fuzzylizzie
Alumni
<img src=http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e270/fuzzylizzie/pinkswirl4.jpg>
For this Fashionable Summer Workshop, I'm taking a slightly different approach. Swirl was not so much a company as it was a product, especially in the early days of production. But in order to understand the product, we need to know a little about the company that produced it.
The 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. In 1944 the Swirl dress and label were born. Actually, the Swirl was originally conceived as an apron. 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.
<img src=http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e270/fuzzylizzie/wsswirl1.jpg>
<I>Swirl pictured in 6/51 McCall's. "First thing in the morning I put on my seersucker Swirl. It wraps and ties and doesn't need ironing." about $8. </i>
How the concept of an apron evolved into a dress is not known (By me, at any rate!) but at some point, the Swirl became a dress - not really a housedress, but one step above. It was a quick and easy way for a busy housewife to get dressed in a hurry for a trip to the market, or for a casual supper on the patio. As their slogan at the time put it, Swirl was..."YOUR WRAP "N" TIE FASHION". According to this ad, the Swirl pictured came in three patterns and cost about $9.
<img src=http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e270/fuzzylizzie/wsswirl2.jpg>
<I>Swirl ad from 8/51 Mademoiselle</i>
For this Fashionable Summer Workshop, I'm taking a slightly different approach. Swirl was not so much a company as it was a product, especially in the early days of production. But in order to understand the product, we need to know a little about the company that produced it.
The 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. In 1944 the Swirl dress and label were born. Actually, the Swirl was originally conceived as an apron. 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.
<img src=http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e270/fuzzylizzie/wsswirl1.jpg>
<I>Swirl pictured in 6/51 McCall's. "First thing in the morning I put on my seersucker Swirl. It wraps and ties and doesn't need ironing." about $8. </i>
How the concept of an apron evolved into a dress is not known (By me, at any rate!) but at some point, the Swirl became a dress - not really a housedress, but one step above. It was a quick and easy way for a busy housewife to get dressed in a hurry for a trip to the market, or for a casual supper on the patio. As their slogan at the time put it, Swirl was..."YOUR WRAP "N" TIE FASHION". According to this ad, the Swirl pictured came in three patterns and cost about $9.
<img src=http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e270/fuzzylizzie/wsswirl2.jpg>
<I>Swirl ad from 8/51 Mademoiselle</i>