Maria Davis 1940s to 50s (part 2)

Business Dress

John Lewis fashion (1940)

John Lewis fashion (1940)

Wartime shortages had meant a practical approach to ‘business dress’ at John Lewis, as well. In 1939 men were allowed to start wearing grey suits instead of the full uniform of black jacket and striped trousers. In 1945 ladies’ green business dress was replaced by blue, but only the colour was specified and workwear was provided free of charge while clothes were rationed. In 1949, pre-war practice was reintroduced and staff were required to purchase their own staff dresses at cost price.

In the 1950s grey business dress continued to dominate. In 1959 blouses and skirts (separates) became fully accepted as business dress after “some branches allowed Partners to wear blouses and skirts in the very hot weather and it seemed best to make it official”. Then in 1960, all men were allowed to wear lounge suits in grey or pin-striped black, although some continued to wear black jackets with striped trousers.

Most of John Lewis’s senior managers were still men. But women everywhere were beginning to fight back as the Battle of the Sexes warmed up. As Marilyn Monroe cooed in the 1953 film ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ – “gentlemen will go to all the trouble of keeping office hours and holding long board meetings in order to reach a decision which any blonde could reach while putting her lipstick on”.

Children’s Clothes

Children on roundabout in 1951

Children on roundabout in 1951

Maria’s first job was as a sales person in the childrens’ wear department. Children had worn the same style of clothes as their parents since the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece and Rome. It wasn’t until the late eighteenth century that children’s clothes began to have a style of their own, and children stopped dressing like mini-adults. As late as the mid-twentieth century, these new styles were still very formal – the real revolution came after World War II when children’s clothes began to have the relaxed and casual style of today.

School uniform (1956)

School uniform (1956)

In 1952, trading hours in the UK began to change. Many Oxford Street shops like John Lewis experimented with opening until 7pm every Thursday. This proved a great success as thousands of office workers visited shops on their way home. In 1955, John Lewis, Oxford Street extended its Thursday opening time until 8pm. Maria didn’t mind the extra hours – more hours meant more sales and more staff bonuses for members.

Maria loved working at the huge Oxford Street store, but in one way, she was slightly jealous of her colleagues at other stores. At the time, Oxford St and Peter Jones stores used to close at 1pm on Saturday afternoons. The other Partnership shops were closed all day on Monday so the staff (Partners) could have a proper weekend.

Marriage and Honeymoon

Bonds fashion show - Bridal section 1950s

Bonds fashion show – Bridal section 1950s

By the late 50s, Beryl began to think that Maria would never get married, especially as three of her younger brothers and sisters had already made it down the aisle. But Maria was eventually swept off her feet by a newcomer to their neighbourhood, a handsome young milkman called Jack ‘the Hat’ Gibson. During the first half of the twentieth century, men were hardly ever seen in public without hats. By 1960 that was beginning to change, but Jack liked the old ways and still wore his old trilby – hence his nickname.

Bon Marche swimwear collection (1958)

Bon Marche swimwear collection (1958)

Maria got married in February 1960 at what was considered the grand old age of 27! Beryl was delighted even though the blushing bride refused to wear her mum’s old crepe wedding dress and petticoat. Maria and Jack’s ceremony took place at the same church in Stepney as Maria’s parents. Then they enjoyed five days honeymoon in Torquay, better known as the Cornish Riviera. In the early 1960s it was still unusual for working class couples to own cars, so the newly-weds took the train from Paddington station. It took six hours – you could fly to New York in that time today!

Ten months later, their eldest daughter Shelley, the first of three children, was born. Maria’s first-born was named after her favourite actress, Shelly Winters, who won an Oscar in 1960 for her performance in ‘The Diary Of Anne Frank’. Maria took five years off while she had her children, before getting a part-time job at the milk depot where her husband Jack worked.

Previous

No Comments

Start the ball rolling by posting a comment on this page!

Add a comment about this page

Your email address will not be published.