Judy’s

Judy’s was a southern California-based clothing store chain founded in 1946 by Marcia Israel-Curley (1921-2004).

At that time, Israel-Curley was a model who was inspired to open her own store because she couldn’t find any youthful clothing to wear. She borrowed $1,000 from her mother and opened a tiny, 7-by-10-foot store in East Los Angeles, naming the shop “Judy’s”, because it was short enough to fit above the narrow storefront.

Judy’s was at the forefront of a new youth-oriented retail experience that saw teenage girls and twenty-something women coveting the trendy new items that arrived weekly. Under their own “Exclusively for Judy’s” label, the stores sold everything from intimate-wear to accessories to dresses. The Mary Quant cosmetic counter was a popular mainstay within the stores.

Judy’s maintained its position at the top of the juniors retail heap through the 1970s, expanding rapidly into shopping malls across the country. 

By 1989, the Judy’s chain consisted of 70 women’s clothing stores and 34 men’s clothing stores in California and four other western states.

After a handful of poor sales years, Marcia and her then-husband, Larry sold the company. 

In 1993, to avoid bankruptcy, the chain was acquired by Rampage, eventually converting all Judy’s stores to that brand.

Written by rRanch Queen Vintage

from a 1980s skirt

Courtesy of Ranchqueenvintage

from a 1990s blouse

Courtesy of Ranchqueenvintage