Welsmere Dress - Era?

[Letitia Lees]

Hello,

I found this dress in a charity shop the other day and had to buy!

My friend seems to think the dress is from the 50's because of the REGD marking on the label, however.....
I am struggling to date the dress, i am unable to find anything about the brand and unsure of the name of the fabric. There is only the one label (pictured). If anyone could shed some light for me i would be very grateful. Many thanks in advance x

 

[retro ruth]

1960s! Nice dress. The outer fabric looks like it might be made of wool or a wool blend, hard to be sure from a photo though. It's a plain weave, slightly loose and rustic. It appears to be backed in some other fabric, maybe pellon?

ETA It's possibly been shortened at some point.

Regd is an older way of saying registered trademark, same function as ®. I think this is a mainly seen on UK clothes? You could look up the trademark on uk government trademark website, you might find a little company information

 

[Distantdetails]

I looked up this label on Newspapers.com, and found two clippings for "Welsmere" clothing in London newspapers, both in 1967. Let's see if I can copy them here:
Please let me know if you can open these. If unable, I will tell you, in text, what they say.

 

[Midge]

Very cute - and 1960s indeed!

 

[Letitia Lees]

Hello!

Wow thank you for all your help in regards to the dress! Its very helpful, thank you very much!

I should have mentioned that i am writing from the UK, hence the REGD mark. It is lined, it reminds me of a neoprene texture.
Many thanks again!! x

 

[retro ruth]

I should have mentioned that i am writing from the UK, hence the REGD mark.

I thought you must be in the UK - me too!

 

[retro ruth]

I looked up this label on Newspapers.com, and found two clippings for "Welsmere" clothing in London newspapers, both in 1967.

I've just looked at these ads, and note with interest that the price of one of the suit is quoted in guineas (GNS), where as the dress is in shillings and pence. This surprised me as I didn't think guineas were in use that late, so I did some reading. Apparently although the guinea was no longer a coin since 1816, some prices were quoted in guineas after that, right up until and just after decimalisation in 1971. A guinea is worth just slightly more than a pound, £1.05, or 21 shillings in old money.

From wikipedia:

the guinea had an aristocratic overtone, so professional fees, and prices of land, horses, art, bespoke tailoring, furniture, white goods and other "luxury" items were often quoted in guineas

I don't quite know how the advertised crimplene suit fits into the that description! But I guess Marshall & Snelgrove were a somewhat high end store.

Prices in guineas are still used in the sale of racehorses today.

 

[Distantdetails]

I don't quite know how the advertised crimplene suit fits into the that description! But I guess Marshall & Snelgrove were a somewhat high end store.

Great detective work!

 

[retro ruth]

Great detective work!

It's not really relevant to the OP, but it's the kind of thing I find fascinating! I know of guineas as a currency from old novels etc, but didn't think to see them in a late 1960s advert.