January 21, 2012

Betty Barclay

One of the (vintage) brands I really like; Betty Barclay. A lot of the times I go vintage shopping, I find Barclay items... and I adore almost every single one of them. That's why I decided to have a look at the history of this clothing brand. A funny fact I stumbled upon... 'Vera Mont' (another label that always seem to catch my eye) is a 'baby line' of Betty Barclay! From now on; I'm going to share information about vintage brands and labels, so you guys can recognize labels when you vintage shopping/thrifting!
Seventies B.B. dress from my collection
Max Berk, a young German entrepreneur (and textile maker) in the fashion industry, bought a textile factory in 1938. During the war, the factory was destroyed and it had to be rebuild. In the fifties, he travelled to the United Stated, where he came across a brand popular amongst youngsters called Betty Barclay.
Max Berk
Betty Barclay was not an actual person, but was just a name made up for this mid-priced line of ready-to-wear dresses. The company was owned by the Jonathan Logan company, one of the largest clothing manufacturers in the USA. In 1955 Max Berk (seen in the picture below) acquired the German license to make Betty Barclay dresses for the European market. 
The first VERA MONT collection is developed. It concentrates on formal evening, cocktail and bridal fashions. Founding of VERA MONT in France. In 1968, the GIL BRET brand was created. A product line comprising coats, jackets, suits and trouser suits. In 1972 the company was bought by the German branch, and goes worldwide. And t's still in operation today.
I know Betty Barlcay as a label that always provides very feminine clothing. The fit is made for women, accentuating the female strong points. I also really love the quality and the pretty materials; this petrol blue dress is made of wool and it's incredibly soft! 
This pattern is lovely, but I have to say the patterns on Betty Barclay dresses are alway very beautiful. Which is a  very good thing; since a lot of brands (especially during the seventies) manage to create the most 'painfull' (for the eyes) patterns. Last but not least, the detailing in Betty Barclay items... perfection!
Dress: 70s vintage Betty Barclay
Fur collar: vintage
Necklace: thrifted
Belt: vintage

9 comments:

  1. leuk! en de outfit staat je geweldig. Ik vind het zo leuk dat je over vintage schrijft. xoxo

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  2. Super idee!! Ik denk dat ik de meeste merken wel ga herkennen. Sommige merken van vroeger hebben ook hele lachwekkende namen. Af en toe bij de inkoop willen we een item alleen al meenemen omdat het zo'n grappige merknaam heeft haha. Wij hebben op het moment een heel schattig lichtroze betty barclay jurkje in de shop en we hadden een heeeele mooi vera mont jurk. Zie hier:
    http://www.froufrous.nl/2008/03/vintage-vera-mont-feestjurk-met-geaccentueerde-schouders.html

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    Replies
    1. Oh ik vind deze ook zo tof: http://www.froufrous.nl/2012/01/fluwelen-jurk-met-gouden-lurex-mouwen.html

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  3. How well you wear that dress & how well it suits you...!

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  4. Very informative post, nice!

    Have a great weekend,
    Manu Luize.
    http://manuluize.com

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  5. Absolutely lovely dress! Also, it was fun to read about the designer. I've noticed I keep ending up (or falling in love) with dresses from particular 50s designers. Of course now I can't remember the names & am feeling too lazy to look . . . but you've inspired me for a future blog post!

    Cheers!
    Kate
    katealamode.com

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  6. Mooie jurk, wil er ook wel zo een. Kom binnenkort wel eens langs in je winkel.

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  7. Just recently purchased a Betty Barclay 1970s day dress here in South Africa! Thank you for providing me with some history on the brand.

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... it makes my day!