How to date vintage clothing!
- ZIPPERS
- LINING
- SEAMS
- CARE TAG
- WHAT’S ON THE LABEL (TESS)
- RN
- ILGWU UNION TAGS
- WOOLMARK LOGO
- FABRICS
- VINTAGE ADS
How to date vintage clothes!
Establishing the year in which a particular vintage garment was made, can be a very tricky and daunting task, sometimes impossible, especially when there are no tags attached, as is the case with a lot of garments made in the 1930s-1950s which were often handmade or the tags did not survive the wear and tear of time. Some of my most valuable 1940s suits were clearly made to measure by a seamstress and judging by the fabrics used, as well as the incredible craft that went into making them; the clients were undoubtedly very well to do.
As much as the topic of the history of vintage clothes is a never-ending learning curve for me, there are certain ways by which I’m able to identify and date most but not all of my collected pieces. Readers have asked me many times to write a post about that very topic and I hope my tips will be useful!
The older I get, the more vintage I buy and the deeper I fall into the rabbit hole of research, the more I realize that there is still so much to learn. So before you continue reading my post, please, do understand that when dating vintage garments, you should look at many different clues rather than be focusing and obsessing on just one. Also, I regularly update this article so do subscribe to the post notification.
Table of Contents
You might also be interested in my article about HOW TO TAKE CARE OF VINTAGE CLOTHES!

How to date vintage clothing
ZIPPERS
- Though the metal zipper was invented in the 1800s it was only first used in women’s clothes in the 1930s and placed either in the side seam or centre back of the dress, usually very short in length, concealed with a flap of fabric, as it was considered vulgar. You see, zippers made it too easy to take one’s garment off and clearly a real lady wouldn’t be in a hurry to undress. Or would she? 🙂
- I really struggle to find 1930s evening gowns that would be the right size and have a zipper, without which putting on velvet or liquid satin gown is almost impossible, at least for me.
And that brings me to point of alterations and I would like to remind you of what I had said earlier and remind you to look at more than one clue when dating vintage clothes. You might find an original 1930s dress or a 1940s skirt with a modern zipper.
- Contrary to the popular belief of many people on the internet that 1930s clothes did not have a front zipper, there are MANY examples of 1930s dresses, blouses and patterns with a zipper placed in front.
TIP * Vintage patterns that can be found on Etsy and eBay are a great resource for learning about the different styles popular from the 1930s to-1950s.
Elsa Schiaparelli used plastic zippers in her 1935 collection and shocked everyone by placing them in very visible parts of her garments.
- In the 1940s metal zippers were wildly accepted in women’s clothes and the place to find them on a dress would be in the side seam, sleeves as well as on the back. All of my 1940s dresses have either a zipper or buttons placed in the side seam.
- In the 1950s it was popular to place a long zipper at the centre back of the dress but always concealed. Don’t be surprised to find a 1940s gown with a very long zipper running down the back of the dress!
Stills from “Blithe Spirit” (1945) depicting not one but two dresses with a very long zipper on the back.

- Metal zippers were replaced with plastic ones after 1963
NOTE that some zippers might have been replaced at a later stage! I’ve seen many 1940s dresses, where the original zipper was replaced with a new one.
LINING
-
Dresses made in the 1920s to late 1940s didn’t have a lining because of the undergarments, in particular, slips that women wore at the time. Meanwhile, most jackets/blazers in the 1940s and 1950s did have a lining. Don’t be surprised if you find a 1950s winter skirt with a lining only at the back of the skirt like in my favourite Copeland Skirts of California in the photograph below.

SEAMS
This is actually the most difficult part for me to identify a vintage garment, as I don’t know how to hand-sew, I’ve never used a sewing machine and even attaching a simple button is like a mission impossible. So… For me looking at different types of seams is like trying to read hieroglyphs. The one thing I’ve learned really fast though is that if a garment has unfinished seams it was most likely made before the 1950s.
The three seams you should familiarise yourself with are French, pinked and Serged seam.
- In a French seam, which I call the invisible seam, the raw edges of the fabric are completely enclosed and this type of seam was used from the 1900s through to the 1940s.
- Pinked seams are found on 1950s garments that were cut with pinking shears and the easiest way to identify them is by the zigzag teeth cut of these shears.
- Serged seams, which are overlock stitches, replaced the pinked seams in the 1960s when the Serger sewing machine became widely available and affordable.
TIP *Please note that the overlock/serger machine was developed in the 19th Century by Merrow Machine Company and a line of “A Class” machines were produced in 1932. Don’t be surprised if you find an overlock stitch in garments pre-dating the 1960s. I’ve seen it on breeches and a skirt from the 1930s.
How To Fix a Hole in Vintage Clothes Without Sewing
If you are as hopeless when it comes to stitching, sewing and mending, as I am, you will LOVE the Bo-Nash Fuse It Powder!
CARE TAG
- In 1971 the Care Labeling Rule was issued by the Federal Trade Commission. The rule states that manufacturers have to tag their apparel with at least one cleaning method such as “dry clean only” or “machine wash cold”.
- There are a lot of 1970s dresses inspired by the 1940s but if you see a tag bearing the words “dry clean only”, and the dress happens to have a lining, and it’s made of polyester, you can be sure that it’s NOT from the 1940s!
- The lining would be your second clue that the dress is not from the 1940s.
- The polyester fabric would be the third clue.
Tip*
Care instructions on clothing from the 1950s and 1940s were not that uncommon but the wording on the tag will be most likely ” DRY CLEANING RECOMMENDED” rather than “DRY CLEAN ONLY”. I once bought a deadstock 1950s dress with a removable care tag attached to the dress and kept the tag. I will post a picture of it as soon as I find it!
If you happen to have a vintage garment predating the 1950s with ‘dry cleaning’ as a recommended method of cleaning on a tag, please let me know! I would love to post more examples on my website.
THANK YOU!

Care Symbols
According to GINETEX ( the International Association for Textile Care Labelling), the care symbols were introduced in 1963.

You might be interested in my article on how to clean vintage clothes headache-free!
DISCLOSURE; As of October 2021 (three years after I published this article), I’m part of the Shop Style Collective affiliate program and I get a commission for purchases made through some of the links in this post. When you purchase a product via the link in my post you are helping to keep my website alive for which I’m very grateful!
I handwash all my vintage lingerie in Eucalan Wrapture which I wholeheartedly recommend to all of you!

How To Get Rid Of Yellow Stains from Vintage Clothes & Linens!
Retro Clean is my secret weapon in removing yellow stains on vintage and antique washable linens and clothes!


WHAT’S ON THE LABEL
-
If you see a brand’s name on the label, I strongly recommend that you check if it’s listed on the Vintage Fashion Guild’s website, as it’s a good source of information and they have pictures of vintage tags so you can compare it with the one sewn in your garment.
- TRADEMARK ELECTRONIC SEARCH SYSTEM (TESS)
- If you are lucky enough to have a manufacturer’s or designer’s name attached to your garment, check TESS to see when it was registered. It won’t help with establishing the exact date of when your vintage piece was made, but you will at least find out when the brand was registered. This is a database for American companies.
- Example of a St Michael Label courtesy of Emma from NYLON NOSTALGIA. You can read an in-depth article about how to date St Michael labels on her website!

CC41-The Utility Clothing Scheme
- CC41 (Civilian Clothing, Orders 1941) – the utility logo (Rationing of clothing started in 1941 and lasted until 1949). The utility clothing scheme started in 1942 and lasted till 1952. Garments with the CC41 logo on them were synonymous with good quality for a low price.


RN
- RN numbers (issued by the Federal Trade Commission to businesses in the U.S that manufacture, import or sell; textile, wool or fur products) can be very helpful in determining the age of your vintage garment.
- RN numbers issued from 1952 through 1959 starting at 00101 continued to 04086.
- If the RN number is 13670 then your garment is younger than 1959!
- Please remember that the RN number is NOT the number of the date when your garment was made but when the RN number was issued!
Tip* I use RN database to find more information.
LOT Number on American Garments
I had to mention the LOT numbers because the LOT tag appears on some of the vintage clothes and a lot of people ask about them, but I would ignore them as a clue for dating vintage.
- The lot numbers were a way for manufacturers to keep track of their garments. I’m still gathering information on when they were first used and if they really ceased to exist post-1979.
- Mary, in the comment section, pointed out that LOT numbers didn’t cease to exist after 1979 and are still in use. I have never seen a tag with a LOT number on contemporary American clothes so this topic needs further investigation.
ILGWU UNION TAGS (International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union)
- 1900 – 1936 ILGWU AFL (The International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union was formed in 1900)
- 1933-1935 NRA (National Recovery Act) with Blue Eagle
- 1936 – 1940 ILGWU CIO
- 1940 – 1955 ILGWU AFL
- 1941 – New York Dress Institute Label created
- 1955 – 1995 ILGWU AFL-CIO (In the picture below!)

You will see the words “UNION LABEL” right above the scalloped crest, a needle with thread and no R symbol, which appeared on this label in 1964.
- 1963 -1973 ILGWU AFL-CIO (The R symbol appeared and the word UNION MADE is now inside the circle)
- May 1960 – Coat & Suit Industry Recovery Board Label and the ILGWU label were merged.
- 1975-1992 ILGWU AFL-CIO (Red colour is added)
- 1995 – 2004 UNITE!
- 2004 – UNITE HERE
“R” TRADEMARK
The registered trademark symbol was introduced in the Trademark Act of 1946.
WOOLMARK LOGO
The Woolmark logo first appeared on tags of garments made of wool in 1964. Also, garments with a 100% Woolmark logo will be not older than 1964. The Woolmark blend logo was introduced in 1971.
Through the years the logo has changed but you can see and compare the different tags on the Vintage Fashion Guild’s website!
This particular tag is from my 1952 Handmacher suit. As you see, it says “100% WOOL SUPER-FINE WORSTED.”
SIZES
None of my dresses and skirt-suits from the 1930s and 1940s have a size tag, which shouldn’t come as a surprise as it wasn’t until 1958 when standardised sizes appeared on tags.
When buying vintage online pay attention to the measurements given in the description, and allow 2 inches for ease of wear.
For example, if a blazer measures 36 ” across bust it will be suitable for someone who is 32″ or 34″. Don’t forget to ask about the shoulder to shoulder measurement if it’s not already in the description.
FABRICS
Invented in;
1911 – Rayon, invented in 1846, began to be manufactured in the United States in 1911. (very popular in the 1920s-1940s). Rayon, which was a cheaper alternative to silk, was called artificial silk until 1924. Other names used to describe rayon were; artificial silk, art silk, rayon silk, chemical silk, and manufactured silk.
1924 – Acetate
1939 – Nylon (nylon was first commercially used in 1939 by E.I. du Pont) Qiana, a silky nylon fibre was developed in 1962 and introduced by the name of Qiana in 1968 by DuPont. That particular material was very popular in the 1970s in the production of faux-silk men’s shirts with bold patterns. A la Travolta “Saturday Night Fever” 😉
1950 – Acrylic (DuPont created the first acrylic fibres in 1941 and trademarked them under the name Orlon. It was developed in the 40s and wildly available in the 1950s. It’s a soft and warm wool-like fabric used for example as an alternative to expensive cashmere)
1953 – Polyester
1959 – Spandex
1961 – Polyolefin/polypropylene (in 1966, polyolefin was the first and only Nobel Prize-winning fibre).
If you see rather unusual names of fabrics it usually means it’s vintage. For example;
Dacron Polyester appeared in garments from the late 1950s through to the 1970s. Polyester was very popular in the 1970s but was first commercially used in 1953 and Celanese was an acetate fabric softer but stronger than satin or taffeta and most importantly much cheaper.
SEARCH FOR VINTAGE ADS
When you are lucky enough to have a tag with the brand’s name attached to the garment, look through Pinterest or Google for vintage ads with the brand in question and even if you don’t find the exact same model of a dress, suit or a coat that you have, it might help you to narrow down the date.
Being the tenacious person that I am, after two days of searching and going through countless Handmacher ads, I found a picture of my Handmacher suit in Harper’s Bazaar from 1952!

How to date vintage clothing! In the picture on the left, I’m wearing the exact same model of Handmacher suit which I later found in Harper’s Bazaar from 1952.

I sincerely hope this post was useful to you!
Dominique x
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Goldie Kean
April 9, 2022Arr yes, thank you, I happy to find you. My history may interest you as I also have become a dress detective due to searching fruitlessly for the couture garments my mother made when partner to a couturier in Johannesburg in the late 1940’s. I was brought up on tales of hems being re-sewn 15 times before perfection was reached. Of diamond barons wives ordering gowns covered in beaded fish scales, Of the parties and artisans of that era. Coats that were made in the atelier that she wore during the war that never crumpled after long train journeys sleeping in them. So sad it appears nothing is left of their work. I also was taught by her and in my way made a small ripple in the 70’s. Now to the present day in the South of France where I’m finding some real gems. The nostalgia for my families past is burning agin, thank you. Goldie Kean.
Dominique de Merteuil
April 9, 2022What a fantastic story! It’s hard to believe that all the couture pieces perished. I bet with you that some of them survived and are part of a private collection. May I ask for the name of the couturier?
Isobel Barrett
February 28, 2022Great information and written in a light hearted manner. I have learned a lot from you. My background is in theatre and over the years have accumulated quite a number of vintage pieces. At the moment I am sifting through them to find out the best way to treat and care for these precious garments.
Thank you again
Dominique de Merteuil
March 1, 2022Thank you for your lovely comment!
I wrote an in-depth article about how to store vintage like a pro, so please check it out as my tips and recommendations might come in handy.
Janett
February 2, 2022Very informative article! I’m learning so much about vintage fashion thanks to your blog!
Dominique de Merteuil
February 2, 2022Thank you!
Alison Cloonan
January 1, 2022What a great post with some great help and tips. I find dating vintage clothing very difficult also we get alot oc St Michael’s so will checkout the other link. Thankyou.
Dominique de Merteuil
January 1, 2022I’m thrilled that this article is useful to so many people! It’s not always easy to date vintage garments, especially when they have been altered many times over. Emma, at Nylon Nostalgia, wrote an in-depth post about the St Michael label.
Autumn Reed
October 2, 2021Thank you for this article!! It is very thorough and helped me get some idea about the date of a vintage dress I just found at an antique store. It is 100% wool, made in Italy, size 8 and the brand says “Romia”. I can’t find much online except one shirt on Ebay with the same label. It is a tight, short sleeved, “pencil” dress, with a matching cape and tie that I assume goes around my neck but I am not sure!! Wondering what you think? 🙂 I thought it was 50’s or maybe even 40’s but then you said the bit about sizing so I am not sure.
Dominique de Merteuil
October 6, 2021Thank you!
Does it say “Romia” or “Roma” or maybe something entirely different? I can’t find a brand under that name. Impossible for me to say without seeing the garment or images. Try to find images of similar dresses to yours on Pinterest.
Deanna J. McFarland
June 23, 2021Hi, I just wanted to write to let you know how much I appreciate your knowledge of vintage garments and the willingness to share! I found your blog informative and straight to the point (which I love). I do love vintage fashion–learning about it. I troll the thrift stores looking for a good vintage garments. I then research the garment which helps broaden my knowledge:) Thanks again for sharing your love and knowledge! Warmest regards, Deanna
Dominique de Merteuil
June 24, 2021Deanna, you made my day with your kind comment! I’ve been buying, wearing and writing about vintage for longer than I would like to admit, but I shall never stop learning and sharing my knowledge with my wonderful readers.
Stephanie
August 25, 2021I picked up a Cynthia Howie dress at Goodwill. There is a ILGWU tag and the store tag (Seiferts) states it is a 1958 style. However the Garment tag says “Dry Clean Only.” Along with Made in USA and style# 1950-2,
Can I assume that this is not a real period based dress?
Dominique de Merteuil
August 25, 2021Hi Stephanie,
I’ve found many dresses by Cynthia Howie currently listed on eBay and Etsy, and they are all from the 1980s or later. Several of them are in the 1950s style. If the ILGWU label on the garment is in; white red and blue colours, and Made in U.S.A. is in red, you can be guaranteed that it’s NOT from the 1950s. Hope that helps.
Lori Binetti
May 24, 2021Hi , love the info provided. TY . I recently inherited a few Vintage garments. I believe from what I read there is one garment that had a union tag on it from 1955 . I’m not sure how to appraise this ! Do you know anyone that could help! Thank you!
Dominique de Merteuil
May 24, 2021Hi Lori,
Happy to hear that you found the article useful!
If you are a new vintage buyer or seller, I strongly recommend that you look on Etsy for similar garments to yours! You mentioned a Union tag, but are there any other tags? The brand’s name? The price of a vintage garment depends on many factors. The overall condition of the piece. Is it NOS (new old stock), immaculate (hardly ever happens), good, fair, sold As-Is? The design of the garment matters, the colour the size etc.
You might find this article useful! The Value of Vintage Clothing: Demystifying Modern Cost of Vintage!
Alison Cloonan
April 17, 2021Great blog and very interesting reading as im just learning on how to date tweed jackets and alot if them have the 100% pure new wool label. Great read thank you.
Dominique de Merteuil
April 18, 2021Thank you, Alison!
I’m thrilled that so many people find this article useful.
I see more and more 1970s jackets and coats with the Wolmark logo sold as 1940s even though the Woolmark logo first appeared on tags of garments made of wool in 1964. There is, of course, nothing wrong with jackets from the 1970s, but when they are advertised as 1940s and sold for the price of a 1940s garment, that is simply not fair.
I have the 100% pure new wool label on a lot of 1940s and 1950s suits!
Penny
February 1, 2021Jacket with woolmark label numbered 506393
No other label
Can the designer be identified from this?
Dominique de Merteuil
February 2, 2021Hi Penny,
Get in touch with someone at Woolmark. They might be able to help. Every brand needs to pay a licence fee in order to use the Woolmark logo. It should be in their database.
Vermilion Novak
October 30, 2020Loved this article! I’m always drawn to vintage looking dresses when i’m out and i want to make a custom one for myself so i’ve been trying to identify the era’s that are my favorite. I had never looked at the tags until today for some reason and discovered two of my dresses are from the ILGWU. The dress that i am struggling with the most is a wedding dress that doesn’t have any tags on it, so i’m inclined to believe it was tailored for someone. It does have a long metal zipper down the back that is covered by a flap filled with fake buttons. There are pads underneath the sleeves that are surged but other than that all the seems are pinked. Would love to hear your thoughts!
Dominique de Merteuil
November 1, 2020Thank you for the lovely comment!
I’m thrilled that the article turned out to be useful to so many people. I will be adding more tips in due course.
Without seeing the dress in question or at least pictures, I can’t help you, I’m afraid. I’m not surprised that the wedding dress doesn’t have any tags, a lot of wedding dresses were and still are custom made. Any idea what fabric is the dress made of? A long zipper at the back would suggest a dress that’s not earlier than from the 1950s. Zipper and its placement can be a good indication of the era when the garment was made, but it’s not always that simple. I have seen examples of the 1930s dresses with zippers at the back, although they weren’t very long! You can find authentic zippers from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s at a vintage fair, Etsy or eBay. It’s possible for a dress to be from one era and the zipper from another.
Unfortunately, there are some unscrupulous people out there who make vintage reproductions, use true vintage buttons or zippers and sell the garment as vintage.
Let’s not forget about the possibility of alterations that could have been done much later. You have to look at each clue individually and start putting them together, like a Vintage-fashion detective. 🙂 Take a close look at the zipper. What brand is it? Compare it to vintage zippers on Google! There a few vintage-zipper experts!
I suggest that you take as many detailed pictures of the dress and post them on the Vintage Fashion Guild Forum.
Dx
Gayla Esch
January 2, 2020I am so glad to have stumbled onto your blog post on how to ID and Date vintage clothing. This was so interesting, and was a reminder of the clothing my grandmother and mother wore in the mid 1950s. I have made my own clothing, and that my daughters clothing, and so I was quite surprised that plastic zippers were used as early as the 1930’s. Wow! Great article!
Gayla
TheJewelSeeker on 21VintageStreet
Dominique de Merteuil
January 2, 2020Hi Gayla,
Your comment made my day! I’m thrilled to hear that people find my articles helpful. I envy anyone who is capable of making their own clothes. Sewing is definitely not my forte. I can’t as much as attach a button. 🙂
Ann Elkington
October 29, 2019In your descriptions of seams, above: A French seam is, in a way, self enclosing, and is always in the inside of a garment, while another kind of self enclosing seam, the flat-felled seam, is often found on the outside of the garment. For example: the outside leg seams of some types of jeans. This is what I was taught, but if there are others out there who have more info, I am perfectly happy to be corrected.
Dominique de Merteuil
October 30, 2019Thank you for your comment!!!
As I explained in my article, identifying different types of seams is rather difficult for me. Most of my clothes are from the 1940s and have an unfinished seam.
“In a French seam, the raw edges of the fabric are fully enclosed for a neat finish. The seam is first sewn with wrong sides together, then the seam allowances are trimmed and pressed. A second seam is sewn with right sides together, enclosing the raw edges of the original seam” The Fashion Dictionary: Fabric, Sewing and Dress As Expressed in the Language of Fashion Mary Brooks Picken (1957)
I don’t own a pair of jeans so can’t really comment on the flat-felled seam. From what I’ve read it’s a very strong and durable seam so it makes sense to use it on jeans.
It’s my understanding that flat-felled seam shows stitching on the right side while a French seam does not.
It’s all a learning curve but if I can’t see the stitching on a garment, usually lingerie, from the 1930s I know that it’s a French seam. 🙂
Dominique
Cara
August 31, 2018Love the article! Had no idea about RN!
Dominique de Merteuil
September 4, 2018Thank you!
Mary J Wickham
August 9, 2021This information is false, please do not spread this on your webpage and remove it.
“The lot numbers were a way for manufacturers to keep track of their garment. These numbers stopped being used in 1979.”
Lot numbers/tags DID NOT STOP in 1979, in fact they are still issued today.
You cannot use lot numbers as a tool to date a garment, especially if you think they ceased in 1979, you will be wrong all the time in your dating of items over that date with a lot number.
Dominique de Merteuil
August 9, 2021Hi Mary,
I pride myself on accuracy with my information and your comment certainly raised an interesting point. Does the lot numbering still operate on American garments? I own a few pieces by contemporary designers, by my standards at least, meaning post-1990 and they do not have lot numbers on the tag. Mary, if you have any examples of any contemporary American garments which have lot numbers on their tags, please do share with us and I will investigate further. Mary, when I’m wrong about something, I’m the first person to admit it and if what you’ve told me is accurate then I will admit my error and credit you for the new information!
Please do understand though, that when dating vintage clothes, one should look at many different clues rather than focusing on one. Half of my large collection of dresses from the 1930s and 1940s is bereft of any tags as they were custom made, and in the article to which you refer, I mention many ways to date vintage.
Laura
August 25, 2018Very informative article! I’m learning so much about vintage fashion thanks to your blog!
Laura
Dominique de Merteuil
August 25, 2018Thank you!