Timeless Threads — C&A’s Enduring Appeal in European Fashion
There seems to be a huge appetite for 1970s and 80s nostalgia at the moment and for Jackie fans, the fashion retailers of yesteryear have particular appeal. Who can forget poring over the exquisitely drawn Jackie models posing in the latest must-haves for our wardrobe? Or squinting at the details in tiny print below, telling us where to find these garments, shoes and accessories. I for one, can remember dragging my mother out on a Saturday pleading for one or other new addition guaranteed to have heads turning (in my mind, anyway)!
One of my absolute favourites in the 70s and 80s, was C&A with its trendy, affordable fashion under the Clockhouse label. It was heart-breaking when C&A disappeared from our high streets in 2001 due to competition from the likes of Topshop, H&M and Zara.
The Golden Age of C&A
It’s astonishing to think that C&A had existed for nearly 140 years before it ever became known to the hip young things of the 70s and 80s. The store’s name derives from Dutch brothers Clemens and August Brenninkmeijer who founded the brand in 1841. The founding family had been trading in textiles since the 1600s, during the Dutch ‘Golden Age,’ when the country basked in the expansion of trading and scientific knowledge. At the time of setting up C&A, the brothers were in their early 20s when they began their original business of trading in linen and cotton fabric, using a loan given to them by their father. They worked in travelling sales until they established their first retail store in 1860.
The advent of the sewing machine brought with it the ability to produce ready to wear clothes in different sizes, which caught on with customers, eager to buy clothes off the peg. By the time the fifth C&A store opened in Amsterdam in 1896, clothes were retailing at a third of the price of the cheapest garments sold in other stores. Customers demanded ever more choice at competitive prices during the 20th century and the company, using new production techniques were able to extend their range to a wider demographic by producing more fast fashion and taking lower profits per item. C&A became a pioneer in producing high volumes at smaller margins and reinvesting their profits into the business. They embraced advertising and were one of the first, if not the first to allow customers to return goods.
C&A expanded into Germany where it was largely destroyed during WWII. The business here had to be rebuilt but saw a remarkably fast growth, becoming one of the largest retailers in Germany post-war.
In 1922, C&A began to open stores in the UK which they built up to a chain of 109 shops.
‘Man at C&A’
C&A didn’t just offer fashion for women, but also for men. During the 1980s, however, the brand began to suffer a decline in its reputation for producing fashionable clothing and the term ‘Man at C&A,’ coined first in a song by The Specials on their 1980 album ‘More Specials,’ suggested that the brand, in this new generation was no longer de rigueur. It must have been a blow to C&A when the ever popular but somewhat passé and downright tacky Del Boy, on becoming a millionaire, expressed his aspiration to now buy clothes from ‘Man at C&A.’
A European Spree
So that’s the history! But, some years ago, a little fact emerged that I hadn’t been aware of. On various trips to European cities, my heart began to flutter wildly as I saw the familiar C&A logo gracing the store fronts in many a high street in France, and Holland. At first I resisted the urge to leave my other half and go raking around the familiar shop floor of my youth. For him, there was generally more urgency in finding cocktails, a museum (which I love too), or food. He’s not a great shopper and I’d have felt the twitchy vibes of him standing outside as I fell to my knees in the front of the altar of Clockhouse. So, I tarried, momentarily, yet longingly, my nose pressed against the window of a European C&A, hoping that maybe, just maybe, they’d return to our shores. I even looked up their website, thinking perhaps I could grab a nostalgic bargain with a click of the mouse. It wasn’t to be, however. For some unknown reason, C&A do not ship to the UK.
Tick Tock Clockhouse
So, from Bordeaux to Carcassone, Limoges to Narbonne, Amsterdam to Gouda, I have resisted the temptation to waste time shopping and embraced the sights and culture of all the cities instead. However, visiting one of my favourite Dutch towns, Delft, I casually wondered out loud whether there was a C&A in town. I discovered that yes, indeed, there was a store there and yet again, uttered my wistful memories of the shop. Next day, we were out on a stroll around town and my other half appeared to be purposefully heading somewhere or other. Shortly afterwards, we arrived outside the shop with the distinctive logo and I jumped for joy! After all my years of passing up the chance to go in, I was being actively encouraged to knock myself out! I was quick off the starting block and soon rummaging the shelves for some new summerwear. I wasn’t disappointed by the Clockhouse range, still beckoning me through the years, and out I trotted, clutching a paper C&A bag with two new summer dresses in styles that appealed to me now as much as in my youth.
I had a new found hobby in finding C&A in two other Dutch towns during that holiday which I discovered in between enjoying the cultural delights of these beautiful locations. I resisted the temptation to go in either of the stores in Leiden or Haarlem though! Too many other sights and sounds to savour.
Prêt-à-porter in Porto
My 60th birthday loomed large during that same year. Given my histrionics during a menopausal 50th birthday, other half was tip toeing around me as the inevitable day arrived. Actually, I wasn’t as emotional about 60, particularly as we had decided to spend it Porto, Portugal. I had to laugh as I opened my birthday card and a message written on the back of a cardboard packet fell out. It said in other half’s scrawl, This voucher entitles the bearer to a €100 Euro spending spree at C&A Porto.
Well, the thrill! Time to track down another C&A in a new European city and spend some more money. The weather had been beautiful up until that day, when it actually poured with rain. Nevertheless, we trudged through the deluge into the town and rocked up at the destination. I wasn’t disappointed. Not only was it a large store, but it was the most ornate C&A I had ever visited with a smart wooden staircase leading up to the first floor, giving it a touch of sophistication.
Other half was even willing to accompany me around the hangers and shelves, waiting patiently for me to choose the winter coat and Snoopy hoodie that called out my name.
So, that’s that. My C&A story. No doubt many will wonder why on earth a former UK High Street store held me in its thrall. Well, I know I could have bought similar items in any other shop back home. I think the allure isn’t really the shop itself, although it was a favourite back in the day. It’s the memory it evoked; the fact that something from my youth still exists and although updated, still brings back the same memories of my teenage years. I long to see a Chelsea Girl or a Richard Shops again, but these have disappeared forever. In Europe however, it was lovely to step back in the Clockhouse of time.
