By Garland Pollard
We are on our way to Church of the Redeemer, walking down Palm Avenue in downtown Sarasota, and a man remarks on our daughter wearing a white smocked dress. She reminds him of his sister, wearing Best & Co. and later shopping at DePinna with his mother. Of the two, Best’s has returned, but DePinna has not. We wondered why.
What happened to DePinna? And does the brand have enough residual goodwill to bring back?
Lisa Birnbach in her Official Preppy Handbook featured four “R.I.P” retailers in her book – Abercrombie & Fitch, Best & Co., Peck and Peck and DePinna. Since the book, three have returned. Abercrombie is everywhere making teens look slutty; Best’s is a boutique catalog and store and Peck & Peck is a store brand at Stein Mart.
What was DePinna? And where did DePinna go?
Time magazine posted an archive letter to the editor from 1927. The letter was written by and about a prep school student named Denny, who thought that a DePinna ad listing some of the “top” prep schools did not list his. It gives a sense of the social importance of DePinna:
“And how many fellows at Exeter, Andover, Mercersburg and Lawrenceville ever bought a suit at De Pinna’s? But there are other leading schools; where the fellows dress just as well as any clothes from De Pinna’s. How would De Pinna’s like it if I put an advertisement calling Brooks and Rogers Peet the “leading clothing stores” in New York?
Which got us thinking. What was it about De Pinna? And furthermore, what happened to Rogers Peet?
- The company was founded by and as A. De Pinna Company, and had early space at 650 Fifth Avenue.
- His son Leo S. De Pinna, of 375 Park Avenue, ran the company after him.
- In 1938, Leo S. De Pinna’s daughter, Miss Constance Vivian De Pinna married Emerson Muschamp Bainbridge of Gledfield, Ardgay Rossshire, Scotland.
- In 1941, they opened a “Doll House Salon.” The company also made military officer hats for the U.S. Army.
- In 1950, the company was purchased by the beloved Washington, D.C. department store Julius Garfinckel Co., Inc. De Pinna was also a sister company to Brooks Brothers (and later Richmond’s Miller & Rhoads.)
- In 1953, De Pinna and an unrelated retailer Gunther Jaeckel, Inc. began to close Thursday nights, which was a retailing tradition.
- In 1957, the company’s president, John T. Fielder, announced a store in Westchester County on White Plains Road.
- In in 1966, the Minskoff real estate family purchased the De Pinna Building.
- The A. DePinna Company announced the closing of its three stores in April of 1969; its store at Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street was, in the 1970s, torn down for a skyscraper, apparently by “Iranians.”
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10 responses so far ↓
1 Thinking of DePinna and other Brands | BrandlandUSA™ // Nov 22, 2008 at 8:06 am
[...] And we just stuck a DePinna ad to promote our old story on prep brands that are no longer around, like DePinna, but have some residual brand [...]
2 David de Pinna // Dec 30, 2009 at 5:42 am
My father was going to America to work with Leo de Pinna when the war started and he was diverted to New Guinea and my mother was given a screen contract by Charles Chauvel who launched Errol Flynn who probably knew Connie de Pinna.
3 Geoffrey B. DePinna // Feb 15, 2010 at 5:23 pm
I’m Geoffrey B. DePinna, son of George L. DePinna. I believed I was the last of the DePinna line, I guess I was proven wrong
Family history and background steems from England .
4 B T Phillips // Aug 14, 2010 at 9:55 pm
Message for Geoffrey B. DePinna…
Hi, I am Basil Phillips, the grandson of Madaleine (Née) DePinna, Maida Vale, London, England. I think I may have met your father George L DePinna around 1948/49 when he visited us in Eastbourne during his visit to the UK. His address in my deceased mothers address book is 101 67th Drive, Forest Hills Drive, New York 11375. I also believe the DePinna family owned a lighting business in Miami.
Hi would be very interested to hear if these details relate to your family.
Regards
Basil Phillips (Laurie) New Zealand
lawiephillips@xtra.co.nz
5 Lisa Hollywood // Sep 9, 2010 at 1:29 pm
Hi Mr. Phillips, I am wondering if you have any recollection or information about Antoinette De Pinna, the store founder’s sister (?). My family has a letter written by her from February of 1909 to my great grandmother who had given birth at the New York Infant Asylum. It must have been special to her because she saved it all those years.
Antoinette was living at Euclid Hall, 86th Street and Broadway, NYC, at the time. In the letter, Antoinette mentions that she had wanted to visit my great, great grandmother the next Sunday, but that she couldn’t “…for I have promised to go down to the country to my sister for that day”. The letter is so warm and encouraging; she must have been a wonderful lady. Anything you may know about her and wish to share would be greatly appreciated by our family. Thank you, Lisa Hollywood, NYC, NY.
6 Clive Kandel // Sep 18, 2010 at 1:52 pm
I met Connie De Pinna in London in 1969. We became friends and remained so until her death.
7 C. de Pinna // Nov 20, 2010 at 11:42 pm
There are de Pinna family members in Australia, too. Also, I understand that in Sydney, there is a collection of beautiful clothing called the Darnell Collection (I think). One of the dresses bears the de Pinna label.
8 Jean Peters // Jan 18, 2011 at 11:36 am
I have a 65 year old baby’s outfit and I have been trying
to remove the yellow from age so my grandson (due in May) can wear
his grandfather’s baby outfit. I decided to look up the De Pinna
name on the tag and was delighted to find this website. If this
outfit has survived, in tact, all these years without care, I would
love to see this brand return.
9 B Beasley // Mar 26, 2011 at 4:17 pm
I have a De Pinna “donkey doll” in the original box with tags, in perfect condition, never use, it even has its original gift ribbon. Does anyone have any information on the doll.
10 Kenneth Kasalis // Dec 9, 2011 at 1:55 am
De Pinna was a beautiful store…My mom bought a magnificent hat there for Easter in 1964…she still has it in the green cardboard hatbox with the company logo.
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