How to Identify and Date Vintage Clothing

Identifying and dating vintage items will take a discerning eye and a bit of patience, but the popularity of unique and retro items is skyrocketing.   It is worth your while whether you are a fashionista or an entrepreneur who wants to resell vintage on eBay!

Period clothing can be difficult to tell from the modern clothing. Designers frequently use elements from yesterday’s designs in today’s fresh fashions.   In general, clothing that is at least 20 years old is considered vintage, while clothing that is 75 years old is consider Antique. 

1. Bone up on your fashion sense.  You should already save a working knowledge of styles from previous eras.  There are tons of great books at the library or online that you can look at, they make fascinating reading and are very informative.  Focus on the era(s) you wish to incorporate into your wardrobe.


2. Examine the label. If there is a care and union label, the garment is dated post 1971.  That is when these labels were introduced.  Similarly, you can date a garment if there are fabric content labels, these were introduced in 1960.  From 1914 to 1976, men’s suit coats features labels from the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America.  There were several variations of the ACWA label, look online at a visual list for comparison.


3. Check the size.  Men’s sizes have remained steady but women’s have fluctuated wildly, mostly due to “vanity sizing”.  A size 14 in the 1950’s for example is proportionate with a size 8 today.


4. Identify the fabric.  Nylon was introduced in the 1940’s as hosiery but wasn’t widely introduced into clothing until the 1950’s.   


5. Examine the fastenings.  Women’s dresses zipped on the sides from 1930 – 1950, but in the late 50’s, zippers started appearing in the back.  Prior to 1930, women’s dresses were fastened with buttons, ties or clasps.  Buttons will be metal instead of plastic and may be elaborately engraved.


6. Look at the cut of the fabric.  The armholes on women’s dresses were narrow from 1950 through the 1970’sand hemlines did not come above the knee until 1960.  During the 1940’s and 50’s, waist measurements were quite narrow, women were very hourglass shaped.


7. Check the provenance.  If you know where the item comes from and can verify through family members, great.  If not, ask the person if they know the history.  If a tag inside says “made in China”, it is less likely to be a true vintage piece.