Part One -Federal Trade Commission Website
Let's take a look at this stylish shirt and go step-by-step to identify thecorrect era using three, free on-line resources. In this first post, we will explore the Federal Trade CommissionWebsite, and then in Part Two, we will explore Trademarkia and TESS.
The tag can be veryusefulwhen trying to date vintage clothing. This shirt has two tags
Looking for Clues From the Tag
Name of Company: Act III. There is a (R) near the lower corner of the registered trademark and a WPL number.History: WPL numbers were issued from 1941 through 1959 under the Wool Products Labeling Act. WPL numbers begin
continue
at 00101 and end at 13669. All numbers issued subsequently are RN numbers. Just because I see a WPL numberdoesn'tmean that is the date of the clothing. This simply means it cannot be older than the WPL date. Many companies filed theirregistrationdecades ago (think Levi's jeans), so the WPL alone does not date a garment.
Another hint from the label are the wordsDacron Polyester,which was used1958 to 1970.
The First Search
Federal Trade Commission Website
Let's Look up the WPL # from the shirt using the Federal Trade Commission website
First, I need to change from "RN" to "WPL" using the drop-down menu because I want to do a WPL search.
Then, I can enter as much information as I have; however, just searching the number should give some information. Notice below how I enter only the number. Sometimes it's best to see what results from a simple search.So, I enter just the number and then click "find"
Below is an image of what comes up after clicking find
I can already see a name that I didn't have before, Jonathan Logan; however, don't stop here. Next, click on the WPL to get more information. See in the image below where I've added the red arrow - in your own search, make sure you click.
Below is the information about my WPL number from the Federal Trade Commission Website.
Ok, so now what? All that searching and no date? Dating Vintage can often mean a lot of research and several steps. One you go through the steps a few times, researching get's easier and can be fun -sleuthingaround the Internet, looking for clues to help see the big picture.
The Bottom Line - TheFederal Trade CommissionWebsite is a valuable tool for many reasons - here are two:
1) It gives the researcher more information including names of owners or company names and addresses that were not on the garment's tag. Thisinformationwill help the researcher confirm other searches andexpandhis or herknowledge.
2) Sometimes anidentifyingtag is missing or cut out of a garment, but sometimes, the RN or WPL tag or number remains. Searching the number can tell the researcher the maker of the garment and information to help learn more about the history of his or her vintage clothing.
Tess (Trademark Electronic Search System) using the Basic search now here atPart Two
FAQs
How to Date Vintage Clothes-Care Tag. In 1971 the Federal Trade Commission issued the Care Labeling Rule. The rule states that manufacturers have to tag their apparel with at least one cleaning method such as “dry clean only” or “machine wash cold”.
How do you date vintage items? ›
A few ways to date vintage clothing
- Check the buttons. The type of buttons used are a big giveaway of the age of the clothing. ...
- Unzip the zipper. ...
- Look closer at the seams. ...
- The sleeves say it all. ...
- Check the location of manufacturing. ...
- Browse through your country's textile database.
Alternatively, the item may have a WPL (Wool Products Labeling) number. WPL numbers date between 1941 and 1959. After 1959, new WPL numbers were not issued. However, manufacturers can still identify by using WPL numbers previously issued.
How do you date a piece of clothing? ›
American- and Canadian-made clothing often has a union label, which can help determine a date range. Clothing with the distinctive CC41 Utility label was produced during the period of fabric rationing, which ran from 1941 to the late 1940s. A label with fibre content details almost always indicates 1970s or later.
How do you verify vintage? ›
How to Tell if Something is True Vintage
- Look at the logo on the tag. If you don't recognize the brand name, it might be vintage. ...
- Flip the label over to see where the garment was made. ...
- Check the fabric composition tag. ...
- Look for unique construction details and/or handmade sew jobs. ...
- Check for a metal zipper.
Many years ago, the FTC issued WPL numbers to companies manufacturing wool products subject to the Wool Products Labeling Act. We no longer issue WPL numbers, but many are still in use. They are used in the same manner as RN numbers.
What does WPL mean on clothing tags? ›
What is the difference between an RN and a WPL Number? WPL (Wool Products Labelling) Numbers issued by the FTC for wool textiles and garments. The WPL used to serve exactly the same purpose of a Registered Identification Number (RN), which is to identify the manufacturer, importer, or distributor.
When did they stop using WPL numbers? ›
WPL numbers were issued between 1941 and 1959 under the Wool Products Labeling Act. The number will be WPL followed by 5 digits. The numbers issued were 00101 to 13669.
What is the difference between vintage and antique clothing? ›
Simply put, an antique is any item — whether it be a work of art, jewelry, carpets or everyday objects like housewares and accessories — that is over 100 years old. Vintage items are much younger, less than 100 years old, and typically have a collector's appeal.
Is 20 year old clothing considered vintage? ›
Generally speaking, vintage clothing refers to garments that are at least 20 years old. This 20-year rule has become somewhat of a standard in the industry, but there are also specific era requirements that must be met for a garment to be considered vintage.
RN-On Vintage Clothes
- RN numbers issued from 1952 through 1959 starting at 00101 continued to 04086.
- If the RN number is 13670 then your garment is younger than 1959!
- Please remember that the RN number does NOT show the number of when a garment was made, but the date of when the RN number was issued!
01.06.2013. Orsola de Castro and Carry Somers founded Fashion Revolution and started #WhoMadeMyClothes.
Where is the RN number on clothing? ›
Take a look at your fabric care and content label on your clothing and more than likely you will see an RN number. We are often asked about the relevance of these numbers and how they are created. RN stands for 'registered number' and it's a number issued by the Federal Trade Commission if requested.
Is there an app to identify antique items? ›
The best apps for finding the value of antiques (top 4)
- WorthPoint. We'd say of all the apps that we looked at for this guide, WorthPoint was the most useful for people who want to know the value of antiques at home and when they're in an antique shop. ...
- iHallmarklite. ...
- 1stDibs.
The meaning of the word “vintage” is simply “of age,” making it more difficult to set a specific age requirement. However, many say vintage items are at least 20 years old. So, generally speaking, something can be considered vintage if it is between 20 and 99 years old.
How do you find out what vintage items are worth? ›
"In addition to online services and search engines, it is possible to find out how much your antiques are worth by simply asking an antique dealer or an appraiser at an auction house, for instance," Martin says.
Is there an app to tell if something is antique? ›
Antique Identification Apps
Hallmarks - The app Hallmarks - Identify Antiques is a good option for identifying random hallmarks on silver and other pieces. The hallmarks are alphabetical. Although the initial app is free, you'll need to pay to unlock all the hallmarks.
