When did Paul and Lillian open the dress shop?
Lillian and Paul were married in the late 1930’s. We base that on the fact they were listed separately as guests at LIllian’s brother’s wedding in July of 1936. [1]
Also, based on the 1930 Federal census, Paul is living at home and working as a painter. [2]
They are married by the time the 1940 [3] Federal Census was released. Paul is listed there as owning his own business. Therefore, at some point between 1930 and 1940, Lillian Dress Shoppe was launched. It appears the shop was named after Lillian, Paul’s new wife.
Although Paul and Lillian were living in Paterson in 1940, the business was located at 111 Main Street in Hackensack, NJ.
We know that Lillian worked alongside her new husband in the store.
Below on the left is a postcard showing what Main Street in Hackensack looked like in 1935. [4]
On the right is how Main Street looks today. The arrow points to where the store would have been located. [5] It looks like all of the beautiful old buildings have been torn down and replaced.
Sally Levy helped out in the dress shop. She might have been a family friend.
What made the store unique?
Paul had the innovative idea to sell nice clothes for large women. No place else was doing that back then. You can tell from the ad on the right and from the business card above the sizes would be considered “plus” sizes in today’s market.
This ad appeared in March of 1940. Note the prices back then. The ad implies they were reasonable for the times. [6]
In 1944, Paul and Lillian supported the War Activities Committee from the Chamber of Commerce in Hackensack. . Their dress shop appears on a list of supporters. [7]
We are not sure when they stopped running the shop, but it was after their son, Stan, was born in 1944. On the 1950 Federal Census, Paul is working as a salesman in a men’s clothing store and Lillian not working.
Sources
- [1] Sidney and Lakey Kirsch Wedding Announcement from The NEws (Paterson, New Jersey) July 10, 1936, Friday, Page 12
- [2] 1930 Federal Census – Year: 1930; Census Place: Paterson, Passaic, New Jersey; Page: 10B; Enumeration District: 0010; FHL microfilm: 2341113Edit source Title1930 United States Federal Census Author Ancestry.com
- [3] 1940 Federal Census – Year: 1940; Census Place: Paterson, Passaic, New Jersey; Roll: m-t0627-02431; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 26-70 Title1940 United States Federal Census Author Ancestry.com
- [4] Main Street Hackensack from the Maggie Blanck Collection
- [5] Main Street Hackensack today from Google Maps
- [6] Lillian Dress Shoppe Ad from The Record (Hackensack, New Jersey) March 14, 1940, thursday, Page 21
- [7] War Activities Committee Supporters from The Record (Hackensack, New Jersey) December 8, 1944, Friday, Page 15