Vintage L.L. Bean: how to identify (labels & more)

Learn to identify vintage L.L. Bean! We're compiling a record of vintage brands sold in the shop, and documenting their labels and styles. We use historic advertisement materials (e.g., magazines and newspapers) to assist with dating. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you think that something was documented incorrectly!

 

L.L. Bean has been around since 1912. While it was founded as an outdoor-wear and shoes company, their clothing through the decades tells a wider story of durable outdoors, leisure, professional and comfort and comfort wear, built to stand the test of time. You can see examples of their labels and styles through the decades, or shop vintage L.L. Bean in the shop, here. 

L.L. Bean labels and styles through the decades

c. 1960s-1970s

Men's 1960s terry cloth drawstring shorts. The script font was common on tags between the 1950s-1970s. 

c. 1980s

Men's 1980s striped polo shirt. The block font became common in the 1980s and continued into the 2000s. Note that L.L. Bean is threaded into the tag (rather than printed on).

c. 1980s-1990s

Men's late 1980s or early 1990s blue puffer vest. While the brand tag is embroidered (rather than printed), the piece has a printed, shiny, acetate tag, indicating it may be from the early 90s. 

c. 1990s

Women's 1990s leaf-patterned fleece jacket. This tag has a similar block font to those from the 1980s, but is printed onto an acetate-like tag. 

c. 2000s

Men's early 2000s khaki cargo pants. This tag has the block print, but the branding is threaded onto the fabric with a black thread. Similarly, the size tag (with a cotton/polyester like pull, and embroidered stitching) is fabric with embroidered lettering (common in both the 1970s, and the late 1990s/early 2000s). 

To view our full repository of recorded brands and labels, see here.