Clothes are sold in many different types of stores where clothing is sold. Deparment stores developed in the mid-19th century and for many years dominated city sales of clothes. With the development id shopping malls and specialty retailers, this dominamce came to an end, although the deparment stores is still an important store type. There are many other types of stores besides department and chain stores where clothes were sold. Some still esist and others have largely disappeared. This is a complicated topic because there have been substantial variations over time. The importances of the different types has varied over time and also by demographic regions. Customers in rural areas did not have access to department stores. They shopped at small, local general stores. This did not change until Henry Ford's Modelt "T" dramatically increased the mobility of the rural population in America. There are also variations from country to country.

Chain Stores

The term chain store appears to have been an American usage apparing about 1905-10. I assume that means that the chain store first appeared in America. A chain store is a group od stores under unified maagement and selling similar merchandize in multiple locations. Some department stores and mail order companies also became chain stores, but chain stores also include small retail outlets like Gap.

Department Stores

Department stores are one of the many phenomenons that developed in the 19th century Victorian era and is in large measure a result of the rise of the middle class. The rise of large department stores represented a entirely new era in commercial retailing. But much more was involved. Department stores accompanied the developent of industrial mass production techniques for consumer goods. The stores also had a major imapct on the way in which men and women spent leisure time. They made shoping much more convenient. But department stores were than a huge emporium for purchasing a wide variety of goods. The stores strove to create an attractive if not glamorous environment in luxurious spaces that fundamentally changed the shopping experience making it much more enjoyable. Department stores came to epitomized the rise of the middle class and the consumerism of modern life.

Dress Shops

A seamstress is a woman who sews, usually to make clothes. Generally a seamstress makes women's and children's clothes. (Tailors usually made men's clothes. A seamstress would work pribately or if successful open small dress shops. This was the origin of the Lane Bryant chain store in America. These shops also offered children's as well as women's clothes.

Dry Goods Stores

Dry goods stores are essentiall small, often very small, stores. Some dry good stores in major cities evolved into major department stores. Towns too small to support a department store had dry goods stores. They differed from general stores in that they did not handle food and perhishables. Dry goods stores did not only handle clothing, but clothing was often an important part of the items sold.

Figure 1.--Here we see three men and two boys in the shoe department of an old American general store. The walls are lined with boxes of shoes; lard cans and beer signs are visible along with what look like old theater seats for trying on shoes. The store has a tin ceiling and wood floors. One of the gents is reading the sports section of a newspaper. Under our strongest magnifier the headline says something about a "fight to retain open title." This looks like the "Cleveland Plain Dealer" from the 1910-1920 period.

General Stores

The general store was a store in a small town that sold just about everything. This was usually non-perishables as farmers grew their own food. These would be located in small towns or even rural crossrpads that could not support specialized stores. They handle clothes, but this was normally a small part of the overall sales. General stores sold hardwear and many other items needed by people in small towns and farms. Mothers got canning supplies there. There were always candy for these kifs and a few toys. Other manufactured goos were items like watches. Many customers sewed their own clothes or by the late-19th century began ordering from mailorder stores. AQnd there were items like shoes and detachable collars that few people could make themselves. Of course the general stores supplied fabric and sewing supplies. The general store is especially associated with America and Canada. This was because Europeans, even farmers, lived in villlages where there were often a number of small shops. American farmers, however, tended to live on their farms and only camr into town occassionally to make purchases.

Haberdashery

I had thought that a haberdashery was a men's hat shop. The dictionary tells me, however, that a haberdashery offered mens furnishings meaning all kinds of smaller cloting items. The British meaning is somewhat different, a haberdashery there offers a variety of small wares. American haberdashers in addition to hats sold accessories for men--garters, suspenders, belts, ties, sleeve garters, cuff links, shirts, underwear, socks, hats, etc. I think some haberdashers also had accessories for boys and teenagers, although I am not sure about this. Boys' items might include long stockings, hose supporters, waists, etc. I am also unsure to what extent haberdahers sold boys' caps. I suspect that they sold caps like flat caps for older boys, I'm less sure about cap and hat styles for younger boys.

Markets

Open-air markets are important retail outlets for clothing around the world. This is especially true in the Third World, but even in Europe markets are important. Towns often have a market day where merchants can set up their stalls in the streets. Often large cities have locations where merchants on specific days can set up street stalls. This is virtually unknown in America. There were markets in the 19th and early 20th century, but they generally disappeared fter World War I. Used clothing was an important commodity in the 19th century. Many working class people could simply not afford to buy their clothing new. Major cities often had established used clothing markets. London had such markets in Petticoat Lane and Rosemary Lane. Another was Camp Field in Manchester.

Men and Boys Shops

These were shops that specialized in men's clothing. The also commonly sold boys' clothing. This normally meant school age boys. Here the age range might varied somewhat. We have noticed some of these stores, however, offering suits for younger boys beginning anout 8-10 years. Rarely do we see items offerec for younger children.These stores normally marketed to the affluent classes. well known New York store was De Pinna. Some like Brooks Brithers and Joseph A. Banks have become chain stores. Generally they only offered clothing for older boys. This varied somewhat from store to store. Often the age was about when a boy became a teenager. I think this was because often the father would take the boy into these shops rather than the mother. Mothers usually shopped for younger boys. We know these shops were important in America and Britain. We are less sure about other countries.

Millinery Shop

A millinery shop specialized in ladies hats and related items. The term appeared in the early 16th century, apparently referring to an individual from Milan, showing the influence of Italian fashion at the time. Some of these shops created the hats they sold, others only sold hats. I think that many of these shops also offered children's caps and hats, including headwear for younger boys. They varied as to just what else they offered as related items. We suspect for example that the lace collars boys wore in the late 19th century were often purchased in millinery shops.

Pedlers

Rag and bone men were common in cities all over Europe in the 19th and even early 20th century.

School Shop

This seems to be a particularly British institution, primarily because school uniforms essentially evolved in Britain. So many schools had such a variety of uniform items that local stores began specializing in the uniforms of local schools. The chain stores had trouble dealing with the diversity. The larger department stores would have large school sections. The chain stores did often offer the items that were especially common like grey shirts, grey short and long trousers, and grey kneesocks.

Scout Shop

Scout shops appeared in countries with strong Scout movements. (As far as I know tjis was not the case for the Hitler Youth and Young Pioneers.) I believe that British Scout shops also offered Boys' Brigade items. Scout shops also diversified by handling general camping gear. There were Scout shops in America, but they were not very common. Americans generally purchased uniforms through the big mail order companies (Sears and Pennys). I know that in the 1950s that is wear my mother purchased my Cub uniform.

Second Hand Shops

Sewing Shop

Sewing shops of course did not sell finished clothes. They did sell patterns for clothes, including children's clothes. They also notions" (ribbons, pins, yarn, elastics, etc.).

Shoe Stores

Shoe stores are one type of specialized store that seems to have eddectively resisted competition from the department stores. I'm not entirely ure why this was. I think the department shoes were more successful with women's than men's shoes. I think the same is true for children's shoes. I know that my mother almost alwas purchased my shoes from Buster Brown or Kennys.

Tailor Shop

A tailor shop is where hand-made clothes were made. altered, and sold. These shops were severely affected by the appearance of ready-mase clothes in the late 19th century.

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Created: 8:13 PM 12/9/2009
Last updated: 8:13 PM 12/9/2009