Canadian Retail Stores Handling Boys' Clothing


Figure 1.--This is a page from the Simpson's 1946 catalog. The garments look like back to school Fall fashions. Note the jodpur-type knickers. This is a style we have noted in Canada, but was not very common in America.

Three of the most important retail stores in Canada were Eaton's Morgan's and Simpsopn's. We have some information on the T. Eaton Company which were doing catlog sales as early as the 1880s. Clothing offered in the 1970s look very similar to American styles. At this time this is the only important Canadian catalog store that we know of. Apparently it was founded around the company's flagship department store. The Eaton's catalogue continued right up into the 1970s. A reader tells us that he has a copy of the 1975 catalogue. It was phased out after that and Eaton's went out of business in the 1990s. Most of the stores were then converted to Sears stores. Marks and Spencer opened stores in Canada in the 1980's and 1990's. There was a huge one in Toronto's Eaton Centre. However, they did not last long as they were too expensive for most Canadians. Marks and Spencer pulled out of Canada and closed its stores there in 2000. We have no information on Morton's other than they had a catalog. Morgan's became the Hudson Bay Company (HBC) A Canadian reader has provided information on Simpson's. We do not know a great deal about the store, but notice catalogs in the 1920s. Simpson's became Simpson-Sears.

Cities

Clothes were purchased in a wide range of stores in every Canadian city. Each city had a few major department stores that were well known to everyone in the city. All these cities had many smaller stores that might be patronized only by people in the local neighborhood. A Canadian reader tells us about Montreal. "There exists in Montreal some specialty stores devoted to kids clothing. One very renowned is "La Maison Delongchamps" on Laurier Street at Outremont. It sells French importations. Some other like "Le bateau blanc" exists also. At last, we can find nice clothings (very expansive ones) at Holt Renfrew on Sherbrooke West. It is high standing like Sack's on fifth ave. at New York or "Les galeries Lafayette" at Paris. I don't remember all the stores where you could find those clothes."

Major Stores

There are several department stores that are especially well known to Canadians. Eaton's and Simpson's are probably the two best known Canadian stores. Simpson's went out of business just before Eaton's did in the early 1990's. It was replaced by Sears stores. Several of our Canadan readers have mentioned these stores to us. They have also provoded us catalog pages and newspaper ads from these stores.

(The) Bay

An important Canadian store is The Bay which is the Hudson's Bay Company. It has quite a history and played a major role in Canadian history. It was founded by Royal Charter in the 17th century. It is still going strong and it owns Zellers, which is a discount department store.

Eaton's

We have some information on the T. Eaton Company which were doing catlog sales as early as the 1880s. Clothing offered in the 1970s look very similar to American styles. At this time this is the only important Canadian catalog store that we know of. Apparently it was founded around the company's flagship department store. The Eaton's catalogue continued right up into the 1970s. A reader tells us that he has a copy of the 1975 catalogue. It was phased out after that and Eaton's went out of business in the 1990s. Most of the stores were then converted to Sears stores.

Marks and Spencer

Marks and Spencer, the large British chain, opened stores in Canada during the 1980's and 1990's. There was a huge one in Toronto's Eaton Centre. However, they did not last long as they were too expensive for most Canadians. Marks and Spencer pulled out of Canada and closed its stores there in 2000.

Morgan's

We have no information on Morton's other than they had a catalog. Morgan's became the Hudson Bay Company (HBC)

Simpson's

Simpson's was one of the most important retail stors in Canada. Unfortunately, we have only limited informatiuon at this time on the store. A Canadian reader has provided information on Simpson's. We do not know a great deal about the store, but notice catalogs in the 1920s. Simpson's became Simpson-Sears. Hopefully our Canadian readers will provide us some details about the company.

Walmart

Wal-Mart came into Canada in the 1990s.






HBC






Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing catalog/magazine pages:
[Return to the Main retail store national page]
[Return to the Main store page]
[Fashion magazines and store page] [Main photo/publishing page] [Fashion magazines]



Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Introduction] [Activities] [Biographies] [Chronology] [Clothing styles] [Countries]
[Bibliographies] [Contributions] [FAQs] [Glossaries] [Satellite sites] [Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]



Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Sailor hats][Sailor suits] [Buster Brown suits] [Short pants]
[Eton suits] [Rompers] [Tunics] [Smocks] [Pinafores] [Kneesocks]




Created: 6:12 AM 12/2/2004
Last updated: 10:34 PM 8/25/2005