1940s Swirl Wrap Dress

Last week when I asked for some photos of Swirl wrap dresses, I knew I’d get some really nice ones.  The one I’m showing today is from Jezebel Amazon, a collector who has ten Swirls in her closet!  I wanted to show it because of the unusual label.

The Swirl story starts in Philadelphia with the L. Nachman and Son Company, which was located at 10th and Berks Streets.  This company had produced clothing since the early days of the 20th century.  By 1940 they were making a product called the Neat ‘N Tidy, a pinafore apron.  In 1944 the Swirl name was added to the label.  When Lawrence Nachman registered the Swirl name with the US Patent and Trade mark office, the product was listed as “WOMEN’S AND GIRLS’ WRAP-AROUND APRONS”.  The wrap-around apron was a common garment of the day.    Though the Neat ‘n Tidy and the Swirl were  conceived as aprons, the Swirl functioned as a dress.

You can see another Swirl by Neat ‘n Tidy label on the two late 1940s or early 50s dresses I showed last week.  I’m of the opinion that Jezebel’s dress is a little earlier.  The shorter length, the design and colors of the print and the shape of the shoulder and arm opening look 1945-46 to me.  In that case, this just might be the earliest Swirl label that was used by the Nachman Company.

Another thing worth noting is that this dress does not have the swirly button that is associated with the Swirl wrap dress.  I’m beginning to believe that the swirly button came into being about the time the plain “Swirl” label came into being, which, if one can believe the US Patent and Trademark Office records, was in 1951.

All this analyzing of such a common garment label might be a bit of over-kill, not that that would stop me from such a pursuit!

All photos copyright Jezebel Amazon