By Amy Garbo
When people think of fashion, they may not think of Prescott, AZ. Most people, especially today, associate fashion with cities like New York, Paris or Milan. However, national or local, fashion is what we make it and depends on practicality and personal taste.
Early Prescott settlers, predominantly from the eastern United States, brought long skirts, high-neck blouses and bonnets across the Great Plains. Fabrics were practical and durable, and all clothing was hand-made. Womenswear featured bodices and corsets, while men wore suspenders and wide-brimmed hats. Lillybelle Morshead, daughter of John G. Campbell, the proprietor of the first store on Montezuma street claimed that in the 1860s “ready-to-wear dresses” hadn't been invented yet, but “calico was the rage.”
Ads for “Neck ware, collars and cuffs” and J.B. Stetson 10-ounce beaver hats by J.W. Wilson and Co., a major Prescott clothing store, from an 1889 issue of the Arizona Daily Miner newspaper, show 19th century Prescott fashion trends. Victorian Era (1837-1901) influences shaped Prescott’s fashion scene as the city began to prosper. Women wore elaborate dresses featuring bustles, corsets and petticoats, while men adopted tailored suits with top hats and leather boots. Comfort was an afterthought and many fabrics were laced with arsenic and mercury. The next time you wear jeans and a t-shirt, consider our Victorian sisters who couldn’t sit down due to the billowing nature of their crinoline skirts. And headwear was a must. By 1919, as one Weekly Journal Miner ad from “The Style Shop” on Montezuma St. put it: “Every Woman Loves a Pretty Hat.”
In the “Roaring 20’s,” hemlines and hair got shorter as the Flapper look came into vogue. Women shed their confining frocks for beaded designs, lower necklines and fringe. Men adopted three-piece and pinstriped suits and wore shades of navy, brown, mustard and olive green. They also chose diagonally striped ties, ribbed cardigans and mandarin collar shirts, made famous by writer F. Scott Fitzgerald in his novel The Great Gatsby. People were aware of the fashion of famous actors. A June 1925 announcement in the Prescott Evening Courier that Blanca Yurka was now wearing a Norwegian style shawl indicated that “a new style has appeared.”
Later, Hollywood stars like Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and James Dean influenced mid-century fashion. Cocktail dresses, bobby socks, felt poodle skirts and saddle shoes were among the most popular trends. For men, it was sports coats, Hawaiian shirts and the iconic look of the “greaser” kid. In the September, 1st, 1955 Prescott Evening Courier you can find formal but familiar ads for tailored suits, skirts, and Bermuda shorts. Mid-century fashion epitomized elegance, with softer fabrics and vibrant prints. and the emergence of Prescott’s Thunderbird Fashion House.
Founded in 1946 by Jack Mims, Thunderbird Fashion House became known for its fiesta dresses, frontier pants and Western sportswear. Many of the fashions incorporated Southwest colors and Native American motifs. At the height of its success, Thunderbird Fashion House was one of Prescott’s largest employers, operating under the labels Thunderbird Fashions, Kachina Doll and The Painted Desert Brand. Ben Test, a partial owner, later claimed Western wear reached peak popularity in 1970. Yet, the company went bankrupt in 1962. Test attributed its failure to unions and high rents.
Prescott’s identity, it seems, has always been a mix of cowboy culture and national trends. The World’s Oldest Rodeo, ranchers, cowboys and frontier utility shaped a distinctly Western style that remains iconic today. Walk down Whiskey Row, and you will see the evolution of Western style on full display.
A historical fashion exhibit, “Snaps and Clasps” will open to the public starting August 24th in the Center Gallery at the Sharlot Hall Museum.
“Days Past” is a collaborative project of the Sharlot Hall Museum and the Prescott Corral of Westerners International (www.prescottcorral.org). This and other Days Past articles are also available at www.archives.sharlothallmuseum.org/articles/days-past-articles/1 The public is encouraged to submit proposed articles and inquiries to dayspast@sharlothallmuseum.org Please contact SHM Research Center reference desk at 928-277-2003, or via email at archivesrequest@sharlothallmuseum.org for information or assistance with photo requests.