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Bobbie Brooks was founded in 1939 by Maurice Saltzman and Max Reiter in Cleveland, Ohio. Originally called Ritmore Sportswear, Inc., the company was bought by Saltzman in 1953 and became Bobbie Brooks, Inc. (Note: The name Bobbie Brooks was used even before the name of the company was changed, possibly as early as 1941.) In 1959, it became the first woman’s garment-making company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. During the 1960s, Bobbie Brooks was one of the five largest garment manufacturers in the US, with fifteen factories producing 18,000,000 garments a year.

Bobbie Brooks used an organized plan of choosing which garments to manufacture. This plan utilized a consumer board made up of 600 of their targeted consumers – junior-sized teens and young women. The company is now owned by Garan, and as of 2010, was carried in Dollar General stores.

Written by fuzzylizzie

See vintage Bobbie Brooks from VFG members on Etsy (paid link)


From an early 1950s two piece dress - Courtesy of Melissa Moseley

From an early 1950s two piece dress

Courtesy of Melissa Moseley

from a 1950s full skirt/top set - Courtesy of hatfeathers

from a 1950s full skirt/top set

Courtesy of hatfeathers

from a 1950s casual jacket - Courtesy of shopdesignarchives.com

from a 1950s casual jacket

Courtesy of shopdesignarchives.com

from a 1950s gabardine jacket - Courtesy of uniquetextiles

from a 1950s gabardine jacket

Courtesy of uniquetextiles

from a 1950s suit - Courtesy of vanityflairvintage

from a 1950s suit

Courtesy of vanityflairvintage

from a late-1950s suit - Courtesy of Tea & Tiger Vintage

from a late-1950s suit

Courtesy of Tea & Tiger Vintage

from a late 1950s/early 1960s sweater - Courtesy of morning-glorious

from a late 1950s/early 1960s sweater

Courtesy of morning-glorious

from an early 1960s sweater - Courtesy of fast_eddies_retro_rags

from an early 1960s sweater

Courtesy of fast_eddies_retro_rags

from a mid 1960s sweater - Courtesy of jluthye

from a mid 1960s sweater

Courtesy of jluthye

from a mid to late 1960s dress. - Courtesy of pinky-a-gogo

from a mid to late 1960s dress.

Courtesy of pinky-a-gogo

from a 1960s/1970s shirt jac and pants set - Courtesy of MagsRags

from a 1960s/1970s shirt jac and pants set

Courtesy of MagsRags

hang tag from a 1960s/1970s shirt jac and pants set - Courtesy of MagsRags

hang tag from a 1960s/1970s shirt jac and pants set

Courtesy of MagsRags

from an early 1970s sweater - Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from an early 1970s sweater

Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from a 1990s shirt - Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com

from a 1990s shirt

Courtesy of fuzzylizzie.com