Woolrich Labels: History and How to Date Them
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Woolrich, founded in Pennsylvania in 1830, is the oldest maker of outdoor wear in the United States. Its plaid wool coats and parkas sell steadily, and the move of production abroad from 1990 and the closure of its last US plant in 2018 help separate older pieces from recent ones.
Company history
Wikipedia records that John Rich and Daniel McCormick founded Woolrich in 1830 to make fabric, at a mill in what became the company town of Woolrich, Pennsylvania. The company later supplied clothing in the American Civil War and for Richard E. Byrd's 1939 to 1940 Antarctic expedition. In 1990 it cut half its 2,600 staff and closed six US plants, moving the work to Mexico. Italian company W.P. Lavori, which had licensed the name in Europe, took a majority stake in 2016, and in September 2018 Woolrich announced the permanent closure of its last US plant.
Label timeline
| Label or clue | Approximate dates | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Woolrich, Pennsylvania | From 1830 | The company's whole span |
| Production moved partly to Mexico | From 1990 | Check the country of origin |
| John Rich & Bros. (European licence) | Before 2016 | European-market label |
| Last US plant closed | 2018 | "Made in USA" fits earlier production |
What it helps date
- Country of origin and RN numbers narrow the date: date by labels, RN and WPL numbers.
- Care labels separate pre- and post-1972 pieces: care labels.
Values
Our vintage workwear values guide puts Woolrich at $40 to $180, with an Arctic Parka with ruff around $175 and a 1990s buffalo plaid coat around $150 (Cluzy). The coat and fur values guide gives a Woolrich wool jacket a typical $51 and a clean example $126 (Flipper Vintage). Prices are estimates as of 2026.
check sold prices for woolrich vintage wool jacket on eBay
Sources
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Guides that mention Woolrich
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Related
- Dating Vintage Clothing by the Care LabelHow US, Canadian and European care labels date a garment: the 1971 FTC rule, the 1983 rewrite, 1997 symbols, and the clues that fool people.
- 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.
- RN and WPL Numbers: What They Tell You About Vintage ClothingWhat RN and WPL numbers on clothing labels mean, the earliest dates they prove, how to look one up, and why RN-to-year charts are unreliable.
- Vintage Coat and Fur Values: Mink, Fox, Leather and Flight JacketsWhat vintage fur coats, stoles, wool coats, leather and WWII flight jackets sell for in 2026, why most minks bring $50 to $500, and which bring more.