Winter

The WPL #9348 on the Winter label indicates the name of the business was Winter Furs, Inc. at 224 West 30th St. in New York City. It is reasonable to assume the Winter part of the name refers to the season, but it seems to also derive its name from one of the principals of the company, Jack Winter.

Ads for Winter Furs, Inc. started to appear around 1948, at which time they marketed “little furs,” or fur accessories, such as muffs and ascot ties/scarves. By 1949 they advertised tax-free, collared, fur capelets that could be worn over dressmaker suits or fitted coats.

Ads in 1951 promoted their children’s-wear line of fur accessories, such as fur bunny muffs, scarves, and hats. They also publicized their Sonja Henie line for girls and teens, for which line in 1950 they had been licensed to manufacture fur skating accessories.

Throughout the 1950s, ads appeared for fur accessories such as jeweled collars for sweaters, ascots, belts, chokers, muffs, stoles, pull-through scarves (with a slash on one side, to pull the other end through), bags, capelets, armlets, dickeys, vestees, necklaces, earrings, flowers, and poodles.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the advertised furs they used were mink, dyed squirrel, jaguar, leopard, raccoon, ermine, Persian lamb, fox, and French rabbit (dyed to resemble civet). In 1960 Winter Furs, Inc. advertised they had available the Glensea shortee jacket from Glenoit Mills, Inc. in NY, which was apparently a fake fur jacket. In 1961 a Winter Furs, Inc. ad appeared for a waist-length and elbow-length sleeved fake fur jacket—trimmed with real fur at the collar—while also continuing to sell real fur items. Of note was a 1961 advertisement invitation to come to a local store to consult with Mark Benson, fashion and fur authority from Winter Furs, Inc.

In March 1962, an ad appeared in which company officials Jack Winter, Dan Levy, and Mark Benson announced the formation of Winter Products, Inc., “successors to Winter Furs.” Very shortly afterwards the Federal Trade Commission ordered Winter Products, Inc. company officials Jack Winter, Daniel Levy, Charles Miranda, and Mark Benson to “stop misbranding and falsely invoicing furs.” Little information is available for Winter Products, Inc. after that, other than a patent application by an Alpheus Winter for a spacing table, which seems to be a manufacturing device.

Although it is tempting to assume the Jack Winter of Winter Furs, Inc., is the same Jack Winter of Wisconsin, who is best known for manufacturing ladies’ slacks, no definitive connection could be made.

Written by LKRanieri

from a late 1950s/early 1960s faux fur shrug

Courtesy of pinky-a-gogo

from a 1960s fur-trimmed coat

Courtesy of Vintagiality

from a 1960s faux fur jacket

Courtesy of hipvintage