Author: Lana Bittman

Compartment Couture: New York City Department Stores 1850-1930 (Part 2)

1900-1909, 1910-1919, 1920-1929, 19th century, 20th century, thematic essays

Part 1 of this essay covers the emergence of department stores in New York City during the nineteenth century. Part 2 discusses the roles of salesclerks and anonymous fashion designers who worked for department store labels.

Compartment Couture: New York City Department Stores 1850-1930

19th century, 20th century, thematic essays

By examining fashion modes, economical and societal fluctuations, and urban developments, this essay explores how New York City department stores changed from their initial founding as dry goods stores, developed through the turn of the twentieth century, and emerged in the interwar years.