An Investigation of Twentieth Century Fashion Labels

While clothing labels are a more contemporary phenomenon, the tradition of marking luxury goods to indicate or authenticate quality has a longer history. For example, centuries ago fine silver and gold objects were hallmarked and whiskey casks branded. The beginning of designer-labeled fashion is linked with the advent of haute couture (trans. “high fashion”) in Paris. Initially, the novelty of haute couture was in its consolidation of the dressmaking trades. Clients no longer had to procure fabric and collaborate with a dressmaker on a style.

The designer, as creative genius, allowed clients to select from pre-made examples; the dresses were then made to a client’s measurements, custom trimmed, and finished with an elegant label bearing the designer's name. 

As a designer solidified a reputation, the label served as a mark of distinction, indicating that clothing was well-styled, flattering, and fashionable for the time.

While today we think of couture and ready-to-wear as opposite ends of the fashion spectrum, the haute couture system was an important intermediary step to modernizing fashion. Designer fashion became increasingly distinctive as ready-to-wear fashions democratized the fashion system.