1. WPL NUMBERS: WPL (wool product label) numbers are the predecessor of the RN number. The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) issued WPL numbers after The Wool Products Labeling Act Of 1939 began. WPL numbers were used from 1941 to 1959. These numbers began at 00101 and ended at 13669 and were issued upon request to U.S. companies. So what does a WPL number on a label tell you? Only that the garment was not made before 1941. Any company who was issued a WPL number between 1941 and 1959 may still use it today in place of a company's name. However, a WPL number combined with other "clues" can be very helpful in narrowing down the date. 2. RN NUMBERS: An RN number (registered identification number), like the WPL number, is issued by the FTC upon request to U.S. companies. Textile and garment manufacturers may use their RN number in place of the company's name. RN numbers were first issued from 1952 to 1959 under the Fur Products Labeling Act. These RN numbers begin at 00101 and end at 04086. Beginning in 1959, WPL numbers were no longer used and only RN numbers were issued. The first RN number in this series issued in 1959 was 13670. Now it is estimated that an average of 2,635 numbers were issued each year by the FTC. Therefore, with a little basic math you can figure out the RN issue date. Let's say that your clothing label has an RN number that is 16627. You would subtract 13670 (the 1st number) from 16627 (your RN) then divide it by 2,635 (average issued numbers each year). With this calculation we can estimate that this RN number was issued one year after this series began, so 1960. That tells us that this particular item was made no earlier than 1960. Furthermore, any garment with an RN number will not be any older than 1959 unless the number is between 00101 and 04086, then it MAY be dated no older than 1952. In 1998 the FTC created an RN database. With your RN number you can search their database and find the name of the company that the number is issued to. You can also search by the company's name to find their RN number. This can be very helpful with mystery labels! When you research your garment's RN number in the database it will show that the RN was issued in 1998 or after. This is not the case. All RN numbers registered before the database was created will have the issue year as 1998 by default. Expired RNs are not in the database. 3. TEXTILE LABELS: In 1960 the FTC created The Textile Products Identification Act. This act states that a company must properly identify the fabric content's percentage on the tag, label, or stamp of a textile garment exclusive of decoration that is less than 5%. That does not mean that clothing before 1960 did not have the fabric contents on their labels though it would be rare to see a percentage. It just wasn't required. You will find several vintage suits and antique bathing suits with the term "100%" or "All" written on the label. More often, however, a garment which states "Rayon" will usually be older than a garment that is "All Rayon" or "100% Rayon". This, combined with knowledge of RNs and WPLs can be very helpful. If your clothing's RN number is 13699 and the label just says "Nylon", I think it is safe to place this item between 1959 and 1960. 4. GARMENT CARE LABELS: In 1971, the FTC, to further aide in consumer protection, created The Care Labeling Rule, which was amended in 1983 and updated in 2000. This rule states that a textile manufacturer must state proper garment care on the label. This includes washing, drying, ironing, bleaching, and dry cleaning. Contrary to popular belief, finer quality clothing (suits, coats, evening gowns) predating 1971 may have garment care on the labels. You might find a coat from the 1950's which says, "Coin Machine Wash Not Recommended" or "Dry Clean". The inclusion of fabric care labeling before 1971 was entirely up to the manufacturer. This, of course, is why more often than not vintage items pre 1971 do not have care labeling. In 1997 this rule was updated and now allows companies to use symbols in place of writing for garment care. Clothing which uses only a symbol guide on the label will have been made after July 1997. A combined symbol and care guide can be any time in between. 5. TRADEMARKS: Companies often register trademarks for their labels and lines. While it may be tedious, the United States Patent and Trademark Office has a database of registered trademarks . If your label has a trademarked name or collection, i.e. Victoria's Secret "Pink," you can find out the year of first commercial use. There are often images in the database as well which offer you a comparable reference to a company's word mark. Therefore, if a company changed the script from cursive to text letters on its labeling, you may be able to find when they were first used. Older trademark images are usually in black and white, so it won't tell you which color was used for the scripting. I recommend using the new user search form, as you can enter in specific search terms for a company or line. Just remember, the first year of commercial use isn't the same as the only year of commercial use. 6. COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Country of origin labels have been used in the U.S. since the McKinley Act in 1891. To research an RN or find a company's RN number visit the Federal Trade Commission's RN Database. WPL numbers are in the database too. To research a registered trademark, visit the USPTO trademark database.
