Whatever Happened to Winns? (1960s-1970s)

Though the State Library of New South Wales' online collection of Winns catalogues stops in 1955, the store (and the Library's collection of catalogues in hard copy) continued into the late 1970s.  Fortunately, I own a few Winns catalogues from the 1960s and 1970s, so let's take a quick look at the fashions Winns was retailing and find out what happened to the store.

First, from the beginning of the 1960s, two summer frocks, pretty and conventional.

Spring-Summer 1960

 

Left: SATIN COTTON DRESS.  Full circle skirt and new wide belt.  Low neckline at back.  Colours: green peonies, blue peonies or red.

Right: NINNETTE OF MELBOURNE.  Poplin shirtmaker with contrasting striped cummerbund.  In pastels French blue, French pink, beige or in lime.

Autumn-Winter 1967

By the middle of the decade things were looking decidely more "mod", even  in the mainstream.

Left: Smart Coat Dress—the new Style Setter!  Worn with confidence by all age groups from sixteen to sixty.  Double breasted step-in style.  Prince of Wales check, emphasised with black covered buttons.

Right: Streamlined skimmer frock in 100% Pure Wool.  Shaped with artful seaming and highlighted with check collar and button trim.  Long back zip. 

 

Spring-Summer 1967

 In Spring-Summer 1967 Winns offers loose-fitting dresses with "Abstract colouring blocked out like sunshine..."

At left: Caftan with the glamour of the East.  An "all occasion" shift shape.  Set-in sleeves with wide cuffs worn turned up or down.  Mod-art design, vibrant with colour focused on flame pinks, gay greens or brilliant blues.

Centre: Linen-like cotton shift with striking bursts of colour.  Square neck—lower at back.  Multi floral design on harmonising grounds with tans, lemons or greens predominating.

Right: Screen printed satin cotton.  Sleeveless caftan style.  Crew neckband finishes with bow at back opening.  Colour unlimited with emphasis on glowing pinks, orange and blues.

In 1968 The Bulletin ran a long-ish article on Winns as a business—which was apparently thriving:

For a long time Winns has be considered a conservative, sleepy, family company which has quietly made enough profit to provide a good income for the Winn family.  Actually, this is another of the sharemarket myths which get asserted as solid fact after they have been floating around for a while...

Apart from activities in retail stores, Winns is operating a highly profitable mail-order business with thousands of customers throughout Australia and the Pacific Islands.  In the mail-order business Winns is one of the top two in Australia has the distinction of being the largest user of  the Post Office's parcel post facility.  Twice yearly (end of February and beginning of August) the company mails out an 80-page catalogue containing 1200 different products in a size and colour range which lifts the contents to just under 30,000 items.  The use of six punched-tape accounting machines feeding a data-processing installation ensures ensures peak efficiency in mail-order business.

The Bulletin, 9 November 1968

It almost sounds like the Amazon of its era!

Spring-Summer 1969

Winns goes groovy in 1969.  These garments are covered in stylised daisies (a trend begun by Mary Quant) but they're a far cry from the floral frock of earlier decades!

Left: New party-going hostess culottes to help you swing through summer evenings, have their own built-in bra!  They're the ideal way to keep it casual—with flair!  Cool and oh-so-comfortable, they're going to be the favourite of your summer wardrobe.

Right: This pretty playsuit is just made for you to go sailing, sunning and partying in... go to beaches, barbeques, or just laze around looking great!  No excuses now!  You can't help being the hit of the season when you're all matched up so perfectly.

In 1971 Winns was still very profitable, and considered ripe for a takeover bid.  And on the cover of its Spring-Summer catalogue of 1972 it offered the fashions below:

Spring-Summer 1972

Left: Easy care Treilon Frock.  The low set pleated skirt and cool V-neckline finished with a smart scarf gives this frock a very youthful look.

Right: Pants Suit.  The blazer jacket puts you among the best dressed of the season.  This smartly cut style may be allied with white or navy slacks making it the perfect co-ordinating outfit.  Made in fully washable pique and "Crimplene".

Autumn-Winter 1974

Left: The plush velveteen suit has embroidered trim on shoulder and Self buttons on jacket.

Centre: Now... the look of luxury in imitation Ponyhide.  Has rich fur-like trim.

Right: Sweet Velveteen with old-world lace frill front and elasticised blousy sleeves.

Notice the short skirts!  Miniskirts remained popular in Australia (at least at the lower end of the market) long after they'd gone out of fashion elsewhere.

Meanwhile, in spite of "the look of luxury" the economy was hitting a rough patch.  "Stagflation" was making its mark, postwar prosperity was winding down, and for the first time since the war Winns addressed its customers like this:

Dear Mail Order Customer,

As you are undoubtedly aware, world wide shortages of raw materials have resulted in severe shortages in manufactured goods.  To avoid disappointment we suggest you order early, this applies particularly to apparel where a second choice should be nominated.

By 1978, Winns owed money everywhere—including $160,000 for the printing of its catalogues!  Winns' creditors agreed to let it try and trade its way out of its difficulties, but in September 1979 the firm went into receivership.

I'll conclude this entry with one last story combining fashion with finance.

ANOTHER sidelight on the amazing Alfred Y. Zion, the Melbourne businessman who has gone abroad leaving a lot of his creditors wondering when they might see something out of $8-million odd owing.

Among many of his unfortunate experiences in the business world was his takeover battle for the losing Sydney retailer Winns Ltd now in receivership.

In an effort to help the embattled staff at this down-market women's fashion group, he sent a container load of frocks up for stock.

But when the box was opened, even the Winns buyers were appalled—they were out of season, out of fashion, out of this world.

The lid was quickly put back on the container and back to Zion in Melbourne it went.  Zion sent it up a second time and again it was returned.  the unwanted consignment was laid to rest in a warehouse and an unfortunate fire later consumed the lot.

The Bulletin, 18 September 1979