How to Identify Vintage Clothing
As a vintage lover (and now vintage seller) people often ask me: “How do you identify vintage clothes?” The bald truth is, I’m still learning, but having been a collector for almost 15 years, I’ve got the basics down.
There are a few key components of identification that you can use as a jumping off point at estate sales and thrift shops. As you research and find garments, you can find more and more incredible things. Let the hunt begin!
How to Identify Vintage Clothing Tags
This tag from a 1970s Burmel scarf perfectly shows the transition between script fonts and simpler fonts.
Tags are the absolute #1 thing I always look at if I suspect an item is vintage. The way tags have evolved over time contributes greatly to identifying an item’s age. If I come across a tag I suspect may be vintage, I use the vintage fashion guild label resource to identify the year as precisely as possible. But how do I know the label is vintage in the first place?
The font. Early labels are pretty much all in script fonts. In the 1960s brands started to transition away from script fonts to simpler ones. By the 1980s most labels used sans serif fonts.
The size. In general, the typeface on vintage collar/waistband labels is much larger than modern collar labels. Therefore, the labels were much larger too. Smaller items, like lingerie, have labels along the side seams.
Garment Union Stamps. From the 1930s to the 1990s the ILGWU (International Ladies Garment Worker Union) included labels on clothing made in the US by union workers. The presence of this additional tag means the item is definitely vintage. You can use the appearance of the tag to narrow down the year. Sadly, this generally does not apply to men’s clothing.
When you’re browsing the aisles at a thrift shop looking for vintage, keep your eyes trained on the collars and waistbands. Tags are one of the main components I use to prove an item is vintage and date its approximate age.
How to Identify Vintage Fabric
But what if your garment doesn’t have a tag? You look to the fabric itself. The 20th century saw a huge boom in textile technology. It’s difficult to describe without actually feeling the fabric, but I’ll do my best!
In general, textiles from the 1990s and before are much thicker. The rise of fast fashion meant fabric quality plummeted in order to save money. This is one reason why buying vintage is a great investment - the clothes are much better quality.
The 20th century saw the rise of synthetic fabrics as well. Cotton, wool, silk, and other classic textiles were common but synthetic fabrics were a huge game-changer for the textile industry.
Common synthetic fabrics in vintage clothing include:
Nylon: Nylon was invented in 1927. It reached wide use in the 1940s as an answer to the silk shortage of WWII. Women couldn’t wear silk stockings as silk was needed for parachutes, and Nylon was more durable and washable than silk. Nylon was a very popular fabric for undergarments, sleepwear, and lingerie through the 1970s.
Spandex: Invented in 1959 for use in sportswear and undergarments, Spandex wasn’t widely used in outer garments until the 1970s. Spandex is ubiquitous in modern clothing, but its presence was fairly niche until the 1980s and 90s. Lycra® is a specific spandex brand.
Polyester: Though it was invented in the 1930s, polyester didn’t have widespread reach in the textile market until the 1970s. Early examples of polyester were patented by the chemical companies that developed them under the names Dacron and Kodel, typically listed on labels as “Dacron Polyester.”
Once you get the feel of these fabrics under your fingers, you can easily tell what’s older. Vintage polyester is quite thick and can have a woven feel to it. Vintage nylon has a lovely buttery texture.
How to Identify Vintage Fasteners
A close up shot of a 1970s Talon zipper.
Now, identifying clothing by fasteners is one of the trickiest things you can do, because they have changed very little in design over the past century. Therefore, using fasteners to ID vintage clothing is only helpful if A) the clothing is older than the mid-1960s (when plastic zippers became ubiquitous) or B) the fastener itself is branded.
Beginning in the 1920s, fasteners became more simple as apparel became easier to wear. Dresses slipped over your head, and fasteners became more about achieving a certain fit rather than keeping garments on your body. The zipper was also patented in 1917, revolutionizing garments. If it has a metal zipper, it was almost certainly made between 1917 and 1965.
Take a look at the fasteners on a garment you suspect may be vintage, and compare it to modern clothing. What do you notice that’s different? Are there fasteners you don’t even recognize? For example, in this photo, the word “Talon” is set on the diagonal. Talon has been around since the invention of zippers. Typically the Talon logo is strictly horizontal or vertical - but in the 1970s they were set on the diagonal. That plus the fabric is how I could tell this homemade dress was created in the 1970s.
How to Identify Vintage Trends
Every clothing era is defined by specific fads in colors, objects, silhouettes, and more! A cornucopia of knowledge exists on this subject, but here’s a quick rundown of common fads and hallmarks from each era.
Many of these trends cross different eras, so use this as a general starting point rather than the word of God. Additionally, in the later portion of the 20th century, designers began reintroducing new trends in a modern way. This is often listed as XX’s does XX’s (80’s does 40’s, for example). And every era had its own style icon (Diane Keaton, Katherine Hepburn, Cher) that broke the mold.
1930s Trends
1930s Pinafore Dress - Image via Pinterest
Due to the great Depression, clothing in the 1930s was pretty simple in comparison to the glamorous art deco styles of the 1920s.
Silhouettes weren’t as conservative as the Edwardian era, but they often had sleeves and dress/skirt lengths were well below the knee. The waist was defined (in comparison to the boxy styles of the previous decade). Clothing was often handmade as most couldn’t afford store-bought clothing, and patterns were simple.
Here are a few hallmarks of 30s fashion:
Natural motifs - flowers, vines, birds
Subdued colors
Earrings and bracelets (over necklaces and pins)
Oxford shoes for day
Sensible heels for special occasions
Two-tone shoes
Subtle makeup
Open-back, bias cut gowns
Peter Pan and other wide collars
A slight flare at the bottom of skirts or dresses
Mid-calf skirt and dress lengths
1940s Trends
A woman photographed in 1941 - Image via Pinterest
With the advent of World War 2, there were two distinct changes to women’s clothing: sharper lines and shorter hems. Fabric rations due to the war meant many women repurposed old garments by shortening hemlines and adding shoulder pads for a more masculine silhouette. In the late 40s due to post-war prosperity, fashion became more colorful and elaborate.
Note: the 80s pulled VERY heavily from the 40s. A good rule of thumb to telling them apart is the tags and the use of materials (40s clothing is very unlikely to have plastics of any kind).
Military colors (olive, navy, etc)
Shoulder pads
Slightly puffed sleeves
Slightly fuller skirts
Wide-legged pants (à la Katherine Hepburn)
Draped blouses
Shorter hems (just below the knee)
Keyhole necklines
Chiffon
2 piece suits
Peplum
V necklines
A row of buttons down the front of a dress
Smaller hats, such as pillbox
Structured coats
Simple square or round-toed shoes
Matching belts
1950s Trends
Grace Kelly in High Society, 1956. Image via Pinterest
Fashion exploded in the 1950s as Hollywood experienced a renaissance, and Christian Dior debuted his New Look (not to mention, postwar prosperity). Dior took silhouettes that had existed previously and exaggerated them, making skirts fuller, jackets more structured, and details more dramatic. The 1950s were decidedly more feminine than the 1940s, too - with postwar structure giving way to delicate pastels and prim accessories.
Full skirts
Pastels
Poodles
Pearls
Delicate heels
Sleeveless/cap sleeves
Bolero jackets
Polka dots
Wide-brimmed hats
Bow accents
Wiggle dresses
Saddle shoes
1960s Trends
Image from a 1960s clothing catalogue via Pinterest
Fashion broke completely open in the 1960s thanks to the advent of hippie culture and the new mod style. Many people were still wearing the more conservative silhouettes of the 1950s, but in more saturated colors and with fewer frilly details. The 60s were a hugely transitional time in fashion, and have some of the most diverse pieces of the era. The transition into mainstream mod style happened in the early 60s, so it can be difficult to tell the late 50s from the early 60s.
Mini skirts and short hemlines
Button down shirts
Plastic, graphic jewelry
Bright colors
Knee socks
Go-go boots
Graphic florals
Pleats
Plaid
Square-toed shoes
Coordinating pieces (vs the perfectly matching 1950s)
Headbands
Neckerchiefs
1970s Trends
2 women in 70s outfits Image via Pinterest
The 1970s marked the official beginning of very distinct fashion by decade. The 40s blended into the 50s, and the 50s blended into the 60s. Many of the clothing of the 60s could sneak into the 70s, but newer trends are very distinct from the still-somewhat-prim 1960s. The 70s combined the romance of the Victorian era with the new freedom of second-wave feminism. Glamorous, carefree, and casual clothing makes 70s fashion very wearable today.
Vests
Wide Lapels
Earth tones and orange
Leather, Suede, Crushed Velvet, and Crochet
Oversized sunglasses
Bell bottoms
Bell sleeves
Pussy bow blouses
Platform shoes
Clogs
Peasant blouses and dresses
Victorian style high necklines
1980s Trends
From the 1986 Forsell Yarn Book Image via Pinterest
The 1980s could not have been more polar opposite from the 1970s, as conservative WASP sensibilities replaced free-spirited hippie ones. Shoulder pads are a defining factor of this era, and 80s pieces are some of the easiest to source, as they’re usually high quality items that were well-cared for.
Acid Wash
Shoulder pads
Pastels
Point-toe heels
Tapered and pleated pants
Puffy sleeves
Fitted dropped waists
Wild, graphic prints
Turtlenecks
Oversized tops
Slouchy boots
Nautical Motifs
1990s Trends
A promotional image from the classic 1990s sitcom Friends Image via Pinterest
Many 80s trends (tapered jeans, suitwear as casual wear) transferred into 90s fashion. The styles of the 90s were much more subdued in color, and much smaller in silhouette (think: fitted vests instead of oversized blazers). Grunge and rave culture infiltrated mainstream fashion, and cultural touchstones like Seinfeld and Friends were hugely influential.
Flannel
Fitted Vests
Chunky shoes (Doc Martens and loafers)
Black Tights
Fitted mini skirts
Subdued florals
Plaid
Slip dresses
Overalls
Black tights
Midi and maxi skirts
And there you go! A few basic tools for identifying vintage clothing to help you on your vintage clothing journey.
For IRL vintage shopping, check out this list of the best vintage shops in the Denver area.
