@labeltime archives all the best (and worst) vintage tags, and it’s everything you could imagine and more
‘Youarenotalone’; ‘Expectantly Yours’; ‘Daddy’$ Money’; ‘Boob’. Although these companies may no longer exist, their monikers are eternalised through the labels sewn into their garments – and they’re now being given the full recognition and glory they deserve by way of Instagram account @labeltime.
Started in October 2013 by San Francisco-based Dana Cohen as a means of archiving the interesting labels she found on her regular thrifting trips, Cohen soon discovered she wasn’t the only one who appreciated the beauty of a vintage label. Submissions soon began to trickle in and 700 posts later, @labeltime stands at a respectable 20.5k followers.
Featured labels range from the ridiculous (‘Dim the Lites’, ‘Plastic Sandwich’ and ‘www.com’) to the more grotesque (‘BOOB’, ‘Bend Over’ and ‘Poo’) and everything in between. It’s often their designs, however, that are the most pleasing; take the embroidered illustration of a man and woman engaging in amorous activities on a ‘handmade with love’ label. The idiosyncratic blend of hilarity, nostalgia and kitsch makes for an amusing scroll, and a very welcome addition to any Instagram feed.
Having always been an avid collector of vintage garms, Cohen now goes out specifically to hunt down the weirdest and most wonderful labels possible. Living in San Francisco – a vintage lover’s mecca – must come in handy for fuelling the account. She counts the city’s No Shop and Vacation as favourite haunts, as well as the Bulk Vintage Warehouse in Philadelphia, 10ft. Single in New York and Montage Vintage in San Antonio, Texas.
Not only does @labeltime provide light comic relief, Cohen’s feed is a reminder to take time to appreciate the smaller details in life. We recommend rummaging through your own thrifty finds to see what gems are sewn into the necklines.