Category Archives: Canadian dress

Canadian Fashion Connection – The Woodward’s Jingle

Posted on 2019-02-13 by Jonathan

If you grew up in Vancouver in the 1960s and 1970s like I did, you knew this tune – the $1.49 Day jingle. I blogged about Woodward’s, the Vancouver department store that was in business from 1892 to 1992 a … Continue reading →

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Canadian Fashion Connection – Newlands

Posted on 2019-01-21 by Jonathan

Andrew Newlands was born in Scotland in 1840, and was married with two children when he immigrated with his family to Canada in the late 1860s. In the 1871 census he is recorded as working as the superintendent of a … Continue reading →

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Dry Cleaning – Pearl Laundry

Posted on 2018-12-25 by Jonathan

I am often asked “How did they used to keep their clothes clean?” Various forms of dry cleaning have been around for centuries, and many garments such as wool suits were wet washed that today we wouldn’t consider washable. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian dress, Vintage Cleaning tips | Tagged | 5 Comments

Canadian Fashion Connection – Edith Strauss

Posted on 2018-11-29 by Jonathan

Edith was born in Poland, the eldest of four children. Her father, Nathan Solomon, left Poland for Canada in 1928 to find work, and after eight years managed to have his family join him in Montreal. At the age of … Continue reading →

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Canadian Fashion Connection – Dayton Boots

Posted on 2018-11-28 by Jonathan

Dayton Boots was established in 1946 by C. H. (Charlie) Wohlford. Before becoming the manager of The Lumberman’s Social Club at 64 East Hastings street in Vancouver, Charlie had worked for Caterpillar Tractor Company, and as a young man had … Continue reading →

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Canadian Fashion Connection – Applegath Hats (1885 – 1964)

Posted on 2018-11-25 by Jonathan

Applegath Hats was, at one time, Toronto’s largest haberdasher. The business was begun by Llewellyn John Applegath as an adjunct business within the men’s clothier House of Hobberlin, at the corner of Richmond and Yonge streets, when Hobberlin was founded in … Continue reading →

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Canadian Fashion Connection – Kabir Kouba moccasins

Posted on 2018-11-20 by Jonathan

In 1937, Albert-Michel Sioui opened a handicraft store from his family home on the Huron-Wyandot (Wendat) first nation reserve of Wendake, Quebec (about 20 kilometers north of Quebec City.) He called his shop Kabir Kouba, which means a river with … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian dress, Shoes | 2 Comments

Canadian Fashion Connection – Sherman Costume Jewellery (1947 – 1981)

Posted on 2018-11-13 by Jonathan

Gustave Sherman was born in Montreal on October 15, 1910 to Jewish parents who had immigrated to Canada from Eastern Europe. Gustave started his career in the jewellery field as a salesman before hiring jeweller Dmytro (aka Jimmy) Kurica (pronounced … Continue reading →

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Canadian Fashion Connection – Mr. Smith

Posted on 2018-11-10 by Jonathan

David Smith was born in Windsor in about 1930. In 1955 he met television actor Jack Creley and the two opened an antique shop in Yorkville called the Green Dolphin. The business wasn’t doing well, so in 1960 they started … Continue reading →

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Canadian Fashion Connection – Winston Kong

Posted on 2018-10-30 by Jonathan

Winston Kong was born in Ipswich, Jamaica. He studied at Cornell university and planned to go into hotel management before realizing his passion lay in the fashion world. After attending the Fashion Institute of Technology, Kong worked for Henri Bendel … Continue reading →

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