JCPenney Labels: History and How to Date Them
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J.C. Penney grew from Golden Rule dry goods stores managed by James Cash Penney from 1902 and took his name in 1913. A Penney's label covers a long span, but its house brands and designer lines, such as Big Mac workwear and Halston III, carry more specific dates.
Company history
Wikipedia records that the chain was founded in 1902 and incorporated as the J. C. Penney Company in 1913, moving its headquarters to New York in 1914. By 1941 it ran 1,600 stores in all 48 states, and stores shifted from downtowns to shopping malls in the 1960s. The Vintage Fashion Guild notes that soon after 1963 J.C. Penney launched a line designed by Mary Quant, and our 1970s and 1980s hubs record Halston's 1983 licensing deal with J.C. Penney for the cheaper Halston III line.
Label timeline
| Label or clue | Approximate dates | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| J. C. Penney Company | From 1913 | The company name |
| Big Mac workwear | Collected for 1950s to 1960s sanforized denim | Penney's own workwear brand |
| Mary Quant for J.C. Penney | Mid-1960s | Shortly after 1963 |
| Halston III | From 1983 | 1980s mass-market, not 1970s couture; see Halston |
What it helps date
- A store label only dates a garment to the years the store traded: date by labels.
- Designer lines sold through Penney's are worth far less than the designer's main line: designer label fakes, Mary Quant.
Values
Our vintage workwear values guide puts Big Mac (JCPenney) chore coats and overalls at $150 to $400 and a rare shirt at $675 (California Vintage Buyers). Prices are estimates as of 2026.
check sold prices for big mac jcpenney vintage chore coat on eBay
Sources
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Guides that mention JCPenney
- Vintage Workwear Values: Carhartt, Filson, Stifel and More2026 sold-price ranges for vintage Carhartt, Filson, Stifel, Sweet-Orr, Big Mac, Pendleton, Woolrich and WWII Navy denim, and what moves each.
Related
- Halston Labels: History and How to Date ThemTell 1970s Halston from Halston III and later labels: Bergdorf millinery, Halston Ltd. from 1968, the 1983 J.C. Penney deal, and real auction values.
- Mary Quant Labels: History and How to Date ThemMary Quant label history: the Bazaar boutique from 1955, the Ginger Group line from 1963, J.C. Penney and Puritan deals, and cosmetics from 1966.
- How to Date Vintage Clothing by the LabelUse the laws, postcodes, fiber names and country names printed on a garment label to work out the earliest year it could have been made.
- How to Spot Fake Designer Labels on Vintage ClothingTell a genuine vintage designer piece from a counterfeit, licensed product or adaptation by checking the label, construction, fabric and history.