When did barcodes appear on garments? Photos added

Pinkcoke

Pinkcoke

Alumni
I have a Chelsea Girl chiffon blouse that is retro style with an art deco lady print and huge batwing sleeves, except there is a barcode printed on the care label, and it says made in Syria. Neither of which I have come across before, so although I read that barcodes were around in the 70's and 80's I'm assuming they didn't make it onto clothes for a long while after this. Chelsea Girl changed in 1988 to River Island, meaning this blouse must be from the 2008 revival of the label by River Island. But to be honest I would have expected them to be well past barcodes by this time - QR codes were already in use. So it's a bit odd and passe. Thoughts? If it weren't for the fact I purchased a similar chiffon blouse from New Look around this time it could have had me fooled for being vintage. The revival labels use the same logo as before, the early 70's ones were printed and folded in a loop, later is woven and side stitched, but I don't know when it changed.
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Bar codes certainly were not used at the point of sale in the 70's -80's, I started working for Morrison in 1982 at there flag ship store and they did not even have a computer for ordering never mind at the till to read a bar code.
As you say they been invented a long while
http://www.barcoding.com/information/barcode_history.shtml

If it on the care label you expect it to be something to do with the fabric or care even item, quick reading on the net say early bar code were used for identifying items on clothing in terns of where they are or have been and who they belong too instead of writing your name in it.

if this is wrong then I wait to be corrected.
 
Interesting piece Melanie - it has elements of mid '70s style and late '70s style but the labels put it as a much more modern design. I'd be inclined to put it in the 2000s.
 
Hi Nicole, thanks as I said above it must be from the 2008 revival of the Chelsea Girl brand. My query was when manufacturers begin putting barcodes in garments?
 
I think it was a slow introduction and change-over. I know punch-card tags were still on clothing in the early 1980s, although that system was being phased out. Interesting that you mentioned QR codes. My impression is that QR codes are dying out... they certainly aren't as prevalent here as they used to be a couple of years ago.
 
I remember bar codes coming out in the 80's and wondering "what the hell are these"? But it was quite a while before they really started using them. I would say before the 90's but it was a very slow process as Jonathan said.
 
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