Vintage label lookup

64 brands, makers and union labels, each with a dated label timeline and sources.

• ACWA (Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America) union labelDate men's suits, coats and shirts by the ACWA union label: the first label of 1916, the 1949 design with and without the registered mark, and ACTWU.
• Adrian designerAdrian Original and Adrian Custom labels explained: Gilbert Adrian's move from MGM costume design to his own Beverly Hills house, and suit values.
• Biba designerHow to date Biba clothing: no brand label before 1968, the John McConnell logo, slimmed 1970 lettering, printed gold labels from 1971, and fakes.
• Bonnie Cashin designerBonnie Cashin label guide: Adler & Adler, Sills leather from 1953, Coach bags 1962 to 1974, Cashin Country, and what her coats and bags sell for.
• Brockum t-shirt blankDate a Brockum band tee: founded as Krimson in 1974, generic RN 69761 tags under CPI from 1984, silver Brockum tags from 1988, and 1980s tour tee values.
• Callot Soeurs designerCallot Soeurs label history: the Paris house of three sisters from 1895, lamé and lace evening gowns, the 1937 merger with Calvet, and 1948 closure.
• Carhartt workwearCarhartt history and dating: founded in Detroit in 1889, the railcar-and-heart logo to the early 1960s, the 1954 Detroit jacket, and 2026 sold prices.
• Ceil Chapman designerHow to date a Ceil Chapman dress from its label, from the early "A Chapman Original" tag to the needle-and-thread logo, plus 2026 auction values.
• Chanel designerDate Chanel by its era: jersey of the 1920s, closure in the war, the 1954 comeback, Lagerfeld from 1983, adaptation labels, and suit and flap bag prices.
• Christian Dior designerChristian Dior label guide: couture from 1946, the 1947 New Look, licensing from 1948, New York, London and Boutique lines, numbered labels, and values.
• Claire McCardell designerClaire McCardell label guide: Townley Frocks with the golfer, the Hattie Carnegie and Win-Sum years, her own-name Townley label from 1941, and values.
• Coach accessoriesDate a vintage Coach bag: the 1941 Manhattan workshop, women's bags under the Cahns, Bonnie Cashin's 1962 to 1974 designs, the 1985 Sara Lee sale, and values.
• Courrèges designerCourreges label guide: Andre Courreges's house from 1961, Space Age collections from 1964, Couture Future and Hyperbole lines, and auction prices.
• Diane von Furstenberg designerDate a Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress: the umlaut on early labels, later marks, licensing from 1977, the 1997 relaunch, and 1970s resale values.
• Elsa Schiaparelli designerElsa Schiaparelli label history: the 1928 trompe l'oeil sweater, Surrealist collections, the 1945 reopening, 1954 closure, licensing, and hat prices.
• Emilio Pucci designerEmilio Pucci label guide: White Stag ski wear, Emilio of Capri from 1950, Formfit Rogers lingerie, the "Emilio" print signature, and 2026 values.
• Enid Collins accessoriesDate an Enid Collins of Texas bag by its signature: "ec" and small "c" bags of 1959 to 1970, Tandy-era "Collins of Texas" bags after 1970, and values.
• Filson workwearFilson history for collectors: Seattle outfitter founded for the 1897 Klondike rush, early address and "FIL-CLO" labels, later owners, and 2026 values.
• Fortuny designerMariano Fortuny and the Delphos gown: its 1907 design and 1909 patent, stencilled velvets, Venetian glass beads, and Delphos auction prices in 2026.
• Fruit of the Loom t-shirt blankFruit of the Loom history for t-shirt collectors: the 1856 brand name, the 1871 trademark, the Screen Stars line, and how its tags fit band tee dating.
• Giant t-shirt blankGiant band tee tags explained: the 1990 Irving Azoff and Warner joint venture, co-branded Tultex, Anvil and Tee Jays tags, and how they date 1990s shirts.
• Gucci accessoriesGucci history for dating bags and accessories: Florence 1921, the Bamboo bag of 1947, loafers 1952, the Jackie bag 1961, the double-G logo 1964, and values.
• Gunne Sax makerDate a Gunne Sax dress by its label: the 1969 black labels, "Gunne Sax by Jessica", later prom-era tags, and what early prairie dresses sell for in 2026.
• Halston designerTell 1970s Halston from Halston III and later labels: Bergdorf millinery, Halston Ltd. from 1968, the 1983 J.C. Penney deal, and real auction values.
• Hanes t-shirt blankHanes history for vintage t-shirt buyers: Shamrock Knitting Mills of 1900, the 1965 merger into Hanes Corporation, Beefy-T blanks, and band tee tag checks.
• Hattie Carnegie designerHattie Carnegie label history from the 1909 hat shop to the 1976 closure, the Spectator Sports line, uncredited designers, and auction values.
• Hermès accessoriesHermes history for vintage buyers: saddlery from 1837, silk carres from 1937, the Kelly and Birkin, why scarves are hard to date, and Kelly auction prices.
• House of Worth designerHouse of Worth labels from Worth et Bobergh in 1858 to the 1953 Paquin merger and Worth London, plus later firms using the name and auction results.
• ILGWU union labelDate American women's clothing by the ILGWU union label: AFL era before 1955, AFL-CIO from 1955, "union made" from 1963, red, white and blue 1974 to 1995.
• JCPenney department storeJ.C. Penney labels for dating clothing: the 1913 company name, Big Mac workwear, a 1960s Mary Quant line, and the Halston III line from 1983, with values.
• James Galanos designerDate a James Galanos dress by its label: three documented label versions from 1951 to 1998, his Los Angeles house, and a Roadshow appraisal.
• Lanvin designerLanvin label history: millinery from 1890, dressmaking from 1909, the robe de style, Lanvin-Castillo in the 1950s, later designers, and couture prices.
• Judith Leiber accessoriesJudith Leiber handbag history: her own business from 1963, crystal minaudieres in animal and novelty shapes, retirement in 1998, and auction vs dealer prices.
• Laura Ashley makerLaura Ashley label history: a 1953 screenprinting business, the move to Wales in 1961, first dresses in 1966, the first US store in 1974, and later lines.
• Lee denimLee jeans and workwear history from H.D. Lee in Salina, Kansas: the 1913 Union-All, 1920s cowboy pants and 101Z zip fly, Lee Riders, and 2026 values.
• Levi's denimDate vintage Levi's from the red tab, patch, rivets, selvedge and button stamp: the 1936 tab, Big E before 1971, redline to the mid-1980s, and values.
• Lilli Ann makerLilli Ann label history: San Francisco suits and coats from 1933, the post-war "Paris" labels naming French mills, later knit lines, and coat values.
• Lilly Pulitzer designerDate a Lilly Pulitzer dress: "Lilly Pulitzer Inc." added late 1960s, the copyright mark in the early 1970s, metal vs nylon zippers, and the 1994 label.
• Louis Vuitton accessoriesLouis Vuitton history for vintage buyers: trunks from 1854, the 1896 Monogram canvas, Keepall and Noe bags, clothing only from 1998, and Speedy values.
• Lucile designerLucile (Lady Duff Gordon) label history: London from the early 1890s, branches in New York, Paris and Chicago, tea gowns, and when each branch closed.
• Madeleine Vionnet designerMadeleine Vionnet labels: her short-lived 1912 house, the 1918 reopening, bias-cut gowns, thumbprinted numbered labels, licensed copies, and values.
• Mary Quant designerMary Quant label history: the Bazaar boutique from 1955, the Ginger Group line from 1963, J.C. Penney and Puritan deals, and cosmetics from 1966.
• Members Only makerMembers Only racer jacket history: created in 1975, sold in the US from 1980 by Europe Craft Imports, licensed and revived since 2016, and 1980s values.
• Montgomery Ward department storeMontgomery Ward for dating clothing: mail order from 1872, stores from 1926, its 1922 catalog as dating evidence, and the original company's 2001 end.
• Norman Norell designerDate a Norman Norell piece by its label: Hattie Carnegie years, Traina-Norell from 1941, Norman Norell from 1960, and Norman Norell by Tassell to 1976.
• Ossie Clark designerOssie Clark label history: Quorum with Celia Birtwell prints, the cheaper Radley line from 1969, the 2008 revival, and 2026 auction prices for his dresses.
• Paul Poiret designerPaul Poiret label history: training with Doucet and Worth, his own house from 1903 or 1904, harem pantaloons and hobble skirts, and the 1929 closure.
• Pendleton makerDate Pendleton wool: blankets from 1909, men's shirts from 1924, the 1949 women's 49er jacket, wool-only until 1972, the Woolmark clue, and values.
• Pierre Cardin designerPierre Cardin label guide: his couture house from 1950, ready-to-wear from 1959, Space Age designs from 1964, and why licensed labels sell for less.
• Schott makerSchott NYC history: founded in 1913, zippers on leather jackets from 1925, the Perfecto from 1928, the 613 One Star and 618 jackets, and 2026 resale values.
• Screen Stars t-shirt blankScreen Stars t-shirt tags explained: a Fruit of the Loom blank brand under RN 13765, common on 1980s band tees, and how to check a tag against its decade.
• Sears department storeSears, Roebuck labels and catalogs for dating clothing: the 1893 company name, retail stores from 1925, Hercules workwear, and 1937 catalog sizing clues.
• Stetson accessoriesStetson hat history: John B. Stetson's Philadelphia shop of 1865, dress hats from 1872, the largest US hat maker by 1886, and 2026 auction values.
• Stifel workwearJ.L. Stifel & Sons of Wheeling: indigo calico from 1835, the boot trademark stamped in cloth, wabash and polka dot prints, the 1957 closure, and values.
• Suzy Perette makerSuzy Perette was a New York dress label, not a designer. Learn its dates, the Blauner family companies, sister labels and what the dresses sell for.
• Talon zipperTalon zipper dates: Hookless Fastener Co. from 1913, the Talon brand by 1932, the 1937 name change, the 1960 Zephyr nylon coil, and the end of US production.
• Thierry Mugler designerThierry Mugler label history: Cafe de Paris, his own label from 1973 to 1974, couture 1992 to 2000, later licensed clothing, and 1980s jacket prices.
• Whiting & Davis accessoriesWhiting & Davis mesh bag history: chain mesh by 1907, the 1912 machine-mesh patent, enamelled bags of the 1920s, the wartime gap, and auction prices.
• Winterland t-shirt blankWinterland Productions history: concert t-shirts from 1974 in San Francisco, the Rock Express retail arm, the 1988 sale to MCA, and Grateful Dead tee values.
• Woolrich workwearWoolrich history for vintage buyers: a Pennsylvania wool mill founded in 1830, later offshoring, the 2018 US plant closure, and 2026 resale prices.
• Wrangler denimWrangler history for denim collectors: Blue Bell's 1943 purchase of the name, Rodeo Ben's 1947 jeans, why "Blue Bell" labels matter, and 2026 values.
• YKK zipperYKK zipper dates for vintage clothing: founded in Tokyo in 1934, YKK trademark from 1946, Conceal zippers from 1958, first US office in 1960, and what it means.
• Yves Saint Laurent designerYves Saint Laurent label dates: Dior's Trapeze in 1958, his own couture house from 1962, Rive Gauche from 1966, Encore from 1993, and auction values.
• Zandra Rhodes designerZandra Rhodes label history: her London shop from 1969, printed chiffon and organza, jewelled safety pins, and what her 1970s pieces bring at auction.