【The Ultimate Guide】Decoding Yohji Yamamoto’s Inner Tag: 3 Steps to Identify Season, Year, and Value
Yohji Yamamoto items are highly valued, with the appraisal varying significantly based on the age and season of the piece, due to the brand's long history and diverse lines. Legendary collection items, in particular, hold immense collector value.
However, Yohji Yamamoto's product numbers follow a unique, proprietary rule, making it difficult to determine the collection of an item at a glance.
In this article, we provide the complete reference tables and 3 essential steps to accurately decipher the product number on the inner tag of your Yohji Yamamoto garment, allowing you to identify exactly "when and under which line it was born."
1. Why Analyzing the Inner Tag (Product Number) is Crucial
The value of a Yohji Yamamoto item transcends mere design and material:
- Determining Vintage Value: Original items from legendary collections like the 1990s “Hana to Shonen” (Flower and Boy) or “Marionette” are distinguished from replicas and current pieces, commanding high collector prices.
- Material Identification: The final digits of the product number can offer clues to identifying materials like the iconic "Wool Gabardine" or "Wrinkled Gabardine" (Shiwa Gaba).
- Line Verification: It allows you to accurately confirm which line the item belongs to (Pour Homme, Y's, Ground Y, etc.).
2. 【Practical】3 Steps to Determine the Season from the Product Number
Product numbers for major Yohji Yamamoto lines (Yohji Yamamoto / Y's, etc.) are typically structured as follows:
【Basic Product Code Structure】
[Alphabet ①] - [Alphabet ② + Number 2 Digits] - [Number 3 Digits]
- Example: YR-C80-002
- Y = Brand
- R = Manufacturing Year (Season)
- C80 = Item Type + Model Number
Here is how to analyze this structure step-by-step.
Step 1: Identify the First Letter of the Code【Brand Line】
The first alphabet (①) indicates the brand line to which the item belongs. If the codes overlap, please refer to the brand tag as well.
| ① Brand Code | Brand Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| **F** | Yohji Yamamoto Femme (ヨウジヤマモト ファム) | Women's Main Line |
| **H** | Yohji Yamamoto Pour Homme (ヨウジヤマモト プール オム) | Men's High-End Line |
| **H** | BLACK Scandal Yohji Yamamoto | |
| **N** | B Yohji Yamamoto / Yohji Yamamoto +NOIR / RAGNE KIKAS for Yohji Yamamoto | |
| **G** | Ground Y (グランド ワイ) | Unisex/Ageless Line |
| **U** | s'yte (サイト) | E-Commerce Exclusive Line |
| **Y** | Y's (ワイズ) / Y's Pink / MICHIKO by Y's / KAYO NAKAMURA by Y's / RISMAT by Y's / Y's BANG ON! / Gipsy | Women's Lines |
| **M** | Y's for Men (ワイズフォーメン) | Men's Line (Currently Suspended) |
| **D** | discord Yohji Yamamoto (ディスコード) | Bags/Accessories Line |
| **H** | GOTHIC YOHJI YAMAMOTO | |
| **–** | Y-3 (ワイスリー) | Collaboration with adidas |
| **W** | WILDSIDE YOHJI YAMAMOTO | |
| **P** | power of the WHITE shirt | |
| **F** | Yohji Yamamoto Collections |
Step 2: Check the Second Letter【Manufacturing Year (Season)】
The second alphabet (②) is the code for the season (year). This system was adopted starting from the 1992SS season. Items without a product number are generally inferred to be pre-1991AW.
Note: This alphabet lacks regularity and may overlap between seasons. This table is not absolute, as models added mid-season may have separate codes.
| ② Season Code | Season (Year) | ② Season Code | Season (Year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Z** | 1992SS / 2009AW / 2019SS / 2023SS | **R** | 2006SS / 2016AW / 2020AW Pre |
| **S** | 1992AW / 2005SS / 2024SS | **B** | 2006AW / 1995SS / 2000SS / 2012SS / 2020AW Pre |
| **O** | 1993SS / 2011SS / 2016SS / 2024AW | **T** | 2007SS / 1994SS / 2000AW |
| **P** | 1993AW / 2011AW / 2025SS | **X** | 2007AW / 2001SS / 2013SS |
| **T** | 1994SS / 2000AW / 2007SS | **M** | 2008SS / 2002AW / 2021AW PRE |
| **V** | 1994AW / 2001AW / 2009SS / 2018AW / 2022AW | **E** | 2008AW / 1995AW / 2002SS / 2022AW |
| **B** | 1995SS / 2000SS / 2006AW / 2012SS / 2020AW Pre | **V** | 2009SS / 1994AW / 2001AW / 2018AW / 2022AW |
| **E** | 1995AW / 2002SS / 2008AW / 2022AW | **Z** | 2009AW / 1992SS / 2019SS / 2023SS |
| **F** | 1996SS / 2014AW / 2018AW PRE | **J** | 2010SS / 1998SS / 2023AW |
| **G** | 1996AW / 2014SS / 2021SS / 2022SS | **C** | 2010AW / 1999SS / 2019AW |
| **U** | 1997SS / 2003AW / 2015SS | **D** | 2012AW / 2017SS |
| **I** | 1997AW / 2018AW PRE | **Q** | 2013AW / 2003SS |
| **J** | 1998SS / 2010SS / 2023AW | **F** | 2014AW / 1996SS / 2018AW PRE |
| **Y** | 1998AW / 2015AW | **K** | 2017AW |
| **C** | 1999SS / 2010AW / 2019AW | **W** | 2018SS |
| **N** | 1999AW / 2005AW / 2020SS | **H** | 2019SS / 2021AW |
| **X** | 2001SS / 2007AW / 2013SS | **G** | 2021SS / 1996AW / 2014SS / 2022SS |
| **Q** | 2003SS / 2013AW | **M** | 2021AW PRE / 2002AW / 2008SS |
| **H** | 2004SS / 2019SS / 2021AW | **O** | 2024AW / 1993SS / 2011SS / 2016SS |
| **J** | 2004AW / 1998SS / 2010SS / 2023AW | **P** | 2025SS / 1993AW / 2011AW |
Step 3: Check the Third Letter (Before the Two Digits)【Item Type】
The third alphabet (③) indicates the type or category of the item.
| Alphabet (③) | Item Type |
|---|---|
| **C** | Coat |
| **J** | Jacket |
| **P** | Pants |
| **S** | Skirt |
| **T** | T-shirt |
| **H** | Shirt |
| **K** | Knit |
| **A** | Accessory |
| **B** | Bag |
| **W** | Wallet/Small Leather Goods |
| **Z** | Miscellaneous |
3. 【Applied Analysis】Legendary Masterpiece Collections
Once you can analyze the product codes, you can identify original items from the legendary collections that are highly valued in the market.
1994AW "Marionette" (Yohji Yamamoto POUR HOMME)
- Season Code: **V** (1994AW)
- Feature: Styles that evoked puppet costumes, complete with silk hats and walking sticks. It was later reproduced as a replica in 2019AW, but the original items are incredibly rare.
1996SS "Hana to Shonen" (Flower and Boy) (Yohji Yamamoto POUR HOMME)
- Season Code: **F** (1996SS)
- Feature: A definitive masterpiece for the brand. Featured Japanese motifs like peonies and phoenixes boldly placed on solid black fabric, creating a decadent, impactful aesthetic.
1999AW "Gypsy" (Yohji Yamamoto POUR HOMME)
- Season Code: **N** (1999AW)
- Feature: Inspired by the Romani people (Gypsies). The legendary show featured all models playing musical instruments. The relaxed silhouettes are compatible with current oversized trends.
2002SS "Actress" (Yohji Yamamoto POUR HOMME)
- Season Code: **E** (2002SS)
- Feature: A series featuring embroidered silhouettes or illustrations of actresses by illustrator Saeko Tsunemura. Items featuring white silhouettes on black fabric are timelessly popular.