Throwback Thursday | Katherine-K women's clothing

Throwback Thursday | Katherine-K women's clothing - Sheboygan Press

Throwback Thursday | Katherine-K women's clothing - Sheboygan Press
Here are Sunnyvale's top 3 South Asian women's clothing spots - Hoodline
The History of Women's Terrible Pockets - Outside
The Red Barn is Pittsford closing its doors after 56 years in business - Democrat & Chronicle

Throwback Thursday | Katherine-K women's clothing - Sheboygan Press

Posted: 14 Nov 2019 06:00 AM PST

SHEBOYGAN - Katherine-K, a longtime, well-remembered Sheboygan women's clothing firm, was started by Frances Lemkuil in 1931, according to a Sheboygan Press clipping provided by Beth Dippel of the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center.

Katherine-K sold many types of women's clothing including professional uniforms for nurses, waitresses and beauticians. The firm also sold surgical garments to help people with conditions from hernias to post-operative breast cancer prosthetics.

The store, which was located at several locations on North Eighth Street through the years, last held shop at 510 N. Eighth St.

In 1946, Katherine-K also announced new facilities for men featuring solutions for abdominal, hernia umbilical supports, back braces, sacro-iliac supports, along with post-operative hernia support items. The store featured special Tuesday and Wednesday evening hours for men.

Later, in 1964, according to a Press article, two employees, Marie Masiak and Mary Lou Trochlell, bought the firm from founder Frances Lemkuil.

Masiak would work at the firm until 1982 and Trochlell would operate the firm until 1999. In Katherine-K's final liquidation sale in July 1999, the firm put everything up for sale including, shelving, cash registers and vacuum cleaners from the store.

Today, EOS Surf and Outdoors operates out of the location, keeping surfers in Sheboygan supplied.

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Here are Sunnyvale's top 3 South Asian women's clothing spots - Hoodline

Posted: 13 Nov 2019 08:00 PM PST

Shopping for South Asian women's clothing items?

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top South Asian women's clothing spots around Sunnyvale, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to venture next time you're in the market for South Asian women's clothing.

Sunnyvale-area buyers tend to spend more in fall at retail and wholesale businesses than any other season of the year, according to data on local business transactions from Womply, a provider of reputation management and business insights for small businesses. Daily transactions at Sunnyvale-area retail and wholesale businesses grew to 3,009 for the metro area in the fall of last year, 4% higher than the average for the rest of the year.

Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions.

1. Taal Boutique & Bridal

First on the list is Taal Boutique & Bridal. Located at 895 E. El Camino Real in Ponderosa, the men's clothing, women's clothing and bridal spot is the highest-rated women's clothing spot in Sunnyvale, boasting four stars out of 40 reviews on Yelp.

2. Sagar Exclusive

Next up is Washington's Sagar Exclusive, situated at 939 W. El Camino Real. With four stars out of 197 reviews on Yelp, the women's clothing, jewelry and men's clothing spot has proven to be a local favorite.

3. Maitri Boutique

East Murphy's Maitri Boutique, located at 1214 Apollo Way, Suite 401, is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the community service/non-profit and women's clothing spot, which offers accessories and more, 4.5 stars out of 28 reviews.

This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.

The History of Women's Terrible Pockets - Outside

Posted: 13 Nov 2019 01:48 AM PST

Everyone who wears women's clothing knows: our pockets suck. If you've ever tried to stash your phone while hiking or running, chances are you've been more than slightly annoyed with the lack of real estate that our pants, shorts, and dresses generally afford. Even the most functional pants—those that advertise hip and thigh cargo pockets and hidden zippered compartments—typically fail to comfortably provide the kind of pocket space that comes standard on men's clothing.

For a while, I thought things were getting better. When I started writing about outdoor gear as a trade-news editor in 2015, I was introduced to hiking pants, and casual, stretchy slacks with (somewhat) fashionable cargo pockets, and hiking skirts and dresses that could store a Kindle. It seemed like pockets were trending toward bigger—or at least toward existing.

But then I dug into the history of how we got to where we are today. And I was shocked. Not only did women's pockets start out much bigger than they are now, they also started out more spacious than what men's clothing had to offer. So where did things go wrong? How did our hiking, climbing, and biking apparel end up with such subpar storage?

I called Ariane Fennetaux, who coauthored The Pocket: A Hidden History of Women's Lives, 1660–1900 with Barbara Burman. As it turns out, storage previously wasn't sewn into clothing; women would wear pockets on a belt around their waist, usually beneath their skirts—sort of like a stealth fanny pack. They would access these pockets (which were often made in pairs, much like we have two hip pockets today) through slits in the outer layer of their dress. "There are lots of complaints today about women's pockets being inferior, but there were no complaints when women had those pockets," Fennetaux says.

These pockets were huge; they were often large enough to carry snacks like oranges and apples. They were also beautiful and personalized with embroidery and embellishments, much like purses are today. Women would make their own pockets or make them as gifts to give to friends. And each woman had her own system for organizing small items inside her pockets.

In the beginning of the book, the authors share a 1725 classified ad from a London newspaper that offers a reward for the return of a pair of lost or stolen pockets. They contained the following items: a silver purse, a pair of gloves, a ring, a toothpick case, a handkerchief, a key, and a thimble.

Over time women's pockets changed with evolving fashion. As dresses became more formfitting, it became harder to conceal bulky pockets underneath them. Toward the end of the 1700s, women's storage options shifted from pockets to reticules or small purses. This is because pockets would ruin the silhouette of the dress, according to the Victoria and Albert Museum, an art and design museum in London. By the 19th century, women's clothing had started to integrate pockets that were built into their garments, much like today. The Workman's Guide, published in 1838, contained sewing patterns for on-seam pockets. But while integrated pockets on men's apparel were perfected, according to Vox, dressmakers put them in weird, impractical places, like near the hem of the skirt. Pockets became almost politicized, as some women fought for "pocket equality" while fashion trends pushed reticules and purses. Pants pockets ultimately suffered the same fate: when women started wearing pants more regularly, around World War II, the focus was initially on their function, so pockets were large and practical. But again, as fashion evolved and designs slimmed, pockets messed with the silhouettes and started to shrink and disappear.

Today, even in the outdoor industry, where apparel tends to trend more toward function than fashion, I have a difficult time finding decent pants pockets. When I hike and backpack, I usually have to store my phone in the water-bottle pouch on my pack to avoid creating a sweaty patch on my thigh or an uncomfortable bulge at my hip crease. Even my most comfortable hiking pants just don't feel as good when I have things in the pockets—they're either too tight or too loose, so objects bang against or dig into my legs while walking.

The best outdoor-industry pants pockets I've found so far are from Boulder Denim, which makes jeans for outdoorsy people. The company has done a solid job of outfitting its women's line with front storage big enough to hold a smartphone—a feat I've yet to see elsewhere. Founder Bradley Spence says he wasn't aware that women's pants pockets were so terrible until he started the company. Originally, he was planning to make only men's jeans, but friends and partners of the founding crew urged them to tackle a women's line that would finally allow storage for more than a single tube of ChapStick. Spence thinks it's possible other companies fail in this realm because they're afraid jeans won't look good with the bulges pockets can create. But to Boulder Denim, that wasn't a good enough reason not to try.

"I don't know exactly why other brands don't do it, but it was so easy for us to include pockets, it didn't make sense for us not to," he says. To create them, the company pulled together popular designer women's jeans and studied the way the legs were stitched. It combined its favorite features into its own style, and improved upon them by making the pockets larger. Because they're a bit more formfitting, the pockets on Boulder Denim's women's jeans are slightly tighter than the men's version, so it's not quite as easy to slide your hand inside. But they're still significantly larger and more functional than any other pair of women's jeans I've ever worn.

Guinevere Ganzel, senior women's designer for Toad&Co—whose dresses have amazing, deep pockets that fit phones, passports, and more—and Karenina Gonzalez, a women's and kids' designer for United By Blue, which also prioritizes storage on its women's apparel, think there's hope that pockets will only further evolve for the better in the near future.

"Pockets have changed because phones have changed," Gonzalez says. "We didn't have cell phones back in the day, so we didn't have to put them anywhere. Now I have to think about phones [when designing apparel]."

Ganzel says Toad&Co found that women are stoked to find pockets in their clothing, so it's been important for the company to prioritize storage when designing apparel.

Fennetaux says it's unclear exactly why women's pockets have suffered this fate, but there are a few theories: conspiracies, for example, to force women to buy handbags or rely on men to carry their things; the impracticality of wearing pockets with slimmer fashions; and the aforementioned unsightliness of bulges that pockets create. Perhaps it's some combination of all of these things, Fennetaux suggests. But one thing is sure—pockets are in the spotlight now.

"There's definitely more of an awareness, and almost a political demand for pocket equality, on social media," she says, citing an example of the dresses worn at the recent Oscars, in which women posed for photos "with a hand conspicuously in their pocket."

Ganzel's take on why they're not standard for most clothing is that sometimes a pocket will change the shape of an outfit in a way that makes it unattractive and therefore undesirable to buy.

"With so many bottoms being skinny silhouettes, pockets create bumps and can hinder a good-looking pant in many cases," she says. This is why some companies will add what she calls a "focket," or fake pocket, where it only appears as though storage exists. Thankfully, that trend seems to be on the way out. "I think people are fed up with having things that don't function at all," Ganzel says.

Indeed we are. I'm just one person reviewing gear and apparel, but I've started asking about pocket functionality when I accept products for review. I turn down a lot of clothing without them. If you're an outdoor-industry designer reading this, hear our pleas: We want our clothes to help us go hands-free when we play outside. If it can't fit a phone, you can do better.

Lead Photo: Alessandra De Cristofaro

The Red Barn is Pittsford closing its doors after 56 years in business - Democrat & Chronicle

Posted: 14 Nov 2019 02:59 AM PST

Here's a breakdown of the stories right now at www.democratandchronicle.com. Virginia Butler, Democrat and Chronicle

It's the end of an era in Rochester retail.

After 56 years providing luxury clothing and accessories to the Rochester community, owner Don Rhoda will retire and close The Red Barn's doors for good.

The store in Pittsford Plaza is hosting a final retirement sale. Everything in the store will be marked from 20 to 50 percent off, with further reductions while inventory lasts. The antiques, art, furniture and fixtures collected and custom-made over Rhoda's decades in business will also be available for sale.

Don Rhoda established The Red Barn Fine Apparel in 1964 with a focus on fine European and American clothing and customer service. The store expanded to serve women and young men, with those areas managed by Rhoda's wife, Pamela.

Don Rhoda has seen generations of Rochester families come through The Red Barn. Many of his early customers eventually brought their children and their grandchildren to shop there.

Penfield resident Mike Power, 76, has been a customer for 25 years. He likes the quality of the products and the personal service.

"They have the best clothing made anywhere in the world," Power said.

What's next for the Rhodas? "We haven't been able to have a real rest or vacation in a long time," Don Rhoda said.

Posh Peacock Resale Boutique opens in Webster

A new consignment boutique has opened in Webster. Posh Peacock Resale Boutique, at 900 Holt Road next to Hobby Lobby, is a luxury and upscale consignment shop with women's clothing, purses, shoes, belts, jewelry and athletic wear. The women's clothing sizes ranges from petite to plus.

There are purses from designers such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada and Kate Spade. As with any consignment stores, the inventory changes regularly. So if you see something you like, grab it or it may not be there when you return.

Shave and Fade now open in Spencerport

A new barber shop has opened in Spencerport, specializing in pampering for men. Shave and Fade is at 36 Slayton Ave. next door to Serenity Hair Studio. Caroline Aiezza and Stacie Antonio are the owners of the new barber shop as well as Serenity Hair Studio. Shave and Fade offers services such as a hot lather shave.

"We aim to give out barber clients the same experience that we strive to give our hair salon clients: hospitality," Aiezza said.

MCHAO@Gannett.com

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