Uniforms: 1869 – 1930s

Staff were issued with six white coats and twelve white aprons and every working day began with a uniform inspection.

Single breasted coats were replaced in 1907 by double breasted ones. These had the advantage that they could be buttoned one way one day and the other way the next, presenting a smart appearance on two consecutive days.

The black coat buttons were removable for ease of laundering and one of the buttons carried a number for identification purposes (name badges were not introduced until the 1970s). In the early 1930s, red buttons were introduced for fully-qualified salesmen who had gained experience in every department of the shop, while trainees continued to wear black buttons.