Reading the Label: What the ILGWU Tag Can Tell You About a Vintage Garment

If you’ve ever spotted a little tag that says ILGWU inside a vintage garment, congratulations — you’ve uncovered a clue to your piece’s past.

The ILGWU (International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union) was one of North America’s most powerful unions, and its labels offer valuable information about when and where a garment was made.

Here’s how to read them.

1. What Is the ILGWU?

Founded in 1900, the ILGWU represented the workers — mostly women — who sewed clothing in the U.S. and Canada. A union label meant fair wages, safer conditions, and domestic manufacturing.

Seeing this label means your garment was made in a unionized shop, often with higher quality standards and a proud history of labor rights behind it.

2. How the Logo Helps You Date a Garment

The ILGWU changed its logo and label design several times — and each version acts like a time capsule:

• Red, white, and blue label with “Union Made ILGWU”: Common in the 1950s–70s.

• “AFL-CIO” included on the label: Appeared after the union merger in 1955.

• Multicolor labels with modern fonts: These appeared in the 1980s–90s.

• “UNITE” label: Began around 1995, when ILGWU merged with ACTWU.

Need a visual reference? There are great ILGWU label guides online — or ask us for help identifying your tag!

3. Why It Matters

Besides helping you date a piece, the ILGWU tag is a badge of quality. It reflects ethical production, skilled labour, and the proud legacy of garment workers — many of whom were women supporting families through their trade.

It also helps verify authenticity, especially when evaluating Canadian-made vintage.

→ Have a label you’re curious about?

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