Gernreich topless bathing suits and strawberry pie...

[Jonathan]

Yes, these two make sense together if you watch this hour long documentary on Hess' department store in Allentown, PA. Its FASCINATING! A friend sent this to me a few months ago and I finally watched it through the other night. The department store had the most sales per capita of any department store in the world! During its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s the store held fashion shows of Parisian couture and boasted that they had to re-order the Gernreich topless bathing suits which prompted the media to report that the style was a hit! (in reality, they didn't sell even one!)

While they sold French couture through their 'French Room' they really made their sales on $20.00 dresses and $10.00 shirts. The couture was only designed to bring people into the store. Similarly, their restaurant 'the Patio' was run at a loss for decades with the sole intention of bringing people into the store.

Anyway, its a fasinating documentary with some great footage of fashion, especially from the 60s and 70s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtnsSgR0jEw&NR=1

 

[catwalkcreative]

Thanks for posting this Jonathan. I'm going to take a look at this later.

 

[vivavintageclothing]

Looking forward to checking it out later tonight!

 

[poppysvintageclothing]

Just checked it out, this department store was truly amazing...marketing genius! Some really beautiful fashions.
I liked the way they served the kiddies meals! It was strange at the end when the new owners had the specialists come to determine if it was worth saving the building, they actually said there was NO heating system, that they had relied on the lighting to heat the place, could that really be? and all the celebrity visitors, can you imagine the Superman of the TV show delivering your goods from Hess's...too much!

 

[Coutureallure]

Bookmarked! Thank you!

 

[glamoursurf]

bookmarked II. Thanks Jonathan!

 

[joules]

I'm gaining weight just watching this show!

 

[Jonathan]

LOL - you must be up to the part about the restaurant - the strawberry pie looks good but the friend who sent me the link remembers having it and he said it wasn't as good as it looked.

 

[poppysvintageclothing]

Well, they did mention that they had to add stabilizer to the cream, but they were baked fresh on the premises behind the regular kitchen area. I wonder what the main ingredient was in the stabilizer?

Also, I thought it was a riot that Liberace used to order 100 - 150 at Christmas time. He would supply the proper packaging for them and I guess the transport as well and have them sent to friends around the country!

 

[joules]

The pie looked great, but it was talk of that giant lobster tail birthday dinner that sent me over the edge. Oh, and those kiddie ice cream delights too. Yum!