For women of a certain age on Merseyside, the name Chelsea Girl will spark many fond memories from years gone by.
Before many of the high street brands and online shops we've come to know and love today, Chelsea Girls was very much 'the' place to be seen. Decades ago, generations of young women loved it - and some of their parents hated its new and eclectic styles that stood out from the crowd.
Known and loved for its eye-popping colours, patterns and new age attitudes towards women's clothing, it was a go-to place to shop at the weekend, with many spending most of their wages to get their hands on the latest trends. Chelsea Girl was the brainchild of English clothing retailer Bernard Lewis, who in the late 1940s opened up a string of fashion outlets called Lewis Separates, Edinburgh Live previously reported.
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By the 1960s, the business rebranded as Chelsea Girl to reflect the new wave of ladies' styles that were being conjured up by leading designers, such as Mary Quant. Chains soon popped up in cities across the UK, including Liverpool.
Many shoppers will remember the Liverpool store in the city centre and the brand expanding into menswear with the launch of their Concept Man stores in the early 1980s and later River Island by the end of the decade. Archived Liverpool ECHO advertisements suggest the store was open on Church Street as early as the 1970s.
But in 1985, the ECHO reported how the former Binns store on Church street was to reopen for business when Chelsea Girl and Chelsea Man moved into the 20,000 square foot unit. At the time of its opening, the store was the group's biggest in Britain.
Officially opening in autumn 1985, a Liverpool ECHO advertisement described the new chain as "a stunning collection of up-to-the-minute, high-fashions men’s and women’s wear in a store that's out of this world. Chelsea Girl and Concept for Men will turn your shopping spree into a fashion experience."
Our archives, Mirrorpix, recently uncovered a photo of the Church Street Chelsea Girl shop logo from 1986. Merseyside shoppers will also remember branches in the likes of Birkenhead, Southport and St Helens.
On our Liverpool memories and history Facebook group, members previously shared their memories of Chelsea Girl on Merseyside." One person said: "Great store went every Saturday."
Another commented: "My fave shop as a teenager!! My mum hated it !! Spent my entire first wage packet in that shop, walked out of Herbert of Liverpool with my £1 weeks wage plus a few bobs tips and straight into Chelsea girl and bought a patchwork suede bag. My mum read me the riot act, but I loved that bag that shop saw a lot of my pay for a few years."
One person posted: "Yes, loved this shop. Would buy a dress on a Saturday afternoon to wear at the Mardi that night." And another posted; "Favourite shop as a teenager."
In 1988, both Chelsea Girl and Concept Man were merged together to become part of River Island, which remains on our UK high streets today. But in 2011, Chelsea Girl was reinvented with a capsule collection in River Island.
The Liverpool ECHO previously reported how the Chelsea Girl range was designed by National College of Art & Design graduate, Lucy Moller. Lucy took archived originals, garments found on eBay and even in her mum’s attic, to garner inspiration.
Do you remember shopping at Chelsea Girl in Merseyside? Let us know in the comments section below.
The collection boasted mini-skirts and shorts, crop T-shirts, wide leg trousers and printed maxi dresses which transported shoppers back to the 70s and 80s. At the time, a spokesperson said: "Chelsea Girl feels like a 'little sister' to River Island and will be positioned as a sub-brand to younger customers.
"We wanted a range with a vintage spirit but a unique 21st century twist. The beloved high street label that made the 60s, 70s and 80s tick is back bringing affordable, trend led clothing."
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River Island remains on Church Street today, but many still remember the days of Chelsea Girl and the much-loved clothes they really got their wear out of. And in some instances, relics of its past have been rediscovered in recent years.
In October 2015, Iain Duff spotted a Chelsea Girl sign briefly uncovered in Southport. Located on Eastbank Street at the corner of Chapel Street, the site was being turned into a Costa coffee shop when the old logo with the recognisable heart underline was seen once again.
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