Vintage T-Shirt Forum & Community Authentication Appraisals

I have a black 1992 shirt that is unwashed and have of course been concerned about dry rot. However in the past month I've done the tug test on various spots and not been able to produce any evidence of damage, nor does it smell like maple syrup to me.

What I'm wondering is - are there ever exceptions in the black dying process of this time period? And if dry rot were to manifest on a 1992 shirt, would it not be evident by now? (For context, this shirt a collectible piece that I store boxed with archival tissue - it is not being worn or hung on a hanger, and I would prefer to not put it through any machine washes if unnecessary). Thanks for any additional insight on this unfortunate topic!

Absolutely, not all, in fact many black deadstock tees don't wind up with it. I just dug through my collection with the same concerns, found 8 deadstock tees, only one had dry rot.

And yes, at this stage in the game, anything from the 90s, if it had dry rot, would be evident.

Did you do the test on the inside lower seam? Need a real tight concentrated pinch and tug with your finger tips.