Union Labels

[ikwewe]

Thank you!

I am adding to my guide little by little. I am delighted you will be included!

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Well, I'm delighted to be included I'm sure.

 

[ikwewe]

Progress

Maj. Danger, eBay's picture host did not do your beautifully clear pic justice, I am sorry about that! It is in there, though. I've had the same trouble with my other labels, it is hard to represent the details, so I add a written description.

I hope to find other pix to use of the other labels, too. I don't handle menswear much, so must rely on the kindness of others.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

feel free to use any of the ones i posted over on page one.

bk

 

[ikwewe]

MegTHANKS, Baron Kurtz!!!

You have made my day! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Off to play with our Guide.

 

[ikwewe]

Guide to date

I got the pix and info in, thanks so much! I can't add any more pix, so I might have to split up the two unions if I get more pix.

See what you think so far. I welcome your insights, corrections, critiques.

http://tinyurl.com/26fahq

 

[frontmanvintage]

NRA labels

The NRA label was used only from 1933 -35 in the USA and was used on clothing and printed goods like patterns & magazines.

The National Recovery Board Label was used from 1933 -42.

The NRB Coat & Suit Industry Label was used from the late 30's until about 1964 on Union Made goods.

And the NRB Coat & Suit Industry Label w/ the flip side of Consumers Protection Label - Manufacturered under Fair Labor Standards was used from June 1938 until well into the 60's.

I have only heard and seen the NRB labels being used on womens clothing.

 

[Feraud]

Review your local sticky

Just a little reminder for the members to check room stickies. They contain useful information.

I recently purchased a swell tweed suit and found this label in the pocket. Based the info provided in this thread I can narrow down the date of manufacture to '49-68.
Here is the label.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

Wow thanks! I just dated a SB suit I just picked up from eb as being 39-49!
I'll post some picks when I get it altered (in the suit thread of course).

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I'm uncommonly interested in finding out whether there is any dating info to be gleaned by the differences in the 49-68 labels. As you can see, Feraud's one has the numbers printed in black ink. There are also 49-68 labels with red ink numbers. I am certain that the red ink is earlier than the black. i'd like to know when the cross-over occurred.

bk

 

[Feraud]

What is the best way to pin down when the cross over happened?
Would it be to compare various labels with the suit styles to narrow down the decade?

 

[MrNewportCustom]

What is the best way to pin down when the cross over happened?
Would it be to compare various labels with the suit styles to narrow down the decade?

Just tossing a log on the fire here, as I know nothing more about union labels than I've read here, but you might want to look for a significant historical date - possibly the death of a union leader or other person of importance - as is the case with Rolls Royce.

The double R on the grille was red until Charles Stewart Rolls died on July 12, 1920, after which the color was changed to black. They have been black ever since. CSR was the first Briton to die in an aviation accident.


Lee

 

[Baron Kurtz]

What is the best way to pin down when the cross over happened?
Would it be to compare various labels with the suit styles to narrow down the decade?

the only idea i've ever come up with is to take all the union labelled suits from the 1950s that also bear tailor's tags with a date. And see if, let's say, after 1955 all the union labels have black numbering, before 1955 they all have red numbering, and in 1955 it's transitional. Or whatever. It is incredibly difficult to find this stuff out.

So, i know that an overcoat i had - dated 1967 - had black numbers.

bk

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

It is incredibly difficult to find this stuff out.



bk

You can say that again. Always been confusing to me. :eusa_doh: There is also the possibility that older labels were used on somewhat newer clothes as the labels were cut off of a roll as needed. I'm sure garment factories would not throw away an outdated roll of tags to stay current, but they would continue using the older ones until they ran out, further adding to the confusion.
Maybe the numbers on the tags are sequential, and a more accurate date could thus be determined? I think only someone that worked for the union would have any more definite info on the subject.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Absolutely. As with zips, the stock control of the industry re: union label use seems to have been abysmal. But, barring tailor's tags, it's the best we've got . . .

bk

 

[Feraud]

the only idea i've ever come up with is to take all the union labelled suits from the 1950s that also bear tailor's tags with a date. And see if, let's say, after 1955 all the union labels have black numbering, before 1955 they all have red numbering, and in 1955 it's transitional. Or whatever. It is incredibly difficult to find this stuff out.

So, i know that an overcoat i had - dated 1967 - had black numbers.

bk

Would a stamped union label suffice?
I have a couple of examples with a date stamped on the label.
Here is one from July 30, '56 -

This is from an overcoat with a dated tag -

 

[Dagwood]

Does anyone live near Temple University or Cornell University? Each has records from the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America. A review of the records may shed some light on why the union adopted certain colors and designs.This information may help us date the labels with more accuracy.

Cornell has 322 boxes of Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America records from 1914-1980.

Temple has at least 101 boxes of records.

I used the word "label" in doing a word search of each web page.

I hope this helps.

 

[shindeco]

the only idea i've ever come up with is to take all the union labelled suits from the 1950s that also bear tailor's tags with a date. And see if, let's say, after 1955 all the union labels have black numbering, before 1955 they all have red numbering, and in 1955 it's transitional. Or whatever. It is incredibly difficult to find this stuff out.

So, i know that an overcoat i had - dated 1967 - had black numbers.

bk

For what it's worth, my father's wedding suit has a dated tag (July, 1963) and has red numbers. I have another suit that's almost exactly the same but undated (but presumably the same vintage) and it also has red numbers.

Both suits were made in Canada so ... more complications

 

[Jerekson]

The union label?

I'm still a bit of a newbie when it comes to suits, so I need to ask...

What is the signifigance of the union label? I hear alot of talk about them around here.

I have union labels in my suits and I have no idea what they are used for...

 

[Jerekson]

I just realized that is an entire thread devote to this, stickied at the top of the page.

Nevermind :eusa_doh: