The textile and product labeling standards consumers have come to expect today did not exist in the 1940's. Without regulations, unscrupulous manufacturers and retailers could successfully pass off inferior materials to consumers. With the war won, the Tanner's Council of America set about establishing trade standard for labeling to help store buyers and consumers buy with confidence.

Calf Handbags To Be Properly Identified

"Because the term "calf" has been misused and abused by both retailers and manufacturers, the Calf Leather Division of the Tanners' Council of America has completed a plan for the positive identification of calf handbags. The program, it is believed, will assure calf handbags the confidence and prestige they should enjoy with consumers. If followed through, calf handbags will be identified for the consumer in a way that will build lasting acceptance, according to an announcement by the Council.
Under the proposed plan, handbag manufacturers may obtain from the Calf Leather Division labels or inserts to be used only on bags of genuine calf. Manufacturers can apply to the Calf Leather Division for a license number which would give them permission to use the insert. "The advantages of the program will be publicized to manufacturers, retailers and the public throughout the country," says the bulletin from the Tanners' Council of America." (Handbag Buyer, June 1949, page 45)

Categories: Timeline 1949 Materials