haberdashery

I used the word 'haberdashery' yesterday when I was talking to someone about sewing and embroidery. I've been turning it over in my mind ever since. It's a good-sounding word, like a textile version of 'cornucopia' or 'gallimaufry', two more words of which I am inordinately fond.

It pains me that there are so few real haberdashers and haberdasheries these day. They are such wonderful places, like a grown-up sweetshop, where you can always find something you've been looking for or justify a little treat. I like the eclectic mix of products in haberdasheries, from press-studs to needles for every occasion, from shoulder pads to bra elastic.

We have a department store near us which, Bill Bryson once wrote, gives a glimpse of what Britain would be like under Communism. But I suppose even the Soviet Union needed buttons and zips to hold it together, and this store is now the only place locally where you can find recondite haberdashery items. The section has been relegated to the basement, which is a shame, as I think all haberdashers should have gloriously old-fashioned shop fronts with curving glass, a cursive shop sign and a lovely little display of knicker elastic and nappy pins in the window.

Inside, there should be a proper counter with properly helpful shop assistants, a chair for madam to sit on while she makes her selection of buttons and ribbons and threads, floor to ceiling mahogany drawers with glass fronts, and neat labels to tell you where to find the right shade of darning thread to mend your stockings.

The till should be impressive and mechanical and the goods should be presented in paper bags printed with the shop name, address and proud proprietor's claims about being the best for choice and attention.

Alas, instead, we usually have strip-lit sections in modern department stores where the button selections are shrinking to a pathetic 'anything as long as it's black' level. Still, there are a few places left in London (Kleins, The Cloth House, MacCulloch & Wallis), Paris (La Droguerie, L'Entree des Fournisseurs) and New York (Tender Buttons and the amazing trimmings and buttons shops in the Garment District). But, for most of us, true, local haberdasheries are a thing of the past, to be read about in novels like Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell. 

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I really would be interested to find out if there are any good haberdasheries where you live. I know there are some lovely, old ones in Portugal, because Rosa has written about them. But if there are any other traditional gems that you know of, would you tell me? Thank you.

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The haberdashery items above are from my own small collection, but the cotton on wooden spools and the hosiery threads are from a little wooden sewing box which belonged to my late mother-in-law. She was a hoarder, but with a sense of value of this kind of ephemera. I am grateful she left all this intact.

Comments

[yvette]

I do have a great market stall at my local market, where they have a strange mix of haberdashery. I did find fab colours of darning wool, not the usual black/blue/green. Unfortunately no shops for browsing, I love all your stuff, its great.

[nikki]

Funny, I was having a conversation about this with a friend earlier this week. I live in San Diego, California, and rumor has it that there may be a shop in the area. If it's still open, I am going to find it.

[Kat]

This American had thought that a haberdashery sold hats--she is now educated. For all the sorts of things you list, one goes to Jo-Ann's fabric store. It's not exciting and not at all romantic, but they do have a whole aisle that is just buttons, a whole aisle that is just ribbon, and a whole aisle that is just bits and bobs--the bra elastic, dress shields, cover button kits, gromit kits, handbag handles, lingerie making supplies, etc. It's a good selection but comes with little service and zero charm. You know the shop girls are in a good mood when they take the time to fold your fabric after cutting it.

[Anita]

The independent department store in my area of Surrey refers to it on its floor guide board as "habbie", which makes it sound like a jolly, gentle place to go. I wish cottons still came on those solid wooden reels.

[Mary from California]

What a delightful post! I still have some funny packets like this that were my mother's and grandmother's.

In San Francisco, there is Britex Fabrics' third floor. You can get an idea from their website:
http://www.britexfabrics.com/4Pages3rd.html

[Lorie]

I saw that word in you post, and thought, that is truly a British word! I lived in London for 3 years, and finally figured out most of the terms! We in the US would probably use the word 'notions' and usually find those items in the 'notions dept.' of a fabric store..I have resorted lately to yard sales, and thrift shops for more unique items such as yours. Antique shops and second hand stores have some goodies as well..
I look forward to your posts! A lovely blog..

[Jackie]

You are lucky to have such wonderful treasures!! I love anything that has to do with vintage sewing. I have a few things from my grandma, but she's not a big "keeper". Yep, here in the San Francisco Bay Area we have Britex, in the city - a very fun place!

[Tracy]

If you're ever in Boston, you should visit Windsor Button. It's not at all elegant, but they have a whole wall of wooden boxes filled with every kind of button imaginable, and none of them are pre-sewn (or worse, stapled!) onto cards. They have just three small aisles of notions, and in recent years, an ever-expanding selection of yarns. The people who work there are dignified and attentive, and always make sure you find what you need. I always feel like I've scored a victory against anonymous chain stores when I shop there.

[littlejennywren]

I have always wanted to use the word "gallimaufry"in a sentence. Here goes, I have an old cookbook called Gallimaufry. A good name don't you think?
The last haberdashery store in Launceston closed down this year. It had everything you mentioned except it was run by a mother and daughter and wasn't situated in an old shop. It looked rather characterless from the outside but inside it was an Aladdin's cave. A large national chain moved to town and one by on the smaller stores that support home sewing have closed.

[Tami]

There's a little store in Burbank/North Hollywood (in the Los Angeles area of So. California) that sells tailoring items -- woolens, interfacing, and the real heavy-duty horsehair stuff too! It's close to what you've described with the attentive sales attendant and interesting buttons and hooks & eyes. It even has the glass store front and sign. But alas no paper bags, only plastic. Sadly the only reason I ever went there was to buy the specific notions needed to complete my tailoring class in college. (I still have my half of a man's suit hanging in the closet, all hand-tailored.) Now that I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area I'm stuck with JoAnn's (a horrible place to get fabrics) and have yet to venture to the city to visit Britex.

[Rebecca]

Oh Jane you have tugged on my heart strings, I spent many a pleasant hour as a child sat on one of those chairs in the corner of a haberdashery shop, if only they were still like that, lots of polished drawers and glass cabinets, amazing treasures in every nook and crany. I am from Belfast and remember several excellent shops of the very old-fashioned variety, we used to go there for school ties and gym knickers too. They are all gone now, I have checked, and I have no idea where the girls of Strathearn Girls School get their gym knickers, perhaps they don't wear them anymore?

[Lisa]

In Philadelphia's garment district we have Albert Zoll's, http://www.albertzoll.com/,not a very glamorous establishment...things are a bit rushed and lacking in decor and paper bags...but you can find the most amazing buttons there and an occasional treasure. They are a Philadelphia institution.

[Elizabeth]

Hi - There is a fabulous fabric / wool / harberdashery type shop in Chelmsford. I only went in there last week but for the life of me can't remember the name of it. I know they are at present at the far end of the High Street but will be moving to Old Moulsham Street in the near future. I can highly recommend it for anyone in the area.

[Sally]

What a wonderfully evocative post. I too have hoards of carefully tended supplies handed down which I love to get out and ponder upon - mend knickers? sharpen pins? My mother remembers a man who used to call around once a year to mend the wooden clothes pegs. Here in New Zealand the haberdashers are all but gone except for the small provincial towns. Even then, the old shops are often in unlikely marriages with Lotto agencies. One has to bravely dive past swathes of Barbie pink,primary coloured magazines, and sparkly confectionary, to the drab grey shelves at the rear hoping for treasure in the dusty boxes. Thank you for the reminder to seek them out.

[Ida]

Exactly a shop like this was in Gothenburg, Sweden when I lived there at the end of the 90'es. I dont knot if its still there. It was called "KnappCarlsson" and it had the most marvelous storefront exhibition made up of buttons, ribbons and all the other little things they had in the shop. Behind the counter which ran through the whole room they had the woodden drawers with glass fronts showing what was to be found inside... And off cause they had everything..
And the line-numbers was still little woodden bricks with the number painted on. I used to take visitors, who came to see me, round to see that shop as part of a city-seightseeing. Indeed a very fine haberdashery shop.
IDA

[v.j. kohout]

That's the kind of a shop I would like to own. Haberdashery with a section devoted to passementerie and a knitting nook for giving instructions but no yarn. Who is buying yarn in the local store nowadays? The inventory is expensive and always in danger of being ruined by moths and not many people appreciate the good stuff. I would keep subscriptions of knitting and interior decorating magazines around. Maybe a little tea shop, pastries, etc.
Hmmm, I would have to be either independently wealthy, married well or foolish enough to think that I would make money.

[Beth]

Oh please do tell: what are the green dots on the card labeled 'plexi/nacre'? buttons?

Such lovey little bits and bobs

Beth

[filambulle]

Il y a une mercerie de rêve à la rue de la Mercerie, à Lausanne. Can you believe it? Full of buttons, and embroidery items, and good (classic european) yarn choice. Actually there are still a good measure of small merceries around here, even if I will always morn for the loss of the most wonderfull fabric section we had in C&A a few years ago. Morn is a small word. Had I know they where to close, I would have bougth a life reserve of cotton fabric beforehand.

[Amber]

Often your posts bring up memories of childhood fantasy about England(strongly encouraged by Frances Hodgson Burnett). This, however, reminds me of why I came straight to New York City after growing up in mining towns all over the Great American West. New York is the town where you can get EVERYTHING, and I love that about it.

Also, brilliant photography as usual. I was marvelling for a moment at what seemed a vast collection - when laid out that way, carefully considered, grouped and separated, it really brings weight to each item. When you mentioned they were all from the same sewing box, I had to jump back and review - of course, all piled together they would easily fit in one pocket. The photos are a lovely way to notice and enjoy them all.

[Bele]

Aaah! One of my favorite words in English! Especially, if you compare it to the charmless German word "Kurzwaren".
The stores are more or less gone here, too. But there is still a great place for buttons in Fulda left, called "Leinbergers Knopfparadies" (http://www.hr-online.de/website/fernsehen/sendungen/index.jsp?key=standard_document_16686890&rubrik=3036&seite=1).

[Jackie]

Here in Ramsgate we have a good haberdashery shop - full of everything you could possibly need on the ground floor with the fabric section in the basement.

[brandy]

I love the idea of a haberdashery (and your post reminded me of the Milly-Molly-Mandy books).

I live in Portland, Oregon (US west coast) and we have a cute little store called Josephine's Dry Goods (www.josephinesdrygoods.com). I think this could be something like a haberdashery, with lots of fabric and notions (and an entire wall full of little drawers of buttons). It is a great place to browse in, but no seat near the counter!

Thanks for the wonderful post and I have to say that I really like your blog - I've been reading for quite awhile, but never commented!

[Liesl]

Ah Jane, you always say it ten times better than I could. I still have every intention of creating a website that lists local shops for the travelling crafter. First I need someone to host the server. In the meantime, my list of the absolute necessities in New York is here (as you know):
http://disdressed.blogspot.com/2006/05/new-york-crafters-resources.html

[Elizabeth]

I have a very similar collection left by my grandmother. I just love the care and attention that was taken in the designing of a lowly paper packet of sewing needles. I think maybe you belong in another era, I know I do ( but with modern medicine and voting rights)

[Tuija]

I just visited La Droguerie in Paris a couple of weeks ago - lovely, lovely shop with too many beautiful things to choose from. Here in Helsinki (Finland) we have at least two old-fashioned haberdasheries: Punainen lanka (meaning red thread; http://www.punainenlanka.fi/index.html), which is located in an almost 100 year-old market hall (Hakaniemen kauppahalli; http://www.hakaniemenkauppahalli.fi/etusivu.htm) full of old-time athmosphere. The other one is called Nappitalo (button house; http://www.keltaisetsivut.fi/cgi-bin/gwi679/gSks/gwx/?model=ad.gws&ridm=112642018&adnu=158399&file=eniro_99/158399&dirs=hee+hel). They have a wide selection of buttons and ribbons and all. They also have an elderly sales lady, who follows on your footsteps and minds you not dropping any pearl buttons. Love her.