Authenticating Vintage & Designer Clothing

Authenticating vintage and designer clothing, can be quite challenging, and admittedly takes some time to learn. It is usually not that difficult to identify fakes and knock-offs because of the inferior quality, and country of origin on the label. But there are exceptions. 

All the diffusion lines, licensing agreements, and the belief that authentic items can be made in China, tends to blur the lines. Personally I have stayed away from designer labels with Made in China as the country of origin. When you see a shift from the original country of origin to mass production in China, you can see a decline in the quality. 

I am not suggesting that all clothing Made in China is not worth buying. But I do believe that with the exception of a few famous designers, or 1960’s made in Hong Kong, you are not likely to find high quality clothing, hand bags, or shoes that are made in China. 

Many of the diffusion lines are made in Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, and Portugal. They may, or may not have the same quality as items made in Italy and France. Diffusion lines tend to lose some quality, although they are still considered authentic brands. Some vintage diffusion lines are better quality than the new products by the same designer. 

Not long ago I came across a Coach vintage bag from the early 1990’s. It was nylon messenger bag with leather trim and handles. There was an official leather Coach Creed inside the bag, so initially I thought it was authentic. 

The other Coach bags I am familiar with were Made in the US, but apparently they are now made in Vietnam, Dominican Republic, and China. I checked a Coach authentication site that gives details on all aspects of authentication. It did not pass the test. 

It is not too difficult to determine if an item is vintage, because the term vintage is used for clothing that is between twenty and one hundred years old. Less than twenty years, and it is called contemporary. Once it is a hundred years old, it is antique.

For vintage clothing, the fabrics, the zippers, the buttons, and the sewing techniques all contribute to the identification. Many mid-century fabrics are now obsolete, and certain embellishments, such as couching, or laid work, are seldom used today.

Extensive use of embroidery, hand beading, sequins, metal zippers, bakelite buttons, hand finishing on seams, and certain types of trim all help to identify the era from which an item came from. The style is also an important consideration.

In the 1930’s-1940’s dresses typically had metal zippers on the side that go from the hip to under the arm. These dresses are often hard to put on because of the narrower opening, and limitations based on the side zipper not going all the way to the top of the dress.

In the 1920’s it was not uncommon for there to be no zipper at all. The dress was put on over your head. 1920’s dresses are often very fragile, although I do have a spectacular dress and shawl from the 1920’s that is made of wound silk ribbon. It is much stronger than the beaded flappers on a sheer backing. 

By the 1950’s the majority of dresses had back zippers, and in most cases, they were still metal zippers. The 1940’s dress designs were not as full circle, or as flared as the 1950’s dresses. Many vintage dresses have keepers, or snaps for the bra straps, and some of the 1930’s-1940’s dresses have shoulder pads. This was especially so in the 1930’s. The shoulder pads were not like the later 1980’s and 1990’s shoulder pads, but were smaller, and sloped, instead of squared off.

Almost all jackets from the 1930’s to the 1950’s and even into the 1960’s, have shoulder pads for definition. They are not large shoulder pads, but rather provide definition and structure. The 1970’s is really the only decade between the 1930’s and 2000’s to have jackets without shoulder pads. 

There is no decade with larger shoulder pads than the 1980’s. By the 1990’s they were less dramatic, but still prevalent. In some of today’s designs, we are seeing a comeback of the shoulder pads. Byblos has created a design that looks squared off, and theatrical. It remains to be seen if those designs will be embraced by the general public again, like they were in the 1980’s. 

When it comes to designer clothes, they were often identified as Rive Gauche, especially for Yves Saint Laurent. Laws were not passed to force manufacturers to include fabric composition labels until 1971. Therefore in clothes made prior to that time, the fabric is often guesswork.

The couture houses for designer clothing for the most part, started making ready wear clothing in the 1960’s and 1970’s. YSL has a distinctive vintage Rive Gauche label, which is similar across most garments.

Chanel and Dior do not have consistent labels on their vintage items. Their structure, country of origin, and quality are evident in order to help authenticate them, and determine the date.

The Christian Dior Coordonnees label was a higher end ready wear label that was released in the 1960’s and active until the 1980’s. This label was seen in knitwear, and in separates like skirts.

A Dior label with a red 2 over top the word Dior on the label was a line that was created in 1987, and finished in 1996.

The Dior label that has a row of Ds at the top and bottom of the label, is from the 1960’s-1970’s.

Two of the most diverse, and often confusing designer labels, are Versace, and Escada. Versace introduced many different lines, with different labels. Some examples are Gianni Versace, Gianni Versace Couture, Versace Jeans Couture, Versus Versace, Istante Versace, and a few others.

Escada is confusing because it seems after they stopped the primary production in Germany, they set up multiple licensing agreements. Some of the labels have country of origin as Romania or Hungary, and others do not have the country of origin at all. When Escada was made in Germany, all items had Made in Germany labels. Therefore the German made Margaretha Ley Escada labels are the easiest to authenticate with confidence. 

Other brands that may not have the country of origin are Anna Sui, with origins in New York, Jil Sander, with origins until 2005 in Germany, and following that in Italy. Apparently many items are now made in Portugal.

Over the years I have come across several Jil Sander items that do not have a country of origin label. They are of good quality, and show no sign of a label being removed. I also have Jil Sander items with a Made in Italy label.

One of the most important aspects when it comes to authenticating designer items, is the country of origin label. This of course, is not the only important aspect, but it is key.

Both Italy and France have very strict laws surrounding counterfeit goods. The penalties surrounding violation of these laws is very high, which is a major deterrent. It also aids in authenticating the items.

As it is with vintage clothing, the zippers, buttons, stitching, and all other labels, are important when assessing the item. The Swiss made Riri zipper on a garment or hand bag, is a very good sign of authentication. It is considered the Rolls Royce of zippers. The Swiss partnered with Italian designers to use these zippers in high end luxury goods.

Other high end zippers are Lampo, and Excella. The YKK zipper is the industry standard for durability, and functionality.

Another thing to take note of is the buttons, and whether or not they are imprinted with logos, or branding. In my experience I have noted that designer and vintage garments with covered buttons, are often of superior quality. Logo imprinted buttons and studs are also signs of authentication, and are not easy to replicate. The finishing around the buttonholes is also an important factor, and is part of the overall straight and, even stitching to be examined.

Dating vintage pieces can be difficult. Lightening zippers affiliated with Gideon Sundback, are high quality zippers that were created in Ontario, and can be found in vintage clothing dated from the 1950’s-1970’s.

The archive of vintage and designer clothing, and textiles over the past century, is a huge contributor to helping preserve the arts and culture, as well as the history of fashion design.

We are all well aware that many fakes and knock-offs have permeated the markets. However, with careful evaluation, one can help reduce the chances of picking up the fakes and knock-offs in the second hand market.

There is a cost associated with everything, and that includes mistakes, and having to discard those mistakes. Not only is there the initial cost, but also time and energy spent on steaming, photographing, and storage. There is an additional investment of time and energy to constantly examine every detail. 

Fortunately, you can now use reputable sites to do third party authentication, on items that are higher cost, or that have some uncertainty surrounding authenticity. The third party assessment will determine if the item is authentic, and provide certificates of authentication, along with a detailed analysis to support their claims.

So far, nine out of ten items I submitted came back as certified authentic. The one that was not confirmed met all criteria, with the exception of the country of origin label. This confirms the importance of country of origin labels.  

It is more difficult when it comes to obscure diffusion lines, especially if they are made in Japan, with labels written in Japanese. We have to keep in mind that often diffusion lines are not made to the same quality as the original. They are also not made in the same country of origin as the original garments were.

Does this mean they are fakes? No, it does not mean they are fakes, because diffusion lines are considered to be authentic. But at the same time, the item could potentially be a fake. Once again, you have to check the overall design, structure, labels, buttons, stitching, and quality of craftsmanship. 

Another somewhat grey area is the many licensing agreements that were set up by the major designers over the years. These are to be differentiated from the diffusion lines, which originate as spin-offs from the main designer. Licensing agreements happen when the designer gives permission to use their labels for a certain range of items, or during a certain time frame. The licensing brands are usually not to the same standard as the original designer.

However there are a few exceptions. Christian Dior had a licensing agreement with Canada. Some very high quality items came from that agreement. From the Quiet West collection, a Made in Canada Christian Dior woman’s pantsuit was sold to a collector in New York City. 

Some tell-tale signs to help avoid the fakes – Number one is the quality. Is the garment well made, well constructed, made of a good fabric? Is it lined? Check the label, and see how it is applied. Check for the country of origin, wash labels, fabric composition, and whether or not any labels have been removed. Check the buttons, studs etc. for imprinting or branding. Check online to see if there are any similar garments with that label, country of origin and time frame. Check the overall design to see if it matches what the label was about (ie catering to youth, business, evening, or causal wear).

Some designers items can be recognized right away. Thierry Mugler is an example due to the strong structure and geometric lines. Others, like Betsey Johnson, are more likely to have trendy, shapely, and often whimsical elements.

St. John is another recognizable brand across several decades. The knitwear itself is a branding that you can see before even looking at the label. The vintage St. John designs do have some variations in fabric, with some items being heavily embellished, or trimmed with leather, and occasionally made of silk. But their staple St. John Basic knitwear is classic, and similar across the decades. 

At the end of the day, we will all make some mistakes. Often modern day items were designed based on inspiration taken from a previous era. If for example a 1980’s hat design was inspired by the 1960’s aesthetic, then it is easy to mistake that hat to be from the 1960’s.

From the perspective of buying vintage designer clothing, especially timeless classics, chances are you will be getting a superior product at a fraction of the price. A new Dior, YSL, or D&G skirt now would cost you $3000 or more. In my opinion, you can get a much better quality vintage designer skirt for anywhere between $100-$800. 

According to multiple YouTube channels, the quality of luxury brand designer clothing and hand bags, is nowhere near what it used to be. This is understandable because the cost of materials and labour has sky-rocketed, especially for clothing made in Europe. Also the focus on hand finishing items, as opposed to mass produced items, has changed the quality control in the past thirty years or so. 

Many of the designs, fabrics, embellishments, prints, and obsolete fabrics, belong in a textile museum. Not only do we recognize and give accolades to famous designers, but also to obscure designers, whose remnants can still be put up in a fashion hall of fame.

Canada may not have the reputation of Italy and France when it comes to high fashion. But we do have some gems, most of which came from Montreal and Toronto in past decades.

Part of what has motivated me to put so much time, energy, and money into building a collection, and putting it online, is to preserve, share, and honour the brilliant designers, artists, and fabrics that are part of a rich history, and heritage.

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2026). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.