A field guide to vintage labels

The Directory is a free reference tool for thrift shoppers, vintage resellers, and garment researchers. It documents the label history of over 360 American and international clothing brands — showing how each brand's tags changed decade by decade, which markers indicate which era, and what to look for when you're standing in a thrift aisle with a garment in hand and a decision to make.

Every brand page charts a label timeline: the specific wording, graphic styles, print methods, and accompanying marks — union bugs, RN numbers, "Made in U.S.A." declarations — that appeared in each production period. Cross-reference the tag in hand against the timeline and you can place a garment within a decade, often within a few years.

Start with the Identify tool if you have a garment in hand — work through its markers one by one and the tool returns an estimated era with a confidence rating. Use the Brand Directory to look up a specific label and trace its evolution over time. The Reference Guides go deeper on cross-brand markers: RN number ranges, union label chronology, care label regulations (the FTC mandate took effect in 1971 — no care label means the garment predates it), fibre identification, zipper maker histories, and construction details like chain stitch versus serged seams.

• — Thrift store pickers deciding whether a $4 coat is worth $40 or $400
• — eBay and Depop resellers writing accurate vintage listings
• — Wardrobe stylists sourcing authentic period pieces for film and TV
• — Collectors building deep knowledge around a specific brand or era
• — Anyone who has turned a tag over and wondered what all those codes mean

Label timelines are compiled and cross-referenced from primary sources: original garments, auction records, manufacturer histories, and collector knowledge accumulated over decades in communities of vintage enthusiasts. The database currently documents over 360 brands and 1,600 distinct label eras spanning more than twelve decades of American and international garment production.

All dates and era ranges are estimates for research and identification purposes. They represent the most reliable consensus available from collected reference material, not certified manufacturer records. Verify condition, authenticity, and market value independently before any purchase or sale.