Union Made Mode O' Day dress & Gold leatherette bag

Vmode

Vmode

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Union Made Mode O\' Day dress & Gold leatherette bag

Hi all,

Here's a lovely day dress from California label Mode O'Day, which I know had hundreds of stores (still have at least one I believe!) accross the US. Sorry for the poor images, there's no natural light in my place!

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Can anyone who's in the know about this brand offer a more specific date that general '50s?

I also have this cute little gold leatherette bag which came in the same lot as the blue dress I mentioned here- http://forums.vintagefashionguild.org/viewthread.php?tid=73220 - .. It is a clutch style that doubles up as handled handbag if used with the 'top flap' up. With a nice metal zip, I was thinking 60s?

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:)
 
I think your dress is probably later than 50s. Maybe 60s, mid to late.

It looks pretty short and that union label isn't one used in the 50s.
 
Ahh I forgot to mention, it has been taken up around 3"- I don't want to let it back down as it looks likely to leave a faded line.

I was going to ask also, is there a go-to guide for dating Union Made labels? I can't actually make out any 'distinguishable marks' on and around the UM stamp that correspond with those examples on the aforementioned site page.. Am I missing them? It's a very washed out label and pretty hard to see in the pic also!

Edited by admin***link removed as it leads to a selling site
 
I have a Mode O'Day dress with that exact label, and it definately is an early 1960s. Mine also was taken up (although...grrr... whoever did it cut off the excess hem!).

My vote is early to mid 1960s, taken up in the next few years to reflect rising hemlines. Maybe 1963/4 ish?
 
Oh fab thanks, I still can't see (with magnifying glass) anything similar to 'AFL CIO' on the label, what IS there is-

AN 21673
C5AA or possibly CSAA

I'm squinting like a little mole trying to read letters etc. in the bottom half of the stamp under the 'ILGWU', but it doesn't really look like it starts with 'AFL', and the last 'word' (though so so hard to even make out that there IS anything under the ILGWU) doesn't look long enough to be 'CIO'.. Looks like possibly just 2 letters, or if 3 then fairly narrow ones..
I suppose I'll never know as it's faded, but otherwise would you recommend the timeline guide given on the website I posted before, as something to go on for pre-'55 UM labels?

The zip is metal, by ROBIN, and the dress also has a sweet little square hook that I actually haven't seen before..
 
I've just found a brown version of your bag with exactly the same functions only my handle is suspended in rings and turns up for a bag and into the curved edge of the bag when a clutch! I shall post it soon.
 
Coolio, Pinkcoke- I haven't come accross that kind of design before, love it!

I tracked down the patent no of the clasp on the Mode dress, it's apparently a 'Tape closer for slider fasteners' reg 1958! I feel like a detective. :)
 
Here is my version of the same style bag as promised: I think mine is probably more recent than yours; the inside is lined in a red knit fabric, the zip is ykk and the handle is some kind of plastic, see through and has a kind of marbled misty effect in different shades of brown. Material is faux leather.

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If I read the RN number correctly (is it: 21673?) it was issued at the beginning of the 60s. Numbers up to approximately 16500 were issued in the 50s, higher numbers were issued in the 60s. Hence it is impossible that this dress is from the 50s, as the RN-number is from the early 60s.

Jannemieke
 
Thanks everyone, that one dress has a lot of datable features! Very helpful info about the RN no. :)
 
Hi Julia,

Oh yes I didn't assume it was from '58 or immediately after then, I've just never tracked down a feature from it's patent no before and got excited :bouncy:
 
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