T THRIFT TAG DIRECTORY
All guides

Fibre & Material Dating

Synthetic fibres entered the market on specific dates — a fibre name can rule out an entire era.

Marker / Feature Era / Value Research Detail
Nylon From 1939 1939 onward The earliest mass-market synthetic. A non-silk synthetic fibre cannot predate 1939.
Acrylic (Orlon, Creslan) From 1950 1950s onward Acrylic fibres appear from 1950 and are common in early post-war knitwear.
Polyester (Dacron) From 1953 1953 onward Polyester appears from 1953 and reaches peak market saturation in the 1970s.
Lycra / Spandex From 1959 1959 onward Lycra indicates early stretch technology and is common in late-1960s activewear.
Qiana nylon Late 1960s 1970s A high-end, silk-simulating nylon iconic of late-1960s and 1970s fashion.
Woolmark logo From 1964 1964 onward The Woolmark certifies 100% wool. The 'Woolmark Blend' mark, signifying 60% wool, postdates 1971.
Wool Blend mark (50%) From 1999 1999 onward The 50% 'Wool Blend' mark did not appear until 1999.

7 entries — read top to bottom, oldest first