Help with St. John please

[totes_satchels_crossbodies-ohmy]

Hello:

Wondering if someone can can help me. I purchased a “St. John” item on Etsy but it isn’t like any of the other St. John knits I’ve had or sold. The jacket doesn’t have a St. John label. The dress does. What is throwing me off is the label sewn into the side seam. It says “100% wool made in Hong Kong”. See attached. Before I contact the seller I want to make sure it is/isn’t legit. Thanks in advance.

[divwido]

Why are you asking questions about an item purchased on another site here?

[totes_satchels_crossbodies-ohmy]

Because I’d like help authenticating, since I had planned to sell it on here (and obviously won’t if it’s not authentic). Many people ask for help on items they purchase elsewhere.

[bigoljim47]

I have never seen a fabric tag like this on a St John, Santana knit are wool and rayon. But the biggist flag I can see is the brand label. Other correct me if I am wrong, but it is a current label, but look how the label is sewn on. very sloppy and the thread does not match. I am not an expert, just a seller who seen lots of St John. 

[blazebird]

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@bigoljim47 wrote:

I have never seen a fabric tag like this on a St John, Santana knit are wool and rayon. But the biggist flag I can see is the brand label. Other correct me if I am wrong, but it is a current label, but look how the label is sewn on. very sloppy and the thread does not match. I am not an expert, just a seller who seen lots of St John. 

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St. John makes clothes in weave styles other than Santana.  The piece pictured is not Santana.   

[blazebird]

For the record, here is a photo of a Santana knit top with thart label.

and a top with crochet that also has that label

[bigoljim47]

I know St John uses other type of material. I done a little research because of the fabric tag because it bugged me. The "made in Hong Kong" was dropped after 1997 and it became "made in China". I don't know why a designer would use an old term with a current label. 

[blazebird]

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@bigoljim47 wrote:

I know St John uses other type of material. I done a little research because of the fabric tag because it bugged me. The "made in Hong Kong" was dropped after 1997 and it became "made in China". I don't know why a designer would use an old term with a current label. 

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St. John doesn't make their clothes in China.   They are primarily made in the USA and Mexico.

[totes_satchels_crossbodies-ohmy]

I found that label online. It belongs to the “Woolmark” company. I’m thinking someone removed a St. John label and sewn it on the dress. There is a Piece cutoff the “pure wool” label on both pieces. Wonder if it said “Woolmark”. Thank you all! Appreciate the help.

[tapi-szem]

This will not help with authenticity re. St. John, but Woolmark is used in a wide variety of garments that are pure wool. That is all that it means (i.e. the item is "authentic" 100% wool).

[city*satins]

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@blazebird wrote:

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@bigoljim47 wrote:

I know St John uses other type of material. I done a little research because of the fabric tag because it bugged me. The "made in Hong Kong" was dropped after 1997 and it became "made in China". I don't know why a designer would use an old term with a current label. 

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St. John doesn't make their clothes in China.   They are primarily made in the USA and Mexico.

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Not true any more.  St John makes a lot of its clothes in China.  I don't know about its knits, but you will find a lot of leather and silk and cotton garments from St John are now made in China.

[city*satins]

I would say that is a non-St John garment whose original label has been removed and replaced with a St John label.  It's been attached in a manner inconsistent with how St John attaches its neck labels  including thread color and manner of attachment (also, compare the stitch/finishing of your black sweater to the blue one which is a correct ST JOHN)

[totes_satchels_crossbodies-ohmy]

Thank you. Very helpful. I contacted the seller and she refunded me with no hesitation (even before I sent it back).

[city*satins]

That's great.  Sometimes sellers do that because they've been caught, but other times they really didn't know. 

I was in a clothing resale shop the other day and found 2 garments that were lower end brands but that had had the neck labels swapped out with higher end labels.  The shop was one of those that buy clothing for cash - so the seller just walked away with the cash since the person on duty to view/offer $ for garments didn't really know the brands well enough to recognize that it had been mislabeled.   They look at condition and know how to recognize an Anthropologie brand RN# but that's as far as it goes, so they got snookered.