Thrifting: read the fibre-content label and the RN number before you read the brand

In a thrift store the brand tag tells you the least. The fibre label tells you how the piece will wear, and in the US the label is required by law to be accurate. What US labels must show Under the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act and the FTC's rules, clothing sold in the US must carry: - fibre content by percentage of weight, by generic name (cotton, wool, polyester, viscose or rayon, nylon, acrylic) - the country of origin - the identity of the manufacturer or dealer, often as an RN number A separate FTC Care Labeling Rule requires care instructions. The RN number The RN (Registered Identification Number) identifies the company that made or sold the garment. Look it up in the FTC's RN database: https://rn.ftc.gov. It is how you find out that a no-name label was made by a known manufacturer, or that a "vintage" piece's company did not exist until recently. Fibre, and what it means for you - Wool, cashmere, silk, linen and cotton breathe and can be repaired. Wool and cashmere pill; pilling is fibre loss, so check under the arms and at the sides. - Viscose or rayon is made from wood pulp. It drapes well, and can shrink and weaken when wet; follow the care label. - Polyester, acrylic and nylon last and hold shape, trap heat, and shed microplastic fibres when washed. - A blend behaves mostly like its largest component. No label? The burn test On a snipped thread from an inside seam, over a sink: - Cotton, linen, viscose: burns steadily, smells like paper, leaves soft grey ash. - Wool, silk: smells like burning hair, self-extinguishes, leaves crushable black ash. - Polyester, nylon, acrylic: melts and shrinks from the flame, leaves a hard bead. Do it safely, away from anything flammable. Construction checks Look at seams (are they finished, is there spare seam allowance for alterations), buttons, zips and lining. Those cost more to fix than the garment did. Source: FTC, Threading Your Way Through the Labeling Requirements: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/threading-your-way-through-labeling-requirements-under-textile-wool-acts