Fruit of the Loom T-Shirt Tags: History and How to Date Them
Appraise a photo of yours, free.
Fruit of the Loom is one of the oldest American textile brands, used since 1856, and a common blank on vintage T-shirts, both under its own name and as Screen Stars. Its tags appear on band tees of the 1970s to 1990s, so the tag style has to match the shirt's claimed decade.
Company history
Wikipedia records that the company traces back to 1851 in Rhode Island, when Robert and Benjamin Knight acquired the Pontiac Mills and formed the B.B. & R. Knight Corporation. They introduced the brand name "Fruit of the Loom" in 1856 on their first muslins, and in 1871 Knight received trademark number 418 for the brand. The company opened its first Kentucky plant in Frankfort in 1932. Vintage Rare USA records that Fruit of the Loom also produced the Screen Stars blank under RN 13765.
Label timeline
| Label or clue | Approximate dates | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Fruit of the Loom brand name | From 1856 | First used on muslin |
| Federal trademark | From 1871 | Trademark number 418 |
| Screen Stars (RN 13765) | 1980s and 1990s | The company's screen-printing blank |
What it helps date
- Our fake vintage band tees guide lists Fruit of the Loom among expected period blanks; a printed tag on a supposed 1980s shirt is a reprint signal.
- See Screen Stars and band tee values.
Sources
Not sure what you have? Appraise a photo
Free vintage label dating cheat sheet, by email:
Guides that mention Fruit of the Loom
- Vintage Band T-Shirt Values: What Old Concert Tees Sell ForRealistic 2026 prices for vintage band and concert tees by genre and band, record sales, condition rules, and how to tell a $20 tee from a $2,000 one.
- How to Spot a Fake Vintage Band T-ShirtCheck stitching, neck tags, copyright lines, print feel and fabric to tell an original 1970s to 1990s band tee from a reprint, bootleg or faked-aged shirt.
Related
- Screen Stars T-Shirt Tags: History and How to Date ThemScreen 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.
- Vintage Band T-Shirt Values: What Old Concert Tees Sell ForRealistic 2026 prices for vintage band and concert tees by genre and band, record sales, condition rules, and how to tell a $20 tee from a $2,000 one.
- How to Spot a Fake Vintage Band T-ShirtCheck stitching, neck tags, copyright lines, print feel and fabric to tell an original 1970s to 1990s band tee from a reprint, bootleg or faked-aged shirt.
- ACWA Union Labels: History and How to Date ThemDate 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.