Ready to Wear: A History of the Footwear and Garment Industries in St. Louis by Valerie Battle Kienzle

St. Louis was founded as a fur-trading village in 1764. Located on the banks of the Mississippi River, it became a center of fur trading, cotton and wool distribution, footwear, and ultimately clothing production in the 19th century. Few today would believe that the junior dress market segment was born, developed, and flourished in St. Louis from the 1930s through the 1960s. Buyers for high-end New York retailers flocked to St. Louis twice a year to view and order dresses and footwear. But The River City was a leader in shoes and clothing long before it introduced the junior clothing trend. Ready To Wear is the story of the birth, growth, decline, and rebirth of two wearable industries in St. Louis, Missouri footwear and garments, alike in their end products but drastically different in their production processes. It takes a unique look at footwear and clothing through factual narrative, seldom-told stories, and detailed vintage images. 

Hardcover | 224 Pages