B
bartondoll
Guest
(Originally posted by Linda in Vintage Chatter - because this is a great link, it is being reposted here for posterity 
.....and convenience).
The Site:
http://www.jitterbuzz.com/frameset.html
An Example:
If you want authentic 1930s, 1940s, or 1950s clothes, here are a few tips:
Fabric care instructions began to appear in the 1960s
Zip codes were introduced in 1963. (look at addresses on labels)
The Union Label: The Amalgamated Suit Workers' Union (ASWU) had a very distinctive label that pictures an old-time sewing machine inside a diamond. ASWU changed the design of the label in 1968.
Men's suit coats from the 1940s have a single seam at the middle of the armpit and have NO back flaps; the button hole on the lapel is functional (i.e. you can put a flower in it.)
Ties varied in width during the period 1930-1960, but most were unlined and did not have a visible label sewn on the back
Plastic zippers indicate origin after 1960
Women's dresses and pants had zippers on the side
On shirts, buttonholes ran horizontally until the 1960s.
Sport shirts had a loop to button the top instead of a buttonhole.
With a little practice, you can easily spot true vintage clothes because the fabric and tailoring are infinitely superior to that which is available today. New fabrics, particularly polyester blends feel almost like sandpaper. Older clothes have lots of hand work -- particularly in the lapels of men's suit coats where the tailor would build the "roll" with rows of hand-stitching. Even inexpensive women's clothes have considerable attention to detail. Due to their novelty, nylon and rayon were "status" fabrics in the 1930s and 1940s. (For example, the most valuable Hawaiian shirts are 100% rayon, and have wood or coccoanut shell buttons.)
sue
.....and convenience).The Site:
http://www.jitterbuzz.com/frameset.html
An Example:
If you want authentic 1930s, 1940s, or 1950s clothes, here are a few tips:
Fabric care instructions began to appear in the 1960s
Zip codes were introduced in 1963. (look at addresses on labels)
The Union Label: The Amalgamated Suit Workers' Union (ASWU) had a very distinctive label that pictures an old-time sewing machine inside a diamond. ASWU changed the design of the label in 1968.
Men's suit coats from the 1940s have a single seam at the middle of the armpit and have NO back flaps; the button hole on the lapel is functional (i.e. you can put a flower in it.)
Ties varied in width during the period 1930-1960, but most were unlined and did not have a visible label sewn on the back
Plastic zippers indicate origin after 1960
Women's dresses and pants had zippers on the side
On shirts, buttonholes ran horizontally until the 1960s.
Sport shirts had a loop to button the top instead of a buttonhole.
With a little practice, you can easily spot true vintage clothes because the fabric and tailoring are infinitely superior to that which is available today. New fabrics, particularly polyester blends feel almost like sandpaper. Older clothes have lots of hand work -- particularly in the lapels of men's suit coats where the tailor would build the "roll" with rows of hand-stitching. Even inexpensive women's clothes have considerable attention to detail. Due to their novelty, nylon and rayon were "status" fabrics in the 1930s and 1940s. (For example, the most valuable Hawaiian shirts are 100% rayon, and have wood or coccoanut shell buttons.)
sue
