Defunkd

[zaini86]

i need help on my shirt, can anyone suggest anything from the pic? its look new to me..

[jimmyj]

At first glance I thought, for sure, this is real. But I'm actually calling repro on this.

I believe the red version of the tag is from the 50s, which fits with the history of Bireley's.

There are a few odd things about the tag - first, it looks like it folds over, whereas I have only known the red Healthknits with this design not to be one slab:

http://www.defunkd.com/2010/07/04/healthknit/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I can't confirm if that's 100% the case, BUT the main reason I got skeptical of this shirt is the French on it? I've never seen that on any other Healthknit tag or any vintage (or modern day) U.S. tag for that matter especially one that was printed in the 50s:

"Indications Au Dos"

The decision maker for me is when I researched Bireley's and noticed that it's distributed in Japan by Asahi:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asahi_Soft_Drinks" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So this brand would be a recognizable one to the Japanese public...and a more appealing design to repro there.

I've been fielding a lot of questions from Malaysia recently where they present items with rare tags that are in mint condition. Like a pair of 40s Lee jeans that aside from being mint had all the proper characteristics - but had this extra tag attached to it.

Something tells me there are a lot of Japanese repros being unloaded in Malaysia. And it seems to me they are counterfeiting a lot more than I thought - old t-shirt brands - ie this Champion runner shirt seems pretty suspect:

Reminds me of a previous post:

real-repro-f8/whats-this-t387.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

We discussed repros being too good to be true, extra bells and whistles put on items that shouldn't really be there in certain instances - like French translation.

[Frank]

Move over, Jessica Fletcher!

I definitely buy your argument.

PS. That so-called Champion Runner shirt is a terrible fake!

[jimmyj]

Haha, I was thinking Matlock-ish.

[hermosavtg]

Seems like a lot of trouble to go to for a repro orange juice t-shirt

[jimmyj]

It's not just any orange juice...

it's Bireley's™

[CRAZYBUBBA]

It's not really a fake right?. Sometime ago (Around 2000?) champion released running man repros which have some characteristics (like a 90s esque champion "C" logo on the sleeve, satin like label, modern cut) to denote the fact that it's a repro.

The LEE japan repros are deadly accurate right? I can't remember now, but I think that they even made specially branded "cowboy" buttons, leather patches with "Lee Mercantile ...." etc on them. LVC should be ashamed.

[jimmyj]

What the O.J. shirt? I think it is! Find me another Healthknit tag with French on it and I'll be happy to eat...or drink my words!

With some of the t-shirts people here are reproducing, what makes this a stretch? Vintage is huge biz in Japan and reproductions aren't viewed the same way we view them.

Maybe I'm crazy but keep it in the back of your mind while looking at tags...let me know if you find any common vintage U.S. tags with French on them.

Apparently Japan is the only place Bireley's is still sold - maybe nicotine can give us the scoop.