5 Ways To Determine the Age of Vintage Clothes

By Sarah Nye

26 March 2024

Determining the year your vintage clothing was made can take some time and research. Here are five (of the many) ways to ensure your vintage clothes are actually vintage or pinpoint when they were made.

A Quick Overview:

Vintage - 20+ years

Antique - 100+ years

Retro - often newer items made to look like items of the past (this word has more nuance than the others because vintage items can still be retro)

1. Union Labels

If an article of clothing has a union label, it's definitely vintage, dating anywhere from 1959-1994. In the 1960s, the focus was on the words "union made." It then transferred the focus to "Made in the USA: in the 70s with red, white, and blue colors. Click here to see more examples of what union labels look like in different decades.

2. The size

Odd Sizes: Odd Sizes: Before the 1880's many pieces of clothing were labeled with the sizes 3, 5, 7, or 9

Half Sizes: half sizes begun in the 1940s until it was stopped in the 1970's

One Size Fits All: This was a trend in the 80s, so if you're sure a piece is vintage and has this type of labeling, it is most likely from this decade.

3. Lot or RN Numbers

Lot numbers determine the garment is from pre-1979.

RN numbers were first used in 1952 with the number 00101, meaning the digits tend to correspond with the decade: low numbers are most likely from the 50s, 5 are from the 60s-70s, and 6 are from the 80s.

4. Wool Marks

Wool marks were introduced into labels in 1964, so if you see one of these labels, you can date it after that start date. If you don't see any label identifying that it's made from wool, that may mean it's from before 1939.

See more examples here.

5. Style

The style itself is the primary way to determine the era and learn about different trends. But other aspects of the style, like zippers. Plastic zippers mean it's most likely post-1963, more likely after 1968. And the placement of it, side zippers are more commonly from the 30s and 40s while back zippers are for the 50s-70s.

Sources:

10 tips for identifying vintage clothing labels (2022) Vintage & Rags. Available at: https://www.vintage-rags.de/blogs/news/tips-for-identifying-vintage-clothing-labels (Accessed: 26 March 2024).

Davis, M.D. (2015) ‘How to identify vintage clothing’, In Any Direction, 28 January. Available at: https://goinanydirection.com/2015/01/28/how-to-identify-vintage-clothing/ (Accessed: 26 March 2024).

Decade overview | fashion history timeline (no date). Available at: https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/category/decade-overview/ (Accessed: 26 March 2024).

Ilgwu web site - collection guides records (no date). Available at: https://ilgwu.ilr.cornell.edu/timeline/union-label-timeline.html#:~:text=7%2F8%20inches.-,1959,Nelson%20A. (Accessed: 26 March 2024).

‘Union labels’ (no date) Vintage Fashion Guild. Available at: https://vintagefashionguild.org/resources/featured-designers/union-labels/ (Accessed: 26 March 2024).

Union made (no date) Slow Notion. Available at: https://theslownotion.com/blog/alex-iris-union-made (Accessed: 26 March 2024).

Vintage clothing labels – how to identify and date them (2022). Available at: https://www.sustainablejungle.com/sustainable-fashion/vintage-clothing-labels/ (Accessed: 26 March 2024).

Vintage vs. Antique vs. Retro: what’s the difference? (no date) The Spruce. Available at: https://www.thespruce.com/vintage-vs-antique-vs-retro-6541571 (Accessed: 26 March 2024).