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C & A Modes Corporation street

maggs said:
I never gave a thought to were their clothes were made Viv, but I loved them. As you say most people shopped there. All ages were catered for. As wages were low in those days, most people could afford C&A clothes. Their mens shirts always had CANDA on the labels in the back of the collar. I must have been a bit slow because I never realized the it was a C and A until sometime later. I had a moss green crimplene suit from there when they were all the fashion. Also two lovely coats, one in cherry red wool with an attached red scarf with a white fringe, and a short white duffle coat, with a beautiful red lining, I always wore this when I went to the Ice rink, and I felt like the bees knees in it. There were coats there for all ages, and does anyone remember the coat style called the Swagger? or the Duster coat? Oh such happy memories.
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Never knew what CANDA stood for until now Maggs!! Never even crossed my mind. Your crimplene suit reminded me of a crimplene dress I had from there; brown and cream in geometric blocks. It really was THE new fabric, no ironing no stretching or shrinking in the wash. Wash it, hang it up and wear it. No fuss. Not too sure I liked the feel of crimplene though. Viv.
 
I worked at C & A in the 60s on ground floor knitwear, we use to say the C&A stood for Coats & Ats. There were juniors and sales, the sales got the commission and used the tills, the juniors did the running about. We had a canteen on the fourth floor that had a big room divider at the back for the buyers, they would never sit with us shop floor girls. I had a great time and remember my time there with fondness.
 
People still turm a blind eye and it might be well to remember that those laid off and outsourced need cheap stuff to manage. No company defined benefit pensions, or any pension at all for temps, or large union support = reduced spending budget.
 
Before my time, but a very nice C & A Modes post-war ladies woollen coat. Has a trench coat influence. Cost £4.50 in todays money. Look at that waist! In 1945 the ladies coats and dresses department was in New Street and millinery, knitwear and blouses was in High Street. I'd originally presumed it was all the same shop spread across the two streets, but thinking about it more maybe not as this would have been the area bombed out during the war and would've eventually have been replaced by the Big Top development. C & A must then have moved to Corporation St. Viv.

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Viv, it's funny how those big shoulder pads came back into fashion in the 1980's wasn't it? I never liked crimplene either, but it was so popular at the time, it must have been one of the first 'easy care' fabrics, and we all needed that What would we do without this wash and wear idea these days? I wasn't the only one not to latch on to CANDA then? Well that's made me feel better. I never had what they called a Swagger coat, as I was too young, but they were so popular. What a pity non of us had good camera's at that time, so that we could put photo's on of ourselves in our lovely C&A dresses etc.
 
I recall it being recommended to me for trousers. I was assured they always had the most fashionable at the best price. However, because of the term banded around: "Where d'ya get that - C&A's basement?" if summat was seen as cheap looking, I shopped at Nelson House.

Oh, and congrats, Steve. I'm glad your persistence paid off. Your story sounds like good material for a book or film - I'm 'appy f'ya, Kiddo!
 
I know It's a old thread but I have just found it! So here goes!
I used to work at C&A 1964/65 On ground floor Knitwear so I must have known you Carole! I started on Millinery (Hat's) My life how times have changed! Imagine today having a whole section of a store selling just hats!!
I then did my training which involved working in every department within the store IE Packing, accounts and switchboard which was the old fashioned plug system! I loved switchboard! We junior's then had a choice to apply for a department. My choice was knitwear.. I remember working with Miss Lefty and another girl Mole! We called each other by last names It was a rule not to use 1st names So I only remember the last names! we had to wear a black dress with a white collar and In the summer White blouse with black skirt. The store detective then was a Mrs Parker she frightened me to death!!! She really shouted at me for losing my till key In The Kunzells Canteen were we had to go for dinner when the store was being done up... Well that's just a few memories of my time at C&A many moons ago..
 
Hi Emmy, sorry for the delay, just browsing through and saw your post. As I said I was on knitwear our supervisor was Miss owen, I can remember Miss Rowsell (my mate Sandra) and a Miss Bass also Miss Cund and Denise Welsh. We had buyers who strutted through the store can only remember a Mr Keanlyside, but there was a Scots buyer with a speech impediment always smoked Piccadilly cigarettes. Happy Days
 
It has been quite interesting to be reminded of some of the names from my past. I was menswear manager on the first floor, in the early 1960s, I left in 1966. I too was the victim of name change, my Clarke became Cheverton (I lived in Cheverton Rd, Northfield). When I first joined there was great excitement the day the CANDA van was due to arrive. (It took me a while to work it out).
C&A was a great company to work for, sadly they closed all of their British stores in July 2000.

Clarkie
 
Did you queue all night for a £1 suit? Now come on lads, you'd have us believe that's just tea in those flasks! iv

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49/9!!! for a C&A suit (or is it just the jacket)? You're havin' a laff. Anyway, that geeza holding his cup out for more looks like he's had enough already.
 
I never ever knew that C&A were Clemens & August Brenninkmeijer a Dutch company that still operates in the Netherlands.
 
Maybe men tended to call it Coats an Ats but women were probably more likely to call it C&A Modes - a la France! Ha, ha. My friends and I only ever called it C&A but I heard other people call it Coat an Ats at the time. But to be honest in the 60s I think C&A as a title would have been seen as very modern as most shops used their full names. Although having said that I don't think I can at the moment name another one doing so ! Give me time ...... Viv.
 
Just as C&A used "Canda" as a trade mark, S&U used "Sandu" for their sports teams.
 
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Well from what I remember it was fairly cheap. And it always had the latest popular fashion in store. Remember buying a girls bomber jacket from there made of very thin silky material, short waisted, looked great with those high waisted trousers of the late 60s/70s. There were rails and rails of them in red, blue or white. The jacket fell apart fairly quickly but by that time it was, in any case, out of fashion.

Jim - yes i remember the Canda trademark. Viv.
 
I still have 2 coats in my wardrobe which came from C & A.
One a black winter coat that I sadly call my funeral coat because that is the only time I seem to wear it and
a navy blazer type jacket that still looks brand new even though it has seen a lot of use.
I bought these long before C & A closed so I guess they must be around 20 years old.
I also used to buy twinsets from there,(now I am showing my age)
Ladies of a certain age do you remember wearing cardigans back to front , buttons down the back?.
 
Hi Alberta. I think C&A would have been trying to compete in the teenage fashion market as the popularity of boutique shops grew in the 60s. The only way they would have been able to compete would have been on price and therefore offering cheaply produced garments. I don't remember much about their other ranges, but I expect they tried to secure a cross section of customers by selling different ranges, of different quality, much like M&S does today.

What happened to C & A? Were they bought by another chain? Viv.
 
No they just closed the section of the business in the UK. They continued in Holland.
 
There is a C&A in the town near where my sister lives in South Germany, if I'm visiting I can't resist going in for a look!

I bought my swimming costume from C&A years ago and still use it on the (extremely infrequent) visits to a swimming pool.
 
C&A still has more than 1000 stores across most European Countries, not to mention the 11 in Russia.

Clarkie
 
Hi All,

Just as a matter of interest does anyone know what C & A stands for? e.g M & S stands for Marks and Spencers.

Old Boy
 
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