Ginetex/ASTM Garment Care Symbol Chronology - UPDATED!

I'm not sure about the triangle either... it looks to me too like it could be left out. The ratings on the chart are:
3 = no special care needed
2 = observe certain restrictions (you're righ Liza!)
1= take extra care
0= do not use
I have no suitable vintage garment on hand that I could check right now... most of it is not commercially made, or stored away for summer.
 
Better Dresses Vintage said:
One last thought --> are you sure they are European Ginetex symbols and not the ASTM symbols used over here? That could make a difference. If the shirt is definitely vintage (pre-90s, at least), then it's unlikely to be ASTM symbols, which weren't required/used before then.
Click to expand...


It's from this knitted waistcoat: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/180...0s-wwii-style-80s-blue?ref=shop_home_active_2
Made in Korea but I think it's a british import, a label in front of the care label was cut off so I'm missing some info.
I'm pretty sure it's 80's from the pastel colour and mixed colour yarns, but the brand label itself is a bit more retro - I tend to see the 3D fonts on 70's labels.
 
Pinkcoke said:
I thought you might be interested to see an early example of the first care symbols on this late 1950's early 1960's german Dirndle dress (not mine): (it also happens to show what must be the earliest logo for Trevira polyester fabric - which was introduced in 1956)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-1...518?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1e9b5a9036
Click to expand...

Melanie, it's a long shot, but is there any chance you took a screen grab of those tags? The listing is long gone, of course, and I neglected to grab it myself. Stupid of me. Why is it that everything on the Internet is permanent except the one thing you didn't save? LOL.
 
Really interesting!
 
Here is some actual, useful information for you, direct from the horse's mouth at ASTM (which is the body that oversees U.S. garment-care labeling):

Finally, something of a timeline:

***
Liza,

Thank you for the explanation. Looking at the FTC website, I found this document (https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/do...-piece-goods/care_textile_products_report.pdf) that indicates the Commission issued the first care labeling rule In 1971 (effective July 3, 1972).


The only additional historical information I can find suggests that in 1989 some D13 members proposed that the US needed to develop a symbol system that met the needs of the FTC Care Labeling Rule. That work began in 1990, and as mentioned, D5489 was first published in 1993, which includes the care symbols. In 1997, the FTC adopted D5489-96c version for the use of symbols as a conditional exemption in lieu of words on a label.


I hope this helps.

Best regards,

Jennifer

Jennifer L. Rodgers

Director, Technical Committee Operations
—

ASTM INTERNATIONAL
Helping our world work better
—
100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700
West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, USA
tel +1.610.832.9694
www.astm.org

*****

So, when dating U.S. garments, the following can be used as guidelines. Not as hard and fast as an ILGWU label (which had clearer stop/start years), but a good piece of additional evidence when dating your item. Remember, this is NOT for European or Japanese garments:

As of July 3, 1972, U.S. garments were required to have permanently-affixed care instructions, not just a hang tag that could be discarded after purchase. That is, if it's got a care label, WITHOUT symbols, and is from the U.S., it is likely (but not absolutely) from 1972 or later.

As of 1993, U.S. market garments also had SYMBOLS (similar but not identical to the long-used symbols from Ginitex, in Europe)

After 1997, U.S.-market garments could use care symbols ONLY, and not merely in addition to, words.

SO:
1972-1993 --> just words
1993-1997 --> words and symbols
1997+ --> words and symbols OR just symbols

If your U.S. garment has ONLY symbols, it's 1997+
If it has NO care label (and one hasn't been cut off or lost), it's pre-1972.
If it's got words and symbols, it's 90s

***
Bonus: when reading Jennifer's address you get to say "Conshohocken," which is almost, if not quite, as much fun as "Spuyten Duyvil"
 
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