(copied by @jakeisnt from private forums; publicised here)
To identify what season your Comme des Garcons items are from you can use the product tag found on each item. Product tags changed format in 2001 and this guide will explain how to read both styles of product tag to help you identify your items.
Product tags contain information that can be used to identify the garment like the product code and the production year.
Depending on the year the item was made in the product code will follow one of two formats
| Year | Code Format |
|---|---|
| Before 2001 | LG-MM###~ |
| After 2001 | LS-G### |
insert image of both tag styles here
| Symbol | Description |
|---|---|
| L | Line ID |
| G | Garment type ID |
| M* | Production month number |
| S | Season ID |
| # | Product code |
| ~ | Size (optional) |
Notes:
*- M, varies for Comme des Garcons Homme Deux, Comme des Garcons Noir, and Comme des Garcons Aoyama exclusives
This character denotes what line of Comme des Garcons an item belongs to during which period.
| Character | Line Name(s) | Operation Period |
|---|---|---|
| _ | Comme des Garçons | until Spring/Summer 1982 |
| 1 | Black Comme des Garçons | since Spring/Summer 2009 |
| 3 | Tao Comme des Garçons | Autumn/Winter 2005 - Spring/Summer 2011 |
| Noir Kei Ninomiya | since Autumn/Winter 2013 | |
| 8 | Wallet Comme des Garçons | since 1980s |
| A | Comme des Garçons Noir | Autumn/Winter 1987 - Autumn/Winter 1995 |
| Play Comme des Garçons | since 2002 | |
| D | Comme des Garçons Homme Deux | since 1987 |
| E | Comme des Garçons | Autumn/Winter 1982 - Autumn/Winter 2005 |
| Rei Kawakubo [Comme des Garçons] | Spring/Summer 1984 - Autumn/Winter 1995 | |
| Comme des Garçons Noir | Autumn/Winter 1987 - Autumn/Winter 1995 | |
| Ganryu Comme des Garçons | Spring/Summer 2008 - Spring/Summer 2017 | |
| F | Comme des Garçons Shirt | since Spring/Summer 2021 |
| G | Comme des Garçons | since Autumn/Winter 1982 |
| Comme des Garçons Noir | Autumn/Winter 2005 - Spring/Summer 2009 | |
| Black Market Comme des Garçons | since Spring/Summer 2017 | |
| H | Comme des Garçons Homme | since 1978 |
| I | Comme des Garçons Homme [Inverted] | Spring/Summer 1994 - Autumn/Winter 1998 |
| Comme des Garçons Homme Homme | Spring/Summer 1999 - Autumn/Winter 2001 | |
| [Shop exclusive] | since 2005 | |
| Good Design Shop Comme des Garçons | 2011 - 2018 | |
| J | Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons | since Autumn/Winter 1992 |
| K | [Aoyama exclusive] | since Spring/Summer 1989 |
| N | Comme des Garçons Girl | since Spring/Summer 2015 |
| O | [Shop exclusive] | since 2005 |
| Trading Museum Comme des Garçons | since Autumn/Winter 2009 | |
| Black Market Comme des Garçons | since Spring/Summer 2017 | |
| [Capsule collections] | since Autumn/Winter 2020 | |
| P | Comme des Garçons Homme Plus | since Spring/Summer 1985 |
| Sport Comme des Garçons Homme Plus | Autumn/Winter 2005 - Autumn/Winter 2006 | |
| Comme des Garçons Homme Plus Ever Green | Autumn/Winter 2005 - Autumn/Winter 2009 | |
| R | Robe de Chambre Comme des Garçons | 1981 - Autumn/Winter 2004 |
| Comme des Garçons Comme des Garçons | since Spring/Summer 2005 | |
| S | Corso Como Comme des Garçons | since Spring/Summer 2018 |
| T | Tricot Comme des Garçons | 1981 - Autumn/Winter 2021 |
| Tao | since Spring/Summer 2022 | |
| U | Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons Man [pink] | Spring/Summer 2003 - Spring/Summer 2014 |
| V | Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons | since Autumn/Winter 1992 |
| W | The Beatles Comme des Garçons | since Spring/Summer 2009 |
| Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons Man | since Spring/Summer 2002 | |
| eYe Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons Man | since 2005 | |
| X | Comme des Garçons Homme Plus | Spring/Summer 1985 - Autumn/Winter 2005 |
| Rei Kawakubo [Comme des Garçons Homme Plus] | Spring/Summer 1985 - Autumn/Winter 1995 | |
| Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons Denim | 2014 - Autumn/Winter 2021 | |
| Y | Junya Watanabe Comme des Garçons Man | Spring/Summer 2002 - Autumn/Winter 2005 |
| Z | Peggy Moffitt Comme des Garçons | Spring/Summer 2003 - Autumn/Winter 2005 |
| Comme des Garçons Chrome Hearts | Spring/Summer 2012 - 2019 |
This character denotes what type of garment the item is. Sometimes the product code doesn't specify
| Character | Description |
|---|---|
| B | Button-up |
| C | Coat |
| J | Jacket |
| K | Miscellaneous |
| N | Knitwear |
| O | One-piece |
| P | Pant or Short |
| S | Skirt or Suit |
| T | Top or Track pant |
| V | Vest |
| X | Unspecified |
| Z | Unspecified |
This character denotes the month an item was produced in. This information can help identify which season an item belongs to prior to 2001, or in cases where other information is missing from the tag.
| Month Number | Main Production | Auxiliary Production |
|---|---|---|
| 01, 02, 03 | Autumn/Winter of year | Spring/Summer of year |
| 04, 05, 06 | Autumn/Winter of year | - |
| 07, 08, 09 | Spring/Summer of next year | Autumn/Winter of year |
| 10, 11, 12 | Spring/Summer of next year | - |
Prior to 2001 there is no clear indicator of season on the product tag,
| Character | Year/Season |
|---|---|
| A or B | Spring/Summer 2001 |
| C or D | Autumn/Winter 2001 |
| E or F | Spring/Summer 2002 |
| G or H | Autumn/Winter 2002 |
| I or J | Spring/Summer 2003 |
| K or L | Autumn/Winter 2003 |
| M | Spring/Summer 2004 |
| Spring/Summer 2014 | |
| Spring/Summer 2024 | |
| N | Autumn/Winter 2004 |
| Autumn/Winter 2014 | |
| Autumn/Winter 2024 | |
| O | Spring/Summer 2005 |
| Spring/Summer 2015 | |
| P | Autumn/Winter 2005 |
| Autumn/Winter 2015 | |
| Q | Spring/Summer 2006 |
| Spring/Summer 2016 | |
| R | Autumn/Winter 2006 |
| Autumn/Winter 2016 | |
| S | Spring/Summer 2007 |
| Spring/Summer 2017 | |
| T | Autumn/Winter 2007 |
| Autumn/Winter 2017 | |
| A | Spring/Summer 2008 |
| Spring/Summer 2018 | |
| B | Autumn/Winter 2008 |
| Autumn/Winter 2018 | |
| C | Spring/Summer 2009 |
| Spring/Summer 2019 | |
| D | Autumn/Winter 2009 |
| Autumn/Winter 2019 | |
| E | Spring/Summer 2010 |
| Spring/Summer 2020 | |
| F | Autumn/Winter 2010 |
| Autumn/Winter 2020 | |
| G | Spring/Summer 2011 |
| Spring/Summer 2021 | |
| H | Autumn/Winter 2011 |
| Autumn/Winter 2021 | |
| I | Spring/Summer 2012 |
| Spring/Summer 2022 | |
| J | Autumn/Winter 2012 |
| Autumn/Winter 2022 | |
| K | Spring/Summer 2013 |
| Spring/Summer 2023 | |
| L | Autumn/Winter 2013 |
| Autumn/Winter 2023 | |
| U, Z* | Unspecified |
Note: *With line ID F, Z is for Comme des Garçons Shirt Forever.
Prior to 2001 some product codes have an extra character after the style number indicating the size of the garment
| Character | Description |
|---|---|
| S | Small |
| M | Medium |
| L | Large |
| X | Extra Large |
Note: Since 2001 Comme des Garçons generally comes in five sizes for garments SS or XS indicates extra small, while XL or X indicates extra large
The production year is when the garment was made. It did not appear on tags prior to 1988.
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| blank 1988 | AD + prod. year |
Introduced in S/S '05 to CDG CDG and S/S '21 to CDG Shirt together with the regular product code. May be absent on certain items produced since 2001 and accessories.
Label size* (mm): 30x36 - 60x60. May vary for accessories.
| Month no. | Main prod. | Aux. prod. |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | A/W of year | S/S of year |
| 02 | A/W of year | S/S of year |
| 03 | A/W of year | S/S of year |
| 04 | A/W of year | |
| 06 | A/W of year | |
| 07 | S/S of year | A/W of year |
| 08 | S/S of year | A/W of year |
| 09 | S/S of year | A/W of year |
| 10 | S/S of year | |
| 11 | S/S of year | |
| 12 | S/S of year |
| Season | ID |
|---|---|
| S/S 2001 | A or B |
| A/W 2001 | C or D |
| S/S 2002 | E or F |
| A/W 2002 | G or H |
| S/S 2003 | I or J |
| A/W 2003 | K or L |
| S/S 2004 | M |
| S/S 2005 | O |
| A/W 2005 | P |
| S/S 2006 | Q |
| A/W 2006 | R |
| S/S 2007 | S |
| A/W 2007 | T |
| S/S 2008 | A |
| A/W 2008 | B |
| S/S 2009 | C |
| A/W 2009 | D |
| S/S 2010 | E |
| A/W 2010 | F |
| S/S 2011 | G |
| A/W 2011 | H |
| S/S 2012 | I |
| A/W 2012 | J |
| S/S 2013 | K |
| A/W 2013 | L |
| S/S 2014 | M |
| A/W 2014 | N |
| S/S 2015 | O |
| A/W 2015 | P |
| S/S 2016 | Q |
| A/W 2016 | R |
| S/S 2017 | S |
| A/W 2017 | T |
| S/S 2018 | A |
| A/W 2018 | B |
| S/S 2019 | C |
| A/W 2019 | D |
| S/S 2020 | E |
| A/W 2020 | F |
| S/S 2021 | G |
| A/W 2021 | H |
| S/S 2022 | I |
| A/W 2022 | J |
| S/S 2023 | K |
| A/W 2023 | L |
| S/S 2024 | M |
| A/W 2024 | N |
| Unspecified | U, Z* |
Notes:
- Each entry details the Season ID (S/S for Spring/Summer and A/W for Autumn/Winter) alongside the corresponding letters for each year. Some years feature singular season codes, indicating specific or limited collections.
- With line ID F, Z* is for CdG Shirt Forever.