40's Vintage Suse Heart and Dagger Sweater

[liveshopdie]

When I got this sweater recently I thought it looked like of of those famous 40's sweaters, but I really didn't know anything about them, so I started with the label, Suse, and low and behold, the originals were by Suse! I looked on the Label Resource here, and searched the site for discussions about these fabulous sweaters, but couldn't find anything. In fact most articles I found online seem to trace back to a Life Magazine article from 1947, but I can find no other info, like how long the sweaters were in production or anything like that. I found a vintage button front Paris themed cardigan on Etsy that has many similar details, and pretty much the same embroidered label, although my label is of different colors. Compared to historical pictures I found online, my sweater looks spot-on: It's a knitted pullover with three self-fabric buttons on the right shoulder, with hand-stitched felt appliqué decorated with faux jewels and beading. I have never even dreamed of owning one of these sweaters, and it seems almost too good to be true, especially considering its condition. Somebody must have had it very carefully squirreled away!

 

[poppysvintageclothing]

What a treasure! Thanks for sharing with us.

 

[retro ruth]

That's wonderful. I've never heard of them.

 

[liveshopdie]

I'd love to offer the label for your Label Resource, but I don't know if it meets your criteria, most of your labels are dated and I don't really know the year of production on my sweater.

 

[Vintagiality]

I'd love to offer the label for your Label Resource, but I don't know if it meets your criteria, most of your labels are dated and I don't really know the year of production on my sweater.

Thank you! We will take you up on your offer. I will try to research more about the company when I get a minute. It looks 40s to me as well but I want to look into it a bit further. I am sure others would chime in soon too.

 

[The Vintage Merchant]

it is an absolute DELIGHT!! i am very jealous over here. congratulations. i would never ever ever be able to part with that treasure.

 

[Vintagiality]

It does appear that your sweater is just like the one in the 1947 article just in blue

I also saw it had a matching skirt

 

[Vintagiality]

I did find a 1954 ad that had an address. I will look further a bit later. The designer’s name was Susan Dannenberg

 

[The Vintage Merchant]

there is a woman on IG who has been making knit tops from period patterns that look very authentic. I'm tempted every time she posts a new one she's done.

 

[Ranch Queen Vintage]

I'd love to offer the label for your Label Resource, but I don't know if it meets your criteria, most of your labels are dated and I don't really know the year of production on my sweater.

@liveshopdie If you'd be so kind, please take a close-up photo of just the label. Unfortunately, when we crop your photo down, it's too small for our Label Resource format and loses sharpness. A minimum of 500x pixels across is optimal. Thank you!

 

[Vintagiality]

This Jezebel pattern seems to be replicated so frequently and the more I look at the label the more it looks somehow too new. Maybe seeing a close up will help

 

[Ranch Queen Vintage]

I did find a 1954 ad that had an address. I will look further a bit later. The designer’s name was Susan Dannenberg
View attachment 131633

This address is in the Sunset Plaza - an always exclusive cluster of boutiques on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, CA.

 

[retro ruth]

Interesting that the ad says hand made. This one also looks hand knit.

Quite a few people knit from vintage patterns to sell, but these felt appliques are unusual.

 

[retro ruth]

Can you tell what the yarn fibre is? Certain fibres would rule out an earlier date.

 

[liveshopdie]

I did find a 1954 ad that had an address. I will look further a bit later. The designer’s name was Susan Dannenberg
View attachment 131633

That's a fabulous little nugget of information, thank you!

 

[liveshopdie]

@liveshopdie If you'd be so kind, please take a close-up photo of just the label. Unfortunately, when we crop your photo down, it's too small for our Label Resource format and loses sharpness. A minimum of 500x pixels across is optimal. Thank you!

I'll get some good clear shots today, and then should I post them here, on to another thread?

 

[liveshopdie]

This Jezebel pattern seems to be replicated so frequently and the more I look at the label the more it looks somehow too new. Maybe seeing a close up will help

I'll try and get some good clear photos today. I know it's going to be tricky to capture the sweater's color accurately, because it wants to be too pale or too blue, maybe I need another color background, it's a pale powdery blue, but I'll take some more accurate shots of the label and all asap.

 

[liveshopdie]

Can you tell what the yarn fibre is? Certain fibres would rule out an earlier date.

I've never done a fiber burn or anything like that, and I don't really know if there's any place for me to snip one from here, but my fingers tell me that it's wool. It's springy.

 

[anothertimevintageapparel]

I have a feeling it is a repro also and newer. The label looks too new to be vintage.
More info will help.
Either way it is fabulous.
I follow the person on IG also that makes the sweaters from vintage patterns.

 

[liveshopdie]

Interesting that the ad says hand made. This one also looks hand knit.

Quite a few people knit from vintage patterns to sell, but these felt appliques are unusual.

And these felt appliques and their bead work, look just like the originals, same shapes and sizes and patterns, incredibly clean and undamaged, like it's always been carefully stored, but up close you can see the age of the glass jewels and beads.

It looks so good though that I wondered if the company had stayed in production for longer than I'd guess (until at least 1954 we know now) or went back into production at some point, but I have found no info as to that. The label looks the same as the original, except for the color way. Not for the Label Resource, just for comparison, I'll show you the only other label I can find alongside of mine.