Sears began in 1886 when Richard Warren Sears started a mail order watch business. By 1887, he had partnered with Alvah Curtis Roebuck, a watch repairman, to form Sears and Roebuck. Their first mail order catalog was issued in 1888. Over the years, the Sears “Big Book” catalogs grew to be over 1,000 pages, selling everything from tools to appliances to home goods, farm equipment, and even mail order houses.
The Sears catalog also serves as cultural reference for the evolution of clothing styles in the United States. I pulled a few Fall/Winter Sears catalogs from several decades to see the “Back-to-School” fashions of the past. What were students wearing when you went "Back-to-School?"
1936-37 Smart!
1947 Suits!
1957 Sets!
1965 Groovy!
1975 Knits!
1985 Layers!
1993 Hip!
The last complete Sears “Big Book” catalog was the Spring/Summer 1993 edition. Hagley Library holds this Sears catalog, and many others which reveal a “fashionating” record of popular styles for students. To access these materials, contact staff at askhagley@hagley.org.
Linda Gross is the Reference Librarian at Hagley Museum and Library