm - that's interesting because the ILGWU label in this case clearly isn't blue and black, that's for sure. It's red. As someone who has registered trademarks herself over the years, I know one thing - you don't claim a colour and then use a different one!
So, here's my 'disruptive hand grenade' for us VFG members to consider: is there a later manifestation of the Canadian ILGWU label, after 1984, that we currently don't know about? A red one? I might be wrong - completely wrong - but right now as I write this there is no evidence to disprove my little theory as much as there isn't any to support it. But, you know when you get that little feeling in your wee wee...
Dayleen Intimates Inc of New York owns the trademark 'Dominique' as a word (not a style) in Canada when associated with women's intimate apparel and has done since 2001 - but they've never used that cursive/calligraphic script style on your label. That kind of backs up my instinct that says it is 1990's and is an earlier Canadian trademark, pre-Dayleen, pre-2001.
If I were selling this gorgeous item, I'd just say "late 80's to 90's" with a clear conscience.
(* Canadians spell the word 'colour' properly. How refreshing!)
Its 06:30 and I haven't even had my coffee yet, lol! Total dreamboat of a nightie, by the way - love it...
Emms x
I am a bit suspicious here, and I think we may have exposed a gap in our own knowledge base - perhaps. Let me explain. My gut instinct, based upon the style of the nightie, construction and the fact that the label face has been 'cleansed' of all but the cursive/calligraphic logo (unlike other earlier Dominique nighties and peignoirs) tells me it is later than 1984. Based on overall style I'd say mid-90's if I were pushed. But, my 'mid-90's' assessment was held back by the VFG's ILGWU info kindly highlighted by Maggie, so at first I did the dutiful thing and accepted 1984 as the latest it could be - but I wasn't happy with that notion and I still have the feeling there's something not quite right somewhere along the line.
It appears that our ILGWU label info originally came from this source. Fair enough. But may I draw your attention to the sentence on the page under the heading 'Colour Claim*' that says "The mark is in blue, except for the words Etiquette Syndicale, Union Label and Canada which are in black, all placed on a white background". Hmmm - that's interesting because the ILGWU label in this case clearly isn't blue and black, that's for sure. It's red. As someone who has registered trademarks herself over the years, I know one thing - you don't claim a colour and then use a different one!
So, here's my 'disruptive hand grenade' for us VFG members to consider: is there a later manifestation of the Canadian ILGWU label, after 1984, that we currently don't know about? A red one? I might be wrong - completely wrong - but right now as I write this there is no evidence to disprove my little theory as much as there isn't any to support it. But, you know when you get that little feeling in your wee wee...
Dayleen Intimates Inc of New York owns the trademark 'Dominique' as a word (not a style) in Canada when associated with women's intimate apparel and has done since 2001 - but they've never used that cursive/calligraphic script style on your label. That kind of backs up my instinct that says it is 1990's and is an earlier Canadian trademark, pre-Dayleen, pre-2001.
If I were selling this gorgeous item, I'd just say "late 80's to 90's" with a clear conscience.
(* Canadians spell the word 'colour' properly. How refreshing!)
Its 06:30 and I haven't even had my coffee yet, lol! Total dreamboat of a nightie, by the way - love it...
Emms x
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Vintagiality
VFG Treasurer
Very interesting Emma. Maybe @Jonathan knows. Not much help with the tag but here is some history on the ILGWU in Canada
https://ilgwu.ilr.cornell.edu/announcements/27.html
What I do know is that I have seen these labels in just green and just blue so I am not so sure about them sticking to the color strictly…
That Dominque label does look 90s to me. Interesting discussion on the ILGWU labels.