A old fashioned shop floor displaying women's wear is the prompt photograph from this week's Sepia Saturday blog - see the end of this post.
Cue for me to hunt out vintage photographs and fashion advertisements from my local heritage group Auld Earlston in the Scottish Borders - and to jump forward over 100 years to dress displays in Austria.
Lochhead's watchmaker & jeweller on Earlston High Street, c.1900
Look at the right hand window for that unusual term "cyclealities".
Another crowded window display from Weatherly's stationer, newsagent, printer and post office. Members of the Weatherly family down the generations ran the business for over 100 years.
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Fashion advertisements took centre stage on the front page of in a short lived local newspaper "The Earlston Comet" of 1891 - too early for photographs, but promotions by the drapers and clothiers in the
village, give us a good description of what the well dressed man or
woman would be wearing in the late 19th century.
Thomas Clendinnen & Sons, Drapers, Milliners and Clothiers announced their:
ANNUAL AUTUMN SALE,For the whole of their stock, replete with all the latest novelties in Plain and Diagonal Serges, Homespun, Twist, Knicker Checked and Striped, Dress Tweeds,
Ladies Jackets, Braemar and Russian Cloaks,
Trimmed Hat and Bonnets in Newest Style
White, Scarlet and Shetland Flannels
Gentleman's Tweed Suits - Made to Measure- From 37s.6p
New Melton and Diagonal Overcoats from 30s.
All garments carefully made and finished - Perfect Fit Guaranteed.
Also in the field of fashion was David Wallace, with this advertisement:
"An Immense and Magnificent Collection of every New and Fashionable Dress Material....which for Variety, Superior Quality, Good Taste and Moderate Prices is unequalled in Earlston.Tweeds in Cheviot, Homespun, Harris and Grampian makes, latest styles and newest mixtures. Black materials in great variety.
The latest novelties in Millinery, Flowers, Feathers etc. Bonnets composed of Velvet and Jet, from 10s.6d to 25s. The latest novelty in hats is Gladys in French Beaver, trimmed with Feathers. All orders for this Department made up in the most Fashionable and Tasteful Manner."
Note
the reference to "black materials" - at a time when formal mourning
wear was still the custom. Somehow the name "Gladys" does not quite
conjure up an image of a French beaver hat with feathers!
Draper David Wallace
was listed in the 1891 census as at the High Street with his wife Ruth, two
young children Robert and Ruth, and eldest son Henry described as a
Draper's Apprentice.
Miller's Drapers Establishment, offered competition with the claim:
The constant desire is to supply goods of Reliable Quality"The largest and cheapest collection of Autumn and Winter drapery goods to be seen in any warehouse in the South of Scotland.
suitable for all classes of the parish."
[Note that phrase "All classes of the parish" - you could not use that now!]
Southern Reporter: 1894
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I love seeing on holiday in Austria and Bavaria, the wearing of the traditional costume, not just in hotels and restaurants for the benefit of the tourist
trade, but worn on Sundays, on high days and holidays and for weddings.
The many shops that sell the dresses indicate this is not just a fancy
dress, but an important part of the local culture.
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And after all that window shopping, take a break!
In Austria we cannot resist going into a"Konditerei "
- the equivalent of the French patisseries - not just to view the
wonderful displays of cakes, pastries, fruit slices etc., but
definitely to taste a sample - or two! This is an important part of
our holiday - any thoughts of diets go out of the window!
A
view of Cafe Zauner in Bad Ischl, near Salzburg. It was founded in 1832
and is in the traditional style of an Austrian Coffee shop. Unmissable
for the food and the surroundings.
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Sepia Saturday gives an opportunity for genealogy bloggers
to share their family history through photographs
Click HERE to read how other bloggers are enjoying their shopping expeditions
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Wonderful fashions, advertisements, and of course the luscious sweets at the konditerei!
ReplyDeleteStore displays are a form of art. I hope we never get to a time when it's all online shopping.
ReplyDeleteI think the first two years of the pandemic made us all realize how much we take being able to "go shopping" for granted!
ReplyDeleteThe U.S. is such a conglomerate of fashions and styles from so many different countries, we really don't have a national style as such except, perhaps, for the traditional "Pioneer" costume.
ReplyDeleteHello? I'm not anonymous. I'm La Nightingail.
ReplyDeleteA splendid tour! Those are the kind of shops I enjoy discovering too. Fortunately there are still some places that maintain the old tradition of national fashions and styles. As to your mystery word, "cyclealities", this was the term the Lucas Co. used for its bicycle gear and accessories like saddle bags, lamps, and racks.
ReplyDeleteThis was quite enjoyable and I learned a new word! The pastries are also making my mouth water. It all looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteI'm not anonymous either - Kathy at abbieandeveline.
ReplyDelete