Australia's Lost Department Stores IX: McDowells (Spring & Summer 1941-42)

McDowells was one of Sydney's smaller department stores, and like so many others, began as a drapery in the 19th century.  It was founded as John McDowell and Partners in 1889, and became McDowell and Coogan in 1893 when one of the original partners dropped out.  In 1895 it became McDowell and Hughes, when Hughes bought out Coogan, finally becoming McDowells Ltd in 1917.  

McDowells prided itself of old-fashioned service and providing value for money.  Staff often spent their whole careers there, and discipline was considered to be firm, but fair.  (That didn't stop one enterprising manager stealing 70 dozen pairs of stockings from his employer in the early 1920s!)  Notably, McDowells refused to reduce the pay of its employees during the Great Depression.

McDowells did a lot of business via mail-order catalogue, which brings me to this publication from 1941.

The front cover hopes "for a brighter year!" but history tells us that they would be disappointed.  Meanwhile they were advertising a "FROCK you will love to wear to any function" in "SHEER GEORGETTE", a "FLORAL FROCK" in crepe with a silhouette "emphasised by the drama of a WHIRL OF PLEATS", a "WASHING FROCK attractively styled in ... a good quality LINEN LIKE FABRIC" and lastly, a dress cut with "9 complete Gores" in a "Flower-splashed distinctive SUEDE CREPE".

It's a fairly good selection of early wartime fashions, but as wartime economies bit clothes would become less generous in their use of materials.  Tucks, pleats and 9-gored skirts would no longer be allowed.

Myer Catalogue, Spring & Xmas 1929

 I had this picture in mind for 1929 ever since I started this project.  Here we have some fashionable, higher-end ready-to-wear garments sold by the Myer Emporium in Melbourne.

01—Smart SPUN SILK FROCK, in this semi-tailored style, pleated from yoke back and front; red, lemon, white, almond and beige.

02—ENSEMBLE SUIT, with full-length coat of woollen crepe-de-chine and frock of printed artificial silk; coat lined to match frock.

02—TAILORED COSTUME, of fine worsted suiting, in light brown, fawn, beige or grey tones; silk-lined coat, in single or double-breasted style; wrap skirt.

04—An elegant FROCK of printed silk crepe-de-chine, on black, navy and colored grounds; scarf collar, three slightly flared frills on skirt, buckled belt.  

 Short skirted and drop waisted, these fashions are still very much of the 1920s with only the tiniest hints of the decade to come.   

Bayadere Cotton Dress (Myer, Spring-Summer 1954)

 Real life™ prevented me from posting last week.  This week I thought I'd post something cheerful, summery, and very, very 1950s.

Bayadere Cotton Dress

So casual . . . eye-catching . . .

Such value, too!  319HA: Cleverly fashioned to highlight a striking bayadere print.  Cool square neckline, cap sleeves and skirt of unpressed pleats.  Enchantment in royal blue, green, grey, carnation ruby.

"Bayadere" derived its name (though a number of steps) from Hindu temple dancers in southern India.  It has come to mean a fabric of brightly contrasting horizontal stripes.  This version is a printed cotton, though any material could be used.

Bridal Couple (Between 1883 and 1886)

This photograph has a connection to one of Australia's lost department stores!

Inscribed on the back is the name and address of the studio where the photograph was taken:

 GEORGE & GEORGE'S

FEDERAL STUDIO

11, 13, 15 & 17 Collins St East

MELBOURNE

George and George's Federal Emporium was located at this address between 1883 and 1888.  The photographic studio was one of the services they offered, along with products such as "Dress goods, Manchester goods, soft goods, &c, &c".  George & George's Federal Emporium became simply "George's" sometime after the turn of the century, and it remained Melbourne's most fashionable high-end department store until it closed in 1995.

The back of the photograph also gives us the name of the photographer:

F.E. ELLIOTT

PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTIST

F.E. Elliott was Florence Elliott, a photographer who worked at the Federal Studio between 1883 and 1886.

I don't know if the bridal couple are wearing anything bought at George's (the lace? the veil? gloves? the outsize bouquet?) but it would be nice to think that they did!

What We Wore in '74: Hostess Gowns (David Jones, Spring-Summer 1974)

 Hostess gowns.  Worn between the 1930s and the 1970s they were full length gowns for entertaining at home.  Not as formal as full evening dress, these versions from 1974 are fashionably loose and made up in vibrant prints.  The counterculture of the late 1960s has influenced their design—for example, though the catalogue doesn't describe it as such, the dress in the centre of the top picture is clearly a kaftan!

A. An exciting new American print on cool Arnel jersey, styled to a floating A-line empire featuring long front zip, self tie and lots of interest at the back.

B. Glamorous American model copy... the new-look float in breezy Arnel jersey.  All-in-one body and sleeve for a slim, easy fit and featuring contrast trim with ric-rac braid.

C. A fabulous border print and winged cape sleeves make a perfect combination in this flowing design.  Fitted to the waist, with high front neckline and slightly lower back.

Australia's Lost Department Stores VIII: Boans (Spring-Summer 1958-59)

 Most of the department stores I've discussed so far have been clustered in the big cities of the east coast, but now I'm heading to the city of Perth in the far west of Australia.  Western Australia is separated from the rest of the country by immense stretches of desert and Perth lies over 2,131 kilometres from Adelaide, the nearest capital city.  However the story of Boans is fairly typical for an Australian department store.  It begins in 1895 when Harry Boans arrived in Perth and set up a "grand palace of drapery".

(The cover depicts Boans's new—in 1958—suburban store at Cannington:

Boans Waverley, with its 35,000 square feet of space containing 80 departments, will be open from 8.35 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. on weekdays, and from 8.35 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

Facilities included free parking, a playground, a hairdresser, a subscription library, dry cleaning, shoe repair and a chiropodist!)

What We Wore in '74: Denim Jeans (Winns, Autumn-Winter 1974)

When I wake up in the morning light
I pull on my jeans and I feel all right
I pull my blue jeans on
I pull my old blue jeans on (cha, cha)

David Dundas released this song in 1976, but it's just as appropriate for 1974 (or for that matter, 1978).  For the young, the 1970s was truly the Age of  (Blue) Denim. 

D. Wide denim jeans with banded top, loops, contrast stitching piping on side seams, back-yoke and slanted pockets.  Comes in navy.

B. A splash of embroidery on brushed denim jeans, give a whole new look.  Fly front, slotted waistline, finish the pants line.

In 1974, fashionably cut jeans were relatively high in the waist, fitting tightly from the buttocks to the knees, and from the knees down, flared.  Ideally they were somewhat faded.  Teens and twenty-somethings whose new jeans weren't tight or faded enough often took matters into their own hands and "customised" them by wearing them in the bath until they shrank to fit!

Australia's Lost Department Stores VII (Marcus Clark, Spring-Summer 1935)

 Here's yet another long lost Sydney department store: Marcus Clark.

Marcus Clark was slightly different from its competitors, in that it began in the suburbs (in Newtown in 1883) rather than the city centre, and almost right from the start started opening other suburban branches (in Marrickville and Bondi Junction).  It was not until 1896 that it opened its first store in the city.

Australia's Lost Department Stores VI (The Mutual Store, Autumn & Winter 1938)

Finally, I'm escaping Sydney. I'm heading to Melbourne this post to visit The Mutual Store.  

As its name indicates, it began as a cooperative store.   It was founded in 1873 to provide members (who had to hold at least three shares) cheap provisions and household goods.  It got off to a somewhat rocky start, with members of the public writing to the papers to complain about the quality of the goods (or were they rival retailers trying to discredit the competition?)  However, it soon grew to be something much larger and very different.

19W1.  Fur Trimmed Coat in newest Angora coating, with luxurious collar of American Opossum.  Perfect fitting, fully lined, unique trimmed sleeve effect.

26W1.  Young Matron's Hat, in Fur Felt, new season's style, in all colours and fittings.

23W1.  Maid's Light Woollen Frock, smartly cut, with belt and button trimming, pleats in skirt back and front.  Green tea (as photo), Fawn or Rose.

26W2.  Maid's Felt Tam Hat, smart, attractive style, in all colours and fittings.

30W1.  Men's Pure Wool Tweed Overcoat, in neat check and overcheck designs in fawn, brown and grey shades—single breasted (as photo) or double breasted style in all men's fittings.

29W1.  Men's Hats.  The M.S. "Melolite"—a fine pure fur felt Australian Hat in brown, steel, rust, self.

Australia's Lost Department Stores V (Grace Brothers, Spring 1948)

 At last, a lost department store I can remember!  Though Grace Brothers was taken over by Myer in the 1980s, it continued trading under its original name until 1999. 

ME91R—Ensemble of British Delustered Crepe Rayon for smart Matrons.  Frock features the new treatment of self plaiting on shoulder and soft shirring on bust.  Self covered buttons and loops to waist line and pleats in front of skirt.  Matching coat with self plaiting on shoulder and sleeves.

Known as "The Model Store", Grace Brothers began in 1885 when two immigrants—J.N. and A.E. Grace—opened a small shop in Sydney.  Two years later they moved to larger premises on The Broadway, Glebe, and their story from that point was one of expansion—first outwards, into neighbouring premises, then upwards into a purpose-built, multi-story building.

Grace Brothers began its move to the suburbs early, opening a branch in Parramatta and a branch in Bondi in 1933.  Depression and war prevented Grace Brothers from moving further afield until the 1950s, but meanwhile they introduced all the latest conveniences to their main store: Otis elevators, chrome furniture, a hair and beauty salon and an 'American Shop' where they sold the newest fashions from the United States.  They even built an auditorium, which hosted many events, including fashion parades, Christmas pantomimes and farewell dances for soldiers during the Second World War. 

During the war, Grace Brothers' premises was commandeered by the Federal government for use as General MacArthur's headquarters.  This was not quite the disaster for the store that it first appears, as the compensation they eventually received for it enabled Grace Brothers' postwar expansion.  They expanded their suburban empire, introduced an in-house credit scheme (Graceway Home Credit), started a removalist service (still going strong today) and a travel bureau.  They were even the first retailer in Australia to install a computer—a "massive" IBM in 1967.

Grace Brothers was listed as a public company in 1960, which lead to a strange turn of events in 1983.  Grace Brothers moved in on its Melbourne rival Myer, taking over its Sydney and country stores, only to see Myer turning the tables and taking over Grace Brothers in turn!  

Like most other big department stores, Grace Brothers' main business was selling clothing and acessories.  These things figure prominently in their catalogues and in their magazine "The Model Trader".  In the beginning, most of the clothing they sold was made-to-measure, with vast workrooms hidden behind the scenes in their Broadway store.  By the First World War the workrooms were being replaced by stockrooms as people started buying ready-to-wear. 

Australia's Lost Department Stores IV (Murdoch's, Spring-Summer 1942)

 Unusually—perhaps uniquely—Murdoch's began as a store selling menswear.  Opened in 1893 as "Murdoch's, Hatter and Mercer" on Park Street, Sydney, it catered exclusively to men and boys for the first thirty years of its life.  (They advertised a wonderful line of goods for "Our Boys in the Trenches!" during the First World War.)  Women began to edge into the picture in the 1920s by way of ladies' "Surfo" brand "bathing costumes".  By the end of the decade it was possible to buy women's accessories from Murdoch's, including gloves, handkerchiefs, handbags and perfume!

Murdoch's was no doubt aware that women did a lot of the purchasing for their menfolk when they placed this advertisement in 1939:

Ladies!  When you alight from the tram, train or 'bus at Park Street to meet a friend, make Murdoch's Rest Room, on the Second Floor, your rendezvous.

Murdoch's introduced a ladies' tailoring department in July 1939, but it seems to have only fully embraced selling women's clothes during World War II.  Perhaps with so many men off fighting, or "making-do" with the clothes they had at home, Murdoch needed to find new customers.

THE 3 SMART GIRLS on FRONT Cover

THE LASS IN PINK—wears a most attractive frock of Sundek linen ... a splendid garment for everyday, Summer wear.  Built on tailored lines, with smart V piece inlet into bodice.  Trimmed with covered buttons.

HER COMPANION looks smart in frock of Striped Wemco Sheer.  Popular shirtmaker style with pockets, contrast buttons and buckle.  Pleat in back of bodice to give extra freedom.

THE YOUNG LADY on the extreme right is smartly clad in a guaranteed "Betterknit" frock... an up-to-the-minute style that you won't be able to resist!  Beautifully cut in shirt style, with two-way neck.

R.A.A.F.—(As illustrated on front cover.) Craftsman's Blue Cheviot tunic and trousers.

Murdoch's was purchased by Waltons Department Store in 1951, which was in turn taken over by Sears Roebuck (yes, the American firm) in 1955. Walton-Sears continued trading at Murdoch's old address until it closed in 1987.

"Myer: Celebrating 100 Years of Fashion" by Stella M. Barber

 No doubt, some of my regular readers will recognise the name "Myer" from my "Lost Department Stores of Australia" series.  That's because it's not only a store that is definitely not lost, but also because it took over (and rebranded) many of the independent stores I've been writing about.

Myer: Celebrating 100 Years of Fashion is a bid of a hybrid.  It is the history of a department store... and it is a history of twentieth century fashion.  To tell you the truth, it is fairly superficial on both topics.  The fashion history looks at the major trends in women's clothing decade-by-decade from 1900 to the early 21st century.  The department store history hits the high points of Myer's story in the same period, with particular emphasis on the selling of fashion.  Thus we learn that Myer had a "Model salon" specialising in haute couture during the 1950s and held fashion parades, without getting much information about either.  The same goes for the Myer Miss Teen Shop and the Myer woollen mills (to name just another couple of examples).

(To be fair, this is clearly meant to be a promotional publication, and the author has written much more detailed books about Myer and members of the Myer family!)

Where Myer: Celebrating 100 Years of Fashion excels, however (and why I bought it) is in the illustrations.  Myer not only has an extensive archive of its own, but has acquired the archives of all the stores it has taken over.  The editors of this book have happily dug into all of this material, reproducing pages from catalogues (not necessarily its own) advertisments, invitations and brochures, photographs of their stores and events, and pictures of models wearing the latest Myer fashions down through the decades.  It's a visual delight!

Myer: celebrating 100 years of fashion / by Stella M. Barber
Woolloomooloo, N.S.W. : Focus Publishing, 2008
ISBN: 9781921156403

Australia's Lost Department Stores III (Farmer & Co., Autumn & Winter 1940)

 Farmer's called its twice-yearly catalogue a "Fashion Book", so it's easy to tell that its main business was selling clothes.

It began in 1840 as a shop on Pitt Street, Sydney, offering "a well selected and fashionable stock of drapery goods".  The store prospered, moved to progressively larger premises over the years and becoming a limited liability company in 1897.  By the beginning of the twentieth century shoppers were visiting a large, six-storey building on the corner of Market and Pitt Streets; a decade later Farmer and Company had acquired land and expanded into adjacent George street.  By 1937 Farmer's was able to boast that its store occupied one and a quarter acres of land!

Lest you think that size was all the Company had to brag about, they also proudly announced an art gallery (the Blaxland Galleries on the eighth and ninth floors of the George Street store), a commercial radio station license (from 1923), escalators (installed 1927) and from 1936, air-conditioning!

The cover of Farmer's Autumn & Winter Fashion Book for 1940 illustrates:

Left: UB40—A casual Swagger Coat, from cosy wool-boucle coating.  This swinging-style features square shoulders and neatly stitched collar.

Right: UB41—Swinging Swagger Coat in a soft, supple-wool coating.  Featuring Peter-Pan collar, square shoulders and four flap pockets.

Centre: LB55—Tailored, knitted Jumper Silk of pure wool.  Features smart straight neckline; yoke is trimmed with two tabs.  Plain, tailored skirt.

Sadly, after the war things didn't go so well for Farmer's.    Among other things, their customers were moving out to the ever expanding suburbs, making it harder for them to get to Farmer's city stores.  Farmer & Company tried following their customers, opening their first suburban branch in Gordon in 1960.   However, that didn't save the business, which was taken over by Myer in Melbourne in 1961.  No longer an independent entity, Farmer's continued trading in Sydney as "Farmer's" until 1976, when Myer re-branded its Sydney stores with its own name.

For those wanting to investigate further, Farmer's Spring and Summer Fashions catalogue for 1897 is available online.

Australia's Lost Department Stores II (Hordern Brothers, Spring and Summer 1935)

 Two branches of the Hordern family in Sydney owned department stores: Anthony Hordern's (Anthony Hordern and Sons) and Hordern Brothers.  This catalogue was issued by Hordern Brothers, the younger and smaller of the two stores.  Hordern Brothers ("Drapers and Mercers") was founded towards the end of  1882 by brothers Edward and Alfred Hordern, grandsons of the original Anthony Hordern.  They were still advertising for staff (milliners, drapers, saleswomen and "slop hands") in November that year, but by the 20th of December were able to offer:

YOUR DRESSES FOR CHRISTMAS

If you have left your Dressmaking orders until this week, you may unfortunately, owing to the pressure of orders, be unable to get them made before Xmas.  If so, give us a call for OUR READY-MADE COSTUMES.

While Anthony Hordern's saw itself as a "universal provider", Hordern Brothers specialised mostly in fashions and fabrics.

The cover of their catalogue for Spring and Summer 1935 and 1936 depicts some perfect examples of the lady-like fashions of the mid-1930s.  From left to right:

Summer Frock of Delustred Crepe in Margaret Rose pink, Jubilee blue, Canton green, navy and black.

Frock of Floral Linen in rose/blue/green on natural grounds.

Cape Suit in Check matt Crepe, in Saxe blue, deep coral and Marina green with black over-check.

Figured Marocain Frock, in navy/white and red/white, white/nigger and Lido white in varied assortment of designs.

 Note the references to members of the Royal Family, cashing in on George V's 1935 Silver Jubilee.  Dresses are offered in (Princess) Magaret Rose pink, and Marina (Duchess of Kent) green!

Australia's Lost Department Stores I (Craven's, Spring-Summer 1928-1929)

 Back in the twentieth century, each capital city in Australia had a city centre filled with locally owned and run department stores.  Shoppers were spoiled for choice, and a visit to "town" was not only a shopping expedition, but a day's entertainment as well.  However, all good things come to an end.  The growth of suburban shopping malls, the spread of credit cards (as opposed to store-based credit) and the beginning of online shopping meant that many department stores were no long economically viable.  One by one the stores closed down or were absorbed by more flourishing concerns.

Today, only a few department store chains remain in Australia.  Every city centre has the same selection of shops and stores, all selling the same goods at the same prices.  All that remains of the old department stores are a few photographs, advertising and articles in yellowing newspapers, and people's memories.  And, of course, the surviving store catalogues.

Over the years I've collected a few of these catalogues.  Though I don't have a full set (by a long shot!) I do have a fair sample.  I'd like to take a look at some of these stores—and the fashions they sold to their customers!

I'm going to start with Craven's of Adelaide.  This  is the oldest Australian store catalogue in my collection, and also one of the rarest.   Craven's was originally established in 1886 as Craven and Armstrong.  Upon the death of Armstrong in 1912, Craven turned the store into a limited liability company and expanded the premises on the corner of Pultney and Rundle streets.  Craven's developed a reputation for offering "value for money" as John Craven was a shrewd buyer of merchandise.    

Up to the early 1950s advertisements promoting Craven's appear in all the Adelaide newspapers.  Things fall oddly silent after that, though Craven's was still in business.  Possibly it was already past its best, but the store in Adelaide hung on until 1965, when it was burnt down during a burglary.  The burglars got away with around £3,000 in cash, while the fire did around £250,000 worth of damage!  Craven's was apparently of so little importance by 1965 that the fire and the burglary weren't even mentioned in the local papers.  Instead it was reported in the Canberra Times.

The image above is from the inside front cover of one of J. Craven & Co.'s catalogues (the cover itself being damaged).  It's from the store's heyday, and illustrates some delightfully "twenties" voile frocks on the left, and cotton dresses with matching bloomers for little girls on the right.

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

Found Online: Winns Catalogues VI (1950s)

 Now for the final installment of our study of Winns catalogues.  The State Library of New South Wales takes us to 1955, just before the advent of rock n' roll.  It's a conservative era, so don't expect any dramatic changes to the fashions.

Autumn and Winter 1950

As if to make up for the scantiness of the war years, all the clothes here use lots of material.  The skirts are long and full, the jackets boxy and full.

So snug and comfy are these finger length Topper Coats of Luxurious All Wool Coatings with brushed wool effect.  An ideal any occasion coat, being equally attractive over your evening frock as with street or sports wear.

A Superior Quality All Wool Fabric is used in this Sweepingly Full Flared Skirt.

Knitted Two-Piece Jumper Suits smartly styled in all wool fancy knitted design of self colours.  The jacket fits snuggly over the hips, the skirt is cut on a flare to give that swing.

My mother recalls being an awkward teenager around this time, and finding the calf-length skirts most unbecoming!

Spring & Summer 1950

This copy of Winns catalogue has been mended, and tape covers part of the text on the front cover.  This is a pity, because the dress on the left is made of a "Wonder Fabric", but the actual name of the fabric is hidden!   A number of new fabrics (trademarked or not) were being touted as "wonder fabrics" in 1950.  Here are a few of them:

• Miltum, a silvery fabric with a metal finish on one side
• Terylene, (an early polyester) just going into production at ICI in Britain
• Celanese, an acetate fabric
• And of course, Nylon, a decade old at this point, but coming into its own as the fabric of choice for making shirts, socks, lingerie, nightdresses and, of course, stockings!

That's leaving aside the natural fibres that were now being treated to make them crease-resistant, flame-retardant, moth-proof and colour-fast. Wonder fabrics indeed!

Autumn & Winter 1951

Winter 1951 sees a full-length coat and a suit feature on the front of Winns catalogue.  

These Smartly Cut Coats are featured in English All Wool Mohair Like fabric.  Generous swing style (note inset of back which is the feature of coat).  Attractively finished with large pockets and novelty button trim.  Fully lined of course.

This Charming Tween Seasons Suit is of Smooth Satin Back Crepe, the collar and pockets of the slimly styled Jacket are cleverly trimmed with embroidered thread, popular gored skirt.

Your Little Girl's Favourite Frock for this winter.  A nice rich Corduroy Velveteen with its lace collar and velvet bows, the pockets are trimmed to match, ties at back.

The coat is very full, but the bodice of the suit follows the wearer's figure closely.  Having watched re-runs of the 1950s Superman TV series in my childhood, I always think of suits like these as "Lois Lane suits"!

Spring & Summer 1951

All Winns' summer dresses for the 1950s are going to conform to this basic pattern: short sleeves, nipped in waist, bouffant skirt, light materials.  The variations for Summer 1951 are:

New, muted brilliance and the crisp feel of fashion in Floral Organdi.  Graceful flared skirt, wide sash, pearl buttons, cap sleeves and collar are effectively scalloped.  The captivating frock for any occasion.

The prettiest frock you can wear this summer, featured in Satin Back Crepe.  The soft falling skirt is gored with an unpressed pleat in front, pockets are lace trimmed matching the yoke, pretty plastic gold buttons and neat roll collar all add to make this a classic for you.

Autumn & Winter 1952

In the upper left hand corner is a "A cosy Winter Frock in the popular Velvet Cord" for a "Winsome Maid".  For the adults:

Popular coats in pinwale Velveteen (finely corded), the all-occasion garment, being ideal for either sports, street or casual wear.  Yoke action back gives ample freedom, finished with belt at back.  

The Very Newest in Ladies' Skirts, now so popular overseas.  They are in a nice All Wool Fabric with diagonal contrasting coloured stripes, cut with twelve gores.

Smartly Cut Casual Coats in All Wool Coating, very popular box style (note inset for the very attractive back treatment).  Beautifully lined throughout, finished with two very large pockets.

Spring & Summer 1952

Summer sees more summer frocks on the cover of Winns catalogue.  The little girl at the top left is described as wearing a "Winnsome" (pun no doubt intended) spot dimity with Swiss embroidery.  Her elders are wearing a "Morocain crepe Frock... with self toned embroidery" and a "Summery Frock ... in a panel stripe and floral British crepe".

Autumn & Winter 1953

An interesting thing to note is that all the garments illustrated on this cover are made of pure wool (as is all the knitwear inside).  By the end of the decade you would expect to see at least a few of the jumpers and cardigans advertised to be made of Orlon or a similar artificial fibre: light, moth-proof and easy to wash!

Lest you get the impression this catalogue is dominated by separates and casual wear, page 3 illustrates (in colour) "dressy" frocks with pearl and bead embroidery, and classic 1950s evening dresses made of taffeta.

Spring & Sumer 1953

The word of the moment is "Everglaze", a new-ish (in 1953) method of treating cottons.  The little girl at the top is wearing a "Winnsome" (that pun again!) dress in checked Everglaze, and the woman on the right is wearing a "gaily coloured floral frock, featured in an imitation linen with new "Everglaze" finish.

Everglaze was:

...the trade name for a scientific process which imparts stiffness, spring, lustre and other permanent properties to cotton materials as well as giving them new surfaces.

The possibilites of these new fabrics in the fashion field are legion.  Suitable for round-the-clock wear, and equally attractive for beach or ballroom, the bring within the range of the budget buyer long-wearing garments with the luxury appearance of those made from more expensive materials.

(Weekly Times, Melbourne, 31st of October 1951)

Autumn & Winter 1954

Autumn and Winter 1954 sees Winns promoting suits and separates.  The little girl wears a double breasted all wool suit.  In the centre a woman models a "superbly tailored Ottoman suit" with a nipped-in waist.  At the right is a model wearing a short coat with "novelty button pockets... a perfect combination with your skirts for casual wear".  The skirt is made of flannel and has sun-ray pleats.

Spring and Summer 1954

The dress in the centre is "styled in the latest Straw Fabric" and is "strikingly different".  Though straw cloth was mainly used in the making of hats, it seems to enjoyed brief popularity as a dress fabric.

However, not all "straw" fabric was actually made of straw.  The Glen Innes Examiner of March the 17th 1954 reported:

One of the new cloths of moderate price which will be in the shops this year will be "straw" fabrics made from cotton yarn in which thick and thin yarns and coarse weave help to capture the appearance of the original straw cloth which is too expensive for the average woman.

It's up to the reader to guess whether the dress on the cover of this catalogue was acutally made in "straw fabric", or whether it was made in a cotton imitation!

Autumn & Winter 1955

The cover of Winns catalogue for Autumn and Winter 1955 is unusual, because it features fashions designed for "the larger figure".  Larger women usually don't appear on the cover of clothing catalogues, unless it's for a firm specialising in selling outsizes!  Perhaps Winns discovered that they had a large number of older women customers in 1955 and wanted to represent that part of their market.

Except in size, these shirtwaist dresses don't differ much from similar fashions for slimmer women on the inside pages of this catalogue.  Perhaps the most interesting thing to note is they're made in darker fabrics with small repeating patterns: an old trick to make the wearer look thinner than she really is!

Spring & Summer 1955

... And finally we come to our last catalogue.  

The figure on the right illustrates how haute couture got translated into inexpensive ready-to-wear.  It is described as "the new H-line, manufactured in Polished Cotton".  The "H-Line", intoduced by Dior in 1954, featured a slightly flattened and raised bust and a dropped waistline.  Here, a year later, Winns is selling a dressed belted at the normal waist, but with a bodice fitting tightly to hips where the skirt flares out.

You'll notice that the larger woman on the left is not wearing an H-Line dress.  This was a silhouette definitely not for the full figured: the Australian Women's Weekly insisted that it was preferably worn by the slender and small-boned!

Found Online: Winns Catalogues V (Late 1940s)

Welcome to my second-to-last look at Winns catalogues (as made available by the State Library of New South Wales).  Starting from here we've reached the last days of World War II, and will be moving into the post-war period.

Autumn & Winter 1945

This catalogue would probably have been issued a couple of months before VE Day, and still been current at VJ day.   We really have reached the end of the war!  Winns has decided to showcase some of its more casual styles for women on this cover.  From left to right the models are wearing an all-wool twinset (pairing a short sleeved jumper with a long-sleeved cardigan), a boxy sweater coat in heavy wool ribbed knit paired with "all wool flannel slacks for leisure or labour", and at the right, an all-wool knitted pullover with a polo neck paired with a flannel skirt.

Spring and Summer 1945-6

 It's peace, but alas not yet prosperity.  Clothing is still rationed in Australia (and will be until 1948).  This Winns cover shows fashions for females of every age, from the small girl wearing a "dainty frock and bloomer set" at the far left, to young woman next to her in a floral frock, the "maid" (i.e. teenager) in the insert wearing a "two piece tunic suit in chalk stripe Art Silk Rayon" and her younger sister wearing "an Attractive Frock in the popular peasant style".  At the bottom right is a "Glamorous Shady Brimmed Picture Hat" worn by a mature woman.

Autumn & Winter 1946

One thing about these catalogue covers is you can see what the younger generations were wearing as well as the grown-ups.  The problem is, their clothes are very like their elders'!  Teen subcultures were clearly not yet a Thing, and teenagers were not yet considered worth marketing to in their own right.

Here we have a woman in a double breasted diagonal tweed coat, a teen in a wool two-piece tunic suit, and a little girl in a double-breasted coat cut on princess lines.  Apart from the size of the clothes, what chiefly distinguishes these models are the accessories and details: the grown woman wears her hair above her collar, while the girls wear theirs down, the little girl's hat resembles a bonnet, and the woman wears high-heeled pumps, the teenager flats, while the little girl wears mary-janes and ankle socks.

Spring and Summer 1946-7

Though the artist has posed his models on a beach, he's dressed them in outfits more suitable for a trip to town than a stroll by the shore.  On the right we have a dress made in imitation silk linen, trimmed with Cornelli stitching.  On the left is a "smart two piece costume of crease-resisting Imitation Knop Linen" by Adelyn.  

Autumn and winter 1947

Judging by these covers, women were dressing less formally than they did before the war.  While we have a woman in a "Smartly Designed Dressmaker Suit... attractively trimmed with fur" in the middle of this group, at the left we see a model more casually dressed in an "All Wool Ribbed Twinset" and an "All Wool Tartan Skirt".  Page 2 of the catalogue makes this postwar informality even clearer, with a colour picture of a woman in a sports jacket and flannel slacks.  Earlier in the decade outfits like that were relegated the middle pages of the catalogue and illustrated in black and white!

Though clothes rationing has about a year to run in Australia, the coupon price of clothes is starting to come down.  The suit is now available for 11 coupons, the skirt for a mere 4, while the twin set requires no coupons at all!

Spring and Summer 1947-48

Dior had launched his "New Look" earlier in the year, and while it was yet to be adopted by the world at large, elements of the style were creeping into popular fashion.  In this picture it's clear that ready-to-wear clothes manufacturers have adopted the narrower waists and fuller skirts of the New Look.  However, shoulders are still broad and skirt lengths still moderate.

Left: "Smartly Tailored Two Piece Jacket Suit in a Rayon Like Linen... Jacket is elaborately trimmed with Cornelli."  Right: "Style and Value in this Attractive Frock in "Marveloon"... Bodice opens to waist and is effectively trimmed with drawn thread and Cornelli."

Autumn & Winter 1948

In April 1948—mid-Autumn in Australia—a reader wrote to the Sydney Morning Herald:

Sir—Recent visits to a large number of inland retail businesses revealed that a very serious clothing and coupon problem exists. 

The stock of frocks at the end of the summer season is, in the aggregate, enormous, caused by two successive unfavourable seasons.

The Government belatedly recognised this, and reduced the coupon rating from 8 to 5 until April 30.  This is inadequate to shift the accumulated frocks stocks, and especially so with the advent of the "New Look" styles, and winter frocks coming in.

The solution may be to abandon all clothes rationing, to help the sale of the abundant stocks and new manufactures, then to review the other articles of cotton (which is definitely scarce in and from most world markets, though the garment trade offers a substantial second choice).  Rationing of the other articles essentially of cotton could, perhaps, be reviewed every six months until rationing can be entirely abandoned.

E.C. BRUCE MIDLANE. Sydney.

Meanwhile the clothes featured on Winns Autumn and Winter Catalogue for 1948 are very like the clothes on the cover of their 1947 catalogue.

Spring and summer 1948-1949

Histories of high fashion in the late 1940s make it seem as if styles changed in an instant.  Looking at publications like this, however, it becomes clear that fashions worn by ordinary women were only changing by increments.  Once again, Winns has decided to illustrate its summer catalogue with a "Smartly Cut Frock in Marveloon" and a "New Look Rayon-like Linen Two Piece Jacket Suit".

What has changed, however, is that these clothes are no longer valued in "coupons".  After six years, Australian clothes are no longer rationed!

Autumn and Winter 1949

For once there were no fashions illustrated on the cover of Winns catalogue—the store decided to use the space to sell bedspreads and curtains instead!   I took this picture from one of the three coloured pages at the beginning of the catalogue instead (the other two advertised lingerie and hats respectively).  The formal coats and suits have been banished to the black and white pages a bit further on.  By this stage the look is decidedly early fifties, even for casual wear!

Spring and Summer 1949-50

And so we reach the end of another decade.  Once again Winns chose to feature a "frock" and a "jacket suit" on the cover of its summer catalogue, but one only has to look back a year to see how popular fashions have changed.  Waists are nipped in and skirts flare out and fall to calf-length in these grown-up and ladylike outfits.

This Charming Frock is a "Hodgson" production garment... featuring the latest in new pleated back and bow belt... Smartly cut square neck line with embroidered trimming on collar...

SNAPPY JACKET SUIT... that you will be proud to wear.  The snappy little Jacket is effectively trimmed with White Collar and Cuffs; a generously cut skirt swings from the waist.

Found Online: Winns Catalogs IV (Early 1940s)

 We've now reached the War years as we continue to tell the story of popular fashion through the medium of Winn's Catalogues.  (You can also access them via the State Library of New South Wales website here.)

Autumn and Winter 1940

After years of winter catalogue covers featuring the best Winn's had to offer in coats, the store kicks off the new decade by advertising dresses and suits.  From left to right:

Smartly Tailored Frock in All-Wool Jersette, featuring the new neckline—Gored skirt—effectively trimmed bodice and belt.

Man Tailored Two-Piece Costumes in All-Wool Boucle.  Coat is fully lined and finished with two pockets.  Skirt has inverted pleat.

A Becoming "Dressmaker" Suit in Fine Quality All-Wool Jersette.  Coat is trimmed with the new novelty pin tucking—gored skirt.

However, the coats aren't entirely neglected.  You can find plenty of them for sale on page 17.

Summer and Christmas, 1940-41

Since these catalogues were published in wartime, it will be interesting to see how the war affects the clothes sold by Winn's.  So far there don't appear to have been many changes, either on this cover or inside the catalogue.  (If you look at page 17 of this issue you can see a selection of women's trousers on offer, but it's clear they're meant for holiday wear rather than doing war work!)

Autumn and Winter 1941

For the first time we see photographs taking the place of drawn models on the cover of Winn's catalogue (an innovation which didn't last the war years).  Also of interest: Winn's is featuring separates (at left "cosy brushed all-wool cardigan jumpers" and "popular sun-ray pleated tartan skirts") as well as more formal one-piece dresses and suits.  (Centre: "smartly tailored frock in all wool jersette" and right: "a becoming two-piece jumper suit in wool jersette".)  Separates really came into their own during the war years, as women could extend their wardrobes by mixing and matching individual garments.

Summer and Xmas, 1941-42

The Australian summer of 1941, and the things are about to get serious for people Downunder as Japan enters the war and strikes south.  This catalogue, however, was almost certainly issued before Pearl Harbor, and its cover advertises the usual warm-weather mix of summer "frocks" and frivolous hats.  From left to right we have:

SMART... TWO-PIECE in Sheer-Sak—trimmed with cornelli work, cuffs of white...

ATTRACTIVE Sheer-Sak... bodice is trimmed with ... richeleau work...

INEXPENSIVE with a dressy air—colourful Florals are ... fast washing...

 

Autumn and Winter 1942

Separates are very much in evidence in the Autumn and Winter catalogue of 1942.  Clearly the marketing people at Winns thought they were more appealing to the average wartime consumer than dresses and suits.  Clothes rationing was introduced in Australia in June 1942, but this catalogue was clearly released before then because the garments advertised are only priced in money, not in ration coupons.

Spring and Summer 1942-43

NOTICE TO CUSTOMERS

Our Mail-Order customers will be well aware of Wartime difficulties in regard to supplies.

However, Winn's have always valued highly their extensive Mail-Order Trade, and have always aimed to look after their country clients.

To be assured of Catalogue supplies, in the main the goods catalogued have been bought early, and are already in stock.  How long supplies of some lines will last, we are unable to judge.  In most cases it will be impossible to obtain further deliveries, so that customers are asked in the case of Frocks, Hats and such goods to make a second choice in color, or indicate another garment as a second choice.

They weren't joking about supply difficulties.  Paging through this catalogue I can see a number of items over-stamped with the words "Sold Out", including, on page 22, a "Coat Frock in White Pillow Cotton, Link Cuffs, slightly soiled"(!) 

Autumn and Winter 1943

All the clothes on this cover are priced in coupons as well as in pounds, shillings and pence.

Clockwise from top:

LADIES' ALL WOOL FLANNEL COAT, fully lined Art. Silk, boxey style finished with two pockets... 27 coupons.  Hat... 3 coupons.

LADIES' 2-PIECE FLANNEL COSTUME.  Coat is lined and has two pockets.  Skirt has pleat in front... 23 Coupons.

LADIES' ALL WOOL BASQUE JUMPER CARDIGANS, with fancy stitch self-coloured trimmings... 7 Coupons

Spectator SPORTS BLOCKED FELT.  Shaped crown.  Snap brim will turn up or down at back.  Contrast trimmings of cut out Felt and ends... 3 Coupons.

As you can see, the coat and suit were the most "expensive" items.  However, even more utilitarian garments had their coupon price.  For example, both "Bib and brace" overalls advertised on Page 6 and "Farmerette" overalls on Page 12 would set the wearer back by 6 coupons!

Spring and summer 1943-44

You wouldn't know there's a war on by the designs on the cover of this summer catalogue, except "Sold Out" is stamped over the fancy floral frock on the left ("Gaily Coloured Floral Frocks of British printed spun cotton") and once again, everything has a coupon value.  The little girl's dress on the cover only costs 6 coupons, as opposed to the adults' 13. 

Navigating one's way around clothes rationing must have been quite a task.  If you check the hosiery on Page 19 you'll see that even the most basic pair of rayon stockings would set the purchaser back 2 coupons.  That seems a small amount compared to the ration value of a coat or a dress, but when you consider how many pairs of stockings the average woman must have got through before the war you realise how carefully she had to manage not to blow her entire coupon budget on them during the war!

Spring and Summer, 1944-43

The State Library of New South Wales is missing its copy of Winns catalogue for Autumn and Winter 1944, so we have to skip straight to Spring and Summer 1944-43.  For some reason the artist who designed this cover decided to pose his ladylike models in a stable.  I'm not sure whether he was trying to illustrate wartime farm chores, or looking forward to a postwar racing season!  

In spite of the narrow wartime silhouettes of these dresses, there are a few touches that would be further developed after the war, in particular the emphasis on hips with ruffles and peplums.  From left to right:

Dressy Frock of Imitation Linen.  Tunic effect, bodice opens to waist, pockets and collar bound with White, various designs on grounds of Blue, Rose, Gold or Green.

Maids' [i.e. Teenagers'] Frocks of Plain Imitation Linen, bodice is trimmed with contrasting stitching, two pockets, gored skirt.

Attractive Figured and Floral Art. Silk Frocks.  Various multi-coloured designs, Apron style.