CHAIN STORE GUIDE

CHAIN STORE GUIDE

THROUGH THE AGES

A TOUR OF THE RETAIL & FOODSERVICE INDUSTRIES

THROUGH THE LAST 80 YEARS.

In 2013, Chain Store Guide celebrated its 80th anniversary. In honor of this

occasion, we hosted a monthly series of editorials called ¡°Chain Store Guide

Through The Ages¡±, starting with the 1930s, the decade in which CSG was

founded. Each month we took a look at a different decade and reviewed what

happened in that time and how it affected the industries we now serve.

Though we started off printing paper directories, our delivery of essential business

sales leads has evolved into a robust and powerful online database system used by

many of the top Fortune 500 companies as well as mid to small companies who

want to grow their business.

Editorial Staff

Apparel & Department - Natasha Perry

Drug & Grocery - Brian List

Home, Hardware, & Discount - Arthur Rosenberg

Restaurant - Linda Helman

Editing & Introduction - Matthew Werhner

This eBook can also be found indexed by decade online at newsroom..

NewsRoom.

1-800-927-9292

Apparel Industry

The Apparel Industry

1930s

The apparel industry in the 1930¡¯s was very different than it is now. With more

Army and Navy goods stores than traditional department stores, apparel was

more about need than fashion. There were more than 50 percent fewer Women¡¯s

stores than Men¡¯s stores. There were also more locations that were independently

owned than operated by chains. Independents, or companies with 3 stores or fewer

dominated the family apparel industry, operating 89 percent of the locations. To

put annual sales in the 1930¡¯s into perspective, the entire apparel group did around

$4 billion in sales, which is what Abercrombie & Fitch brought in last year alone.

Rainbow Apparel Co., which currently operates 1,100 locations was started in

the 1930¡¯s. So was women¡¯s apparel retailer Deb Shops Inc. and sporting goods

retailers Dunham¡¯s Athleisure Corp. and Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI). The

decade also brought us women¡¯s apparel retailer Maurice¡¯s which spent the early

years of this century acquiring Dressbarn and Justice and becoming Ascena Retail

Group Inc.

1940s

As Europe, and later America, entered World War II, fashion responded. Drabness

and uniformity in clothing were embraced, and people were encouraged to make

do with the clothing they already had. During the war, all types of cloth were

needed for a variety of wartime purposes, and material for clothing was severely

rationed. The United States government had requisitioned all silk supplies, forcing

the hosiery industry to completely switch to nylon. Then in 1942 the government

requisitioned all nylon for parachutes and other war uses, leaving only the

unpopular cotton and rayon stockings. As people found ways to make-do, the

1940¡¯s saw the first widespread use of man-made fibers.

NewsRoom.

1-800-927-9292

Apparel Industry

Due to the limited materials, fashions of the era emphasized shorter skirts than

ever before and short, blocky jackets. The most characteristic North American

fashion trend from the 1930¡¯s to the end of World War II was attention at the

shoulder, with butterfly sleeves and banjo sleeves, and exaggerated shoulder pads

for both men and women by the 1940¡¯s. Another notable fashion trend for women

in this period was the introduction of the ensemble, a matching dress or skirt and

coat.

Despite the woes of the war, some big brands managed to jumpstart in the

1940¡¯s. Coach was established in 1941. The Cato Corporation, Talbots and The

Buckle Inc. were all started in the mid-1940¡¯s. Hibbett Sports was founded in

1945, and Dick¡¯s Sporting Goods in 1948. The most surprising was Fredericks of

Hollywood, which would soon introduce the world¡¯s first push-up bra.

1950s

By the early 1950¡¯s, designers had grown tired of the utilitarian, minimalist

clothing of the wartime era. Square shoulders and short skirts were replaced

by the soft femininity of longer skirts, fitted waistlines, and rounded shoulders.

Innovations in textile technology following WWII resulted in new synthetic

fabrics and easy-care fabric finishes. These fit the suburban lifestyle of the

1950¡¯s with its emphasis on casual sportswear for both men and women. Acrylic,

polyester, triacetate and spandex were all introduced in the 1950¡¯s.

Although critics complained about the extravagance of clothing while rationing

was still mandated, women throughout the country demanded the revitalized

femininity of a new look. Longing for elegance and luxury, garments were often

lined with luxurious, expensive fabrics. Decorative accessories became necessary

items.

Due to the baby boom, there was a high demand for clothing for children.

Children¡¯s clothing began to be made to a higher quality, and some even adopted

trends popular with teenagers. Boys started wearing jeans to school and girls¡¯

dresses were styled after those of the older women.

NewsRoom.

1-800-927-9292

Apparel Industry

1960s

Prior to 1960, designers generally created styles for runways, and clothing

manufacturers mass produced the designers¡¯ styles for the general public.

However, during the 1960s youth throughout the Western world began to rebel

against traditional clothing styles and create their own trends. Soon, fashion

designers and manufacturers were frantically trying to keep up with the trends and

implement the youths¡¯ popular creations into clothing for the masses.

The bikini came into fashion in 1963. In the middle of the decade people were

dressing in psychedelic prints, highlighter colors, and mismatched patterns. Miniskirts and go-go boots were made popular. By the end of the decade the hippie

look was in style. Both men and women wore frayed bell-bottomed jeans, tie-dyed

shirts and headbands.

Hundreds of apparel and footwear retailers and department store companies got

their start in the 1960¡¯s. Kohl¡¯s Corporation was founded in 1962 and Dillard¡¯s

Inc. in 1964. Top retailers The TJX Companies Inc., Limited Brands, and Gap Inc.

were also established in the swinging sixties.

1970s

The 1970¡¯s began with a continuation of the hippie look from the 1960¡¯s including

bell bottoms, miniskirts, hot pants and blue jeans. During the 1970¡¯s a large

variety of clothing became popular. It was normal for women to wear pants on a

daily basis. In fact, many of the styles of the decade were androgynous. Another

trend for both sexes was the fitted blazer, which flared slightly at the hip. It came

in a variety of fabrics, including wool, velvet, suede, and leather.

1970¡¯s fashion included platform shoes which appeared on the fashion scene in

1971 and often had soles two to four inches thick. Both men and women wore

platform shoes. Wide-legged or flared jeans and trousers were another fashion

mainstay. The disco look was popular and included three-piece suits for men and

rayon or jersey wrap dresses for women. By the mid-1970¡¯s hip-huggers were

gone and were replaced by the high-waist jeans and trousers with wide flared legs.

These lasted until the end of the decade when the straight cigarette-leg jeans came

into style.

NewsRoom.

1-800-927-9292

Apparel Industry

Several top companies were founded in the 1970¡¯s. Top men¡¯s apparel specialty

retailers The Men¡¯s Wearhouse and Destination XL Group Inc. were founded in

1973 and 1976, respectively. Top women¡¯s retailers Bebe Stores, Body Central,

Bon Worth, Cache, Charlotte Russe, Dots and Victoria¡¯s Secret all started in the

early to mid-1970¡¯s. Family apparel stores starting in the decade include American

Eagle, Burlington Coat Factory, Fifth & Pacific Cos., Rue 21, The Marmaxx

Group and Urban Outfitters Inc.

1980s

While high fashion had declined during the 1960¡¯s and 1970¡¯s, the 1980¡¯s saw a

rise in the popularity of designer styles. Wealthy people across the country made

their way to New York boutiques and Paris fashion shows to purchase directly

from designers¡¯ lines. Mass producers replicated the high fashions for the general

public and department stores specialized in selling them.

Power and money dominated the styles of the 1980¡¯s. Women wore expensive

suits and dresses during the day and extravagant designer gowns in the evening.

Brand names became increasingly important in this decade, making Ralph Lauren

and Calvin Klein household names, among others. Designer jewelry, such as

diamonds and pearls were popular among many women, not only for beauty but as

symbols of wealth and power.

Ross Stores debuted in this decade to serve as an outlet for designer brands.

Tween Brands got its start in the late 1980¡¯s as Limited too stores introduced

designer styles for girls. Top brands such as Aeropostale, BCBG, Express, Guess,

J. Crew, J. Jill and Tommy Hilfiger were founded in the 1980¡¯s.

1990s

The range of fashion goods available in the 1990¡¯s was huge. The main focus of

fashion was the striving to achieve individuality. After the consuming years of the

1980¡¯s, less became more in the 1990¡¯s. The designer styles of the 1980¡¯s were

rejected in exchange for more comfortable, casual clothing.

NewsRoom.

1-800-927-9292

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download