Figure 1.--This was the spring and summer 1952 catalog for Best & Company. Note the boy's saddle shoes rather than sandals like the girls are wearing.
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Figure 1.--This was the spring and summer 1952 catalog for Best & Company. Note the boy's saddle shoes rather than sandals like the girls are wearing. |
The Best & Company appaers to have been an important New York City department store that went natioanl. The built a large store at 645 5th Avenue at East 51st Street, NE Corner (Wing on 52nd Street). It was located in Midtown Manhattan. The building was replaced by the Olympic Tower of Aristotle Onassis. I am not sure when the comapny was founded, but it must have been in the mid-19th century. We note the company handling Little Lord Fauntleroy suits, probably in the 1890s. We note that the company was active in the 1950s and 60s. They varried an extensive line of fashionanle clothes. One fashion writer in 1957 noted that Kays Thompson, author of Eloise autographed at Best & Company in New York where various Eloise products were available. We know that Best & Company was a major U.S. depattment store chain, but have little information on the company at this time. A reader trlles us, "There was a branch store in Scarsdale in the Lord & Taylor shopping center at least through part of the 60's. Every coat of my childhood was purchased there and I was born in 1954." Our reader goes on to describe the local department stores and where Best & Company fitted in to the trade. "Better than high end as L&T (the local vernacular) was/is a large store where one could browse "invisibly" if one was not quite comfortable. But, the Best & Co., in Scarsdale, was a small store where what you wore & bought , how you spoke & whether or not you were a regular was definitely noticed. L&T like Saks had 90 percent fine merchandise. Once in a while you'd find something some silly buyer snuck in that was trendy but had crooked seams or other imperfections. There was never anything trendy at Best & Co. Never anything that wasn't made perfectly with French seams everywhere! The only bargain there was the quality, nothing would ever go out of style as everything there was a classic & everything was made well enough to last forever. I purchased a Best & Co. vintage Eton suit for my then 3 yr old son to wear to a wedding . The garment must have been 50 y ears old. It was in perfect condition & survived my son dancing, crawling under tables , etc." [Linda K ]
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