Bond Clothing Stores
Encyclopedia
Bond Clothing Stores, Bond Clothes, Bond Clothiers, or Bond Stores, was a men's clothing manufacturing company and retailer. The company catered to the middle-class consumer.
in 1914, when Mortimer Slater, with Charles Bond and Lester Cohen, founded the stores as a retail outlet for their suit manufacturing company. The first store featured fifteen-dollar men's suits. As president Mr. Slater built the concern into a million-dollar corporation, increasing the number of employees from fifty to more than 4,000. At his retirement in 1924, the concern had twenty-eight stores in large cities. Bond Stores, Inc. was organized in Maryland on March 19, 1937 by the consolidation of Bond Clothing Company, a Maryland corporation, and its subsidiary, Bond Stores, Inc. The principal executive offices of the corporation were located at 261 Fifth Avenue in New York City.
During the 1930s and 1940s, it became the largest retail chain of men's clothing in the United States, best known for selling two-pant suits. In 1975, the company was sold to foreign investors, then broken up and sold in smaller groups to its management. For instance, 13 stores were operated by the Proud Wind, Inc. company.
to Rochester, New York
where he spent his youth and got his start in the clothing industry with Fashion Park Clothes
. By the end of the 1930s, the manufacturer grew to employ over 2,500 people. During the 1940s the company expanded to larger manufacturing facilities on North Goodman St. In 1956, wholly owned manufacturing plants operated at New Brunswick, New York City, and Rochester. The Rochester facility was later sold to General Dynamics
. The company's manufacturing facilities remained in Rochester until 1979, when the factory was finally closed.
flagship store was at 372 Fifth Avenue at 35th Street, the former flagship of Best & Co.
Known as "Bond Fifth Avenue," they began leasing the store and the adjoining 12-story office tower from Best & Co. in 1947. In 1948, Bond renovated the entire building with ultra-modern interiors under the direction of designer Morris Lapidus
. Bond stayed in the building until the mid-1970s. The building has most recently been redeveloped by the Paratis Group as a commercial / residential complex known as the "372 Fifth Avenue Loft."
The company also operated a store at Times Square
. That outlet opened in 1940, was dubbed "the cathedral of clothing." The store closed in 1977. Starting in 1980, the building was a dance club called Bond's International Casino, notable for hosting a concert by The Clash
in 1981. The building now houses a restaurant
called Bond 45.
, the local flagship store was at 1335 F Street, NW, in the heart of the downtown shopping district. It opened in the early 1930s and closed in January 1982.
Suburban locations in Northern Virginia operated at Landmark Mall
in Alexandria
(opened 1966) and Seven Corners Shopping Center
in Falls Church
(opened October 1956, closed 1976). Outlets in suburban Maryland operated at Montgomery Mall
in Bethesda
, Prince George's Plaza in Hyattsville
(opened 1959, closed ca. 1982), and Marlow Heights Shopping Center
at Marlow Heights
.
area. In 1940, they took over the Givens, Inc. women's and children's apparel store at 452-54 Main Street in downtown Buffalo. A suburban location opened in 1962, at the new Boulevard Mall
.
between 44th and 45th St. in New York's Times Square
. The sign had nearly 2 miles of neon and included two 7-story-tall nude figures, a man and a woman, as bookends. Between the nude figures, there was a 27 feet (8.2 m) and 132 feet (40.2 m) waterfall with 50,000 gallons of recirculated water. Beneath the waterfall was a 278 feet (84.7 m) zipper sign with scrolling messages. The Bond zipper was made up of over 20,000 light bulbs. Above the waterfall was a digital clock with the wording "Every Day 3,490 People Buy at Bond." Some of the sign remained in place to advertise the Bond Stores location until the stores closure in 1977.
History
The company was founded in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
in 1914, when Mortimer Slater, with Charles Bond and Lester Cohen, founded the stores as a retail outlet for their suit manufacturing company. The first store featured fifteen-dollar men's suits. As president Mr. Slater built the concern into a million-dollar corporation, increasing the number of employees from fifty to more than 4,000. At his retirement in 1924, the concern had twenty-eight stores in large cities. Bond Stores, Inc. was organized in Maryland on March 19, 1937 by the consolidation of Bond Clothing Company, a Maryland corporation, and its subsidiary, Bond Stores, Inc. The principal executive offices of the corporation were located at 261 Fifth Avenue in New York City.
During the 1930s and 1940s, it became the largest retail chain of men's clothing in the United States, best known for selling two-pant suits. In 1975, the company was sold to foreign investors, then broken up and sold in smaller groups to its management. For instance, 13 stores were operated by the Proud Wind, Inc. company.
Manufacturing operations
In 1933, company president Barney S. Ruben (1885–1959) moved the manufacturing center of Bond Clothes from New Brunswick, New JerseyNew Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
to Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
where he spent his youth and got his start in the clothing industry with Fashion Park Clothes
Fashion Park Clothes
Fashion Park Clothes was a Rochester, New York-based manufacturer of men's tailored suits and apparel. They operated from the 1910s into the 1960s. In 1928, another Rochester-based clothing manufacturer, Stein-Bloch & Co., merged with Fashion Park....
. By the end of the 1930s, the manufacturer grew to employ over 2,500 people. During the 1940s the company expanded to larger manufacturing facilities on North Goodman St. In 1956, wholly owned manufacturing plants operated at New Brunswick, New York City, and Rochester. The Rochester facility was later sold to General Dynamics
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
. The company's manufacturing facilities remained in Rochester until 1979, when the factory was finally closed.
Retail stores
Bond Stores operated numerous retail outlets in the United States. Principally a men's clothier, by the mid-1950s some stores also carried women's clothing, and later became known as "family apparel centers." In 1956, the chain operated nearly 100 outlets from coast to coast in principal cities, in addition to more than 50 agency stores that sold goods in smaller communities. In the late 1960s there were around 150 retail outlets. By 1982, that number had dwindled to 50.New York City
Its New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
flagship store was at 372 Fifth Avenue at 35th Street, the former flagship of Best & Co.
Best & Co.
Best & Co. was a children's clothing retailer based in Greenwich, Connecticut. It reestablished the name of the New York City-based Best & Co. clothing chain that operated from 1879 to 1971.-History:...
Known as "Bond Fifth Avenue," they began leasing the store and the adjoining 12-story office tower from Best & Co. in 1947. In 1948, Bond renovated the entire building with ultra-modern interiors under the direction of designer Morris Lapidus
Morris Lapidus
Morris Lapidus was the architect of Neo-baroque Miami Modern hotels that has since come to define the 1950s resort-hotel style synonymous with Miami and Miami Beach....
. Bond stayed in the building until the mid-1970s. The building has most recently been redeveloped by the Paratis Group as a commercial / residential complex known as the "372 Fifth Avenue Loft."
The company also operated a store at Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
. That outlet opened in 1940, was dubbed "the cathedral of clothing." The store closed in 1977. Starting in 1980, the building was a dance club called Bond's International Casino, notable for hosting a concert by The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
in 1981. The building now houses a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
called Bond 45.
Washington D.C. and vicinity
Bond Stores first entered the Washington, D.C. market in 1925. In Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, the local flagship store was at 1335 F Street, NW, in the heart of the downtown shopping district. It opened in the early 1930s and closed in January 1982.
Suburban locations in Northern Virginia operated at Landmark Mall
Landmark Mall
The Landmark Mall, or Landmark Regional Shopping Center, is located in a triangle formed by Duke Street , Shirley Highway , and Van Dorn Street in Alexandria, Virginia....
in Alexandria
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
(opened 1966) and Seven Corners Shopping Center
Seven Corners Shopping Center
Seven Corners Shopping Center was the first major shopping center to open in suburban Washington, D.C.. It is located in Seven Corners, Fairfax County, Virginia. At its opening in 1956, it was the largest regional shopping center in Virginia...
in Falls Church
Falls Church, Virginia
The City of Falls Church is an independent city in Virginia, United States, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. The city population was 12,332 in 2010, up from 10,377 in 2000. Taking its name from The Falls Church, an 18th-century Anglican parish, Falls Church gained township status within...
(opened October 1956, closed 1976). Outlets in suburban Maryland operated at Montgomery Mall
Westfield Montgomery
Westfield Montgomery is an upscale shopping complex in Bethesda, Maryland, on Democracy Boulevard near Interstate 270 and the Capital Beltway .-History:...
in Bethesda
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
, Prince George's Plaza in Hyattsville
Hyattsville, Maryland
Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 17,557 at the 2000 census.- History :The city was named for its founder, Christopher Clark Hyatt. He purchased his first parcel of land in the area in March 1845...
(opened 1959, closed ca. 1982), and Marlow Heights Shopping Center
Marlow Heights Shopping Center
The Marlow Heights Shopping Center is an open air shopping complex located in Marlow Heights, Maryland, on Branch Avenue at St. Barnabas Road , and is positioned just south of Iverson Mall.-History:...
at Marlow Heights
Marlow Heights, Maryland
Marlow Heights is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 6,059 at the 2000 census...
.
Buffalo, New York
Bond Stores operated at least two locations in the Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
area. In 1940, they took over the Givens, Inc. women's and children's apparel store at 452-54 Main Street in downtown Buffalo. A suburban location opened in 1962, at the new Boulevard Mall
Boulevard Mall
Boulevard Mall, which opened in 1962, is a shopping mall located north of City of Buffalo at the western edge of the Town of Amherst in Erie County, New York, USA. The name derives from its location on Niagara Falls Boulevard , which divides Amherst from the Town of Tonawanda...
.
Times Square sign
Between 1948 and 1954, Bond Clothes operated a massive sign on the east side block of BroadwayBroadway (New York City)
Broadway is a prominent avenue in New York City, United States, which runs through the full length of the borough of Manhattan and continues northward through the Bronx borough before terminating in Westchester County, New York. It is the oldest north–south main thoroughfare in the city, dating to...
between 44th and 45th St. in New York's Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
. The sign had nearly 2 miles of neon and included two 7-story-tall nude figures, a man and a woman, as bookends. Between the nude figures, there was a 27 feet (8.2 m) and 132 feet (40.2 m) waterfall with 50,000 gallons of recirculated water. Beneath the waterfall was a 278 feet (84.7 m) zipper sign with scrolling messages. The Bond zipper was made up of over 20,000 light bulbs. Above the waterfall was a digital clock with the wording "Every Day 3,490 People Buy at Bond." Some of the sign remained in place to advertise the Bond Stores location until the stores closure in 1977.
External links
- New York Architecture Images- Midtown (Times Square) includes postcards showing Times Square Bond Clothes sign (accessed September 16, 2008).
- Photograph of Forrester Building, 640 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, California (home of Bond Clothing Stores, Inc., ca. 1939 to 1973) (accessed September 16, 2008).