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Going to work in the business world in the 1980s meant one thing if you were a woman. You needed a few skirted suits. Not dresses. Not slacks and a jacket. Not a blouse, cardigan and skirt. Only a suit would do, and not just any suit. It had to be of the highest quality.
You might be making a $1200 a month (before taxes), paying $46 a month on a student loan, $400 for your first apartment, $236 for a car payment, and maybe $600 a year for car insurance, but you had to look like you had a cool million sitting in a bank account somewhere. It wasn’t uncommon to spend $200 on a suit without batting an eye—a lot of money when you’re barely getting by. I have to admit that I was never good at math, and therefore, I often found myself eating considerably less than I expect to eat today. (I still have two of my first suits, both in wearable condition, though technically, they are vintage.)
No woman who was serious about her career left her house in the morning without arming herself for what was essentially still very much a man’s world. I remember it well, as do most of my contemporaries. And here in Indianapolis (where I had my first serious job in the real world) there was no place better to shop for women’s suits than the now defunct L.S. Ayres.
This month, the Indiana Historical Society opens a new exhibit, That Ayres Look, celebrating the rich history of the department store founded in 1874. Today, I’m guest posting for Pattern Indy in a story that shares the influence L.S. Ayres had on Indianapolis, and a behind the scenes look at what it was like to be an Ayres model who walked the floors of the Ayres Tea Room. These svelte sophisticates were responsible for a big part of Ayres’ success as a fashion leader.
In this guest post, meet my best friend’s mom, who first visited L.S. Ayres when she was eight.
Do you remember what it was like to shop in an old-line department store? I don’t know about you, but after years of online shopping, I find myself returning to my old ways, visiting a mall when I really need something. Is it just me, or do we all crave the more personal experience that a knowledgeable sales person can give us?
Life is short. Wear the good stuff.
The artwork for this post is courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society.
6 comments
March 12, 2015 at 12:54 pm
My wife gets frustrated with me when, on the rare occasion we go into one of Cincinnati’s Macy’s and I insist on calling it Shillito’s. My memories of the founding store of Federated Department Stores revolve around my grandmother taking me to see the Christmas displays in the store windows. I have a double bed in my guest room from Shillito’s, they sold everything, on one of the slates the shipping department wrote, “Crawford, city” and it got to her.
March 12, 2015 at 1:23 pm
What a story, Tim! You and so many others like you remember those Christmas windows! Families went downtown just to see the windows at Christmas. My husband had similar memories of the Christmas windows at the old downtown department store in Dayton.
March 26, 2015 at 12:06 pm
L.S. Ayres was the place to go for Easter outfits as well.
Every year my Mom would make us Easter dresses and coats (often with fabric purchased in Ayres’ wonderful fabric department) and then we’d head back to Ayres in Indy to buy our Easter bonnets. I remember my Mother’s beautiful hats from Ayres.
She also bought gorgeous Jaeger suits from Ayres for year-round use.
March 27, 2015 at 6:09 pm
My first “charge” cards were department story cards in Springfield, IL in order to establish credit. I can’t remember the store names any more but it was thrilling to get those cards in the mail and to shop the old school way. My job (at a shelter for abused women) didn’t require suits, but I could find solid skirts and of course shoes. My feminist friends made fun of me because I liked to wear skirts (still do) but we all knew the value of building up our own credit history as this came on the heels of a time period when a woman couldn’t get credit on her own.
March 28, 2015 at 7:14 am
Loved this story. I can certainly relate to the department store cards! I had a few hard lessons to learn when I got my first cards, but I think I’ve finally got them all down pat!
Good to hear from you, Linda!
March 28, 2015 at 7:16 am
Ah…that’s a neat story. I was in the Glendale Macy’s–formerly Ayres–and noticed that they still carry a very nice hat selection, which I assume is a holdover from their clientele in that area. Truly church lady hats.
Happy Easter and Passover to you! Maybe spring will finally show its face this week!