Magazine: Jay's of Regent Street fashion catalogue, Spring/Summer 1955
Jay's of Regent Street started out as the London General Mourning Store, established in 1841. Mourning was a booming business during the Victorian era, with elaborate social rules and rituals surrounding the process of grief, and the store quickly grew to take up a substantial part of London's Regent Street.
Renowned for the superior quality - and fashion-consciousness - of their merchandise, Jay's sent "competent buyers [to] visit the principal silk marts of Europe, such as Lyons, Genoa, and Milan for the purpose of purchasing all that is best in quality and pattern" for their aristocratic clientele. Their most famous customer was Queen Victoria herself, who entered mourning following the death of her husband Prince Albert in 1861 and dressed in Jay's mourning attire for the remainder of her days.
By the late 19th century, Jay's had branched into general clothing alongside mourning supplies - adverts from the 1890s tout the "latest Parisian novelties" and "international fur goods", only occasionally modestly mentioning that "mourning materials a specialty".
With the spectacle of mourning falling out of fashion in the early 20th century, the store gradually transitioned into a regular high-end department store by the 1920s. Frocks and suits in this 1955 catalogue are priced the equivalent of between £100 and £220 (around $130-$290 USD) in today's money.
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Comments (3)
I love that suit on the cover.
The jacket with contrast collar is such an iconic look!
Thank you so much! So many lovely things….the blue and white polka dot bolero dress is sheer perfection 😍😍😍 Cute separates too; summer wardrobe inspiration!