Help dating a "1960's" aloha/Hawaiian shirt

[j-shmorgan]

Hello! I recently bought this lovely aloha/Hawaiian shirt from a vintage shop here in the United Kingdom. The label said "authentic 1960's" but I don't think that's true as it's in such good, wearable condition -- I was more motivated to buy it because of the lovely pattern, drapey fabric and good fit.

While I don't think it's as old as the shop says it was, I would like to know if anyone has a good guess for when it might have been produced. If possible, it would also be nice to know if it was actually Hawaiian-made, American-made or made elsewhere.

I've attached pictures and have tried to illustrate the following details:

• Has collar loop
• Japanese garment care label (so maybe made in Japan and most likely after 1960's)
• Both pare buttons
• Vertical button holes
• Buttons that could be coconut
• No reverse print (pattern looks faded on the reverse of the fabric)
• Chest pocket

EDIT: After a little more Googling, it looks like it's definitely Asian brand -- I've found more for sale on Thai and Japanese second-hand clothing websites. They're all second-hand, described as "100% Rayon", usually labelled "vintage", sometimes laballed "60's-70's". That plus the Japanese garment care label probably points to this being a Japanese brand most popular in Asia -- and likely from pre-2000? The plot thickens!

 

[The Vintage Vendeuse]

THIS guide to the garment care symbols should be helpful in proving your shirt is not as old as claimed, though it relates to American symbols and yours do appear to be the Japanese version. Frankly, I think it's contemporary, or at least within this millennia.

 

[j-shmorgan]

THIS guide to the garment care symbols should be helpful in proving your shirt is not as old as claimed. Frankly, I think it's contemporary.

Thanks Donna However, that thread looks like it just describes European garment care labels, not Japanese. The symbols present on my label don't appear in the resources shared in that thread.

Look at this resource here, it looks like similar-looking symbols first appeared in Britain after the introduction of a standardisation scheme in 1980: http://www.dressandtextilespecialists.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Wash-code-fact-sheet.pdf

So at the minute, I'm going with between 1980-2010 haha -- still pretty vague!

 

[j-shmorgan]

Aahh, turns out Japan updated their care labelling system in 1995 to a washing machine + temperature type of symbol. So editing my guess to 1980-1995!

You can see it in this announcement about their 2014 symbol updates:
https://newsletter.sgs.com/eNewslet...ption-New-Care-Labelling-Symbols-A4-EN-15.pdf

EDIT: Nope, got that wrong -- this symbol is present in the 1995 system which was replaced by the 2014 system which came in to force in 2016.

So editing my guess again to 1980-2016 -- vaguer still!

 

[The Vintage Vendeuse]

THIS page does indicate that your Japanese garment symbols are pre-2016.

I've only done the quickest research... I'm sure you'll find out more!

 

[The Vintage Vendeuse]

Thanks Donna However, that thread looks like it just describes European garment care labels, not Japanese. The symbols present on my label don't appear in the resources shared in that thread.

I was in the middle of editing my original answer when you posted this response.

 

[j-shmorgan]

I was in the middle of editing my original answer when you posted this response.

Ha, so sorry, I was too speedy to reply to that! Thanks again though, I appreciate your pitching in help with this tiny mystery

 

[MagsRags]

Several Japanese companies started making high quality reproduction Aloha shirts in the latter part of the 20th century, with great prints, line-for-line patterns and vintage looking labels. This Japan-based sales website mentions Reminiscence and Sun Surf as two such companies. The site owner seems to have a handle on dating these and may be able to help with yours.

 

[Midge]

Maggie's explanation makes sense. My experience with Japanese clothing brands is - there are 1000s of brands out there who often have their own boutiques in shopping malls, and they often have a very specific aesthetic, and they are very good at making confusingly vintage-looking garments, complete with labels that point in the same direction, often with (vaguely) English or French brand names. The giveaway is usually the Japanese care label. I have come across secondhand shops in Europe full of these clothes (they must be buying them in bulk), have had a couple of them - and seen those boutiques in Japan.

 

[j-shmorgan]

Wow, thanks so much, this makes so much sense -- the details I mentioned in the original post alongside the garment care label were really tripping me up. If anything, this is much more interesting than the original story I was sold -- thanks again. Looking forward to looking through the linked resource tomorrow morning (late here in the UK now).