Reading the product code, care label and neck tag to place a garment in a season.
A practical guide to decoding UNDERCOVER product numbers: the current line, season and year characters, the season letters used until 2020, and the ranges that need another method.
A practical guide to dating Issey Miyake, Pleats Please, Homme Plissé, IM MEN, BAO BAO, and related lines from the product code and care label.
A practical guide to dating Comme des Garçons, Homme Plus, Junya Watanabe, PLAY, SHIRT, and related lines from the AD year and product code.
A practical guide to dating Yohji Yamamoto, Y's, Pour Homme, Ground Y, S'YTE, and related lines from the product code, size label, and Japanese care symbols. Includes season codes through Autumn/Winter 2026-27.
Current Rick Owens apparel codes identify the line, season, year, style, material, and color. Older formats still identify the product, but pre-2013 tags do not provide a reliable year.
Balenciaga bag tags and clothing labels can narrow a piece to an era, but no single detail gives an exact date or proves authenticity. This guide separates the useful clues from the uncertain ones.
