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American Fashion and Tailoring as made by

by Judy Gonyeau,
managing editor, with The John J. Mitchell

information shared by
Jean Druesdow, director
emerita, Kent State
University Museum
Publishing Company

A gentleman never talks about his tailor.

– Nick Cave, artist, and creater of “Soundsuits”

hat may be true, but a good tailor, one who knows his stuff and presents
the latest in fashion, is someone that was treasured by the American
TGentleman of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Tailors to the upper
echelon of society needed to have the education and tools at hand so every stitch,
fabric choice, fit, and overall style was perfectly executed.
Enter the John J. Mitchell Company of New York City.
Established in the mid-19th century, the Mitchell Company was strident in its
efforts to stand above and apart from other businesses looking to lead the way
of American fashion. They provided education and shared their vast amount of
tailoring expertise to those working in the field using a host of marketing tools:
publishing magazines, establishing a world-reknowned cutting and tailoring
school, creating advertising and finley printed illustrations tailors would
display in their shops, and being a supportive presence at tailor organizations’
meetings, conventions, supporting Union efforts, and placing American
Fashion on the world stage.

Above, an example of one of the thousands of colorful inserts published by the Jno. J. Mitchell Publishing Company from the 19th to early 20th centuries, ca. June, 1890

The Unknown Trend-Setter Fashion Publishing
So, why haven’t we heard about the Mitchell Company? Most likely Historian Frank Luther Mott (1886-1964) took note of the volume
because this company was perceived as a “behind-the-seams” type of of Mitchell fashion publications by sharing how they started and how
trade business. It could also be a lack of documentation on the business, they changed over time to focus on American trends. Keeping up with
itself. Reference material on how the business was run, statistics on the this was not an easy task, as you will see.
volume of magazines or even who John J. Mitchell was is tough to According to Mott, the Jno. J. Mitchell Publishing Company
find. Only recently has the Met Museum The December, 1914 edition of Mitchell’s started out with The Clothier and Hatter in 1872,
obtained a collection of Mitchell ephemera as The Sartorial Art Journal later divided into two publications: Clothier and
part of a bequest from Edward W. C. Arnold. Furnisher and Hatter and Furrier. Then, in 1892,
The ephemeral nature of the Mitchell Company it all switched once again. Hatter and Furrier
does not appear to be well preserved. split and became American Hatter and the
Somewhere there could be a huge treasure trove Furrier (later Fur Trade Review).
waiting to be discovered. Another morphing magazine was The
According to Jean Druesdow, director Furnishing Gazette, founded in 1881, that
emerita, Kent State University Museum, and also switched its title to The Haberdasher from
author of Men’s Fashion Illustrations from the 1887 to 1931.
Turn of the Century published by Dover (1990), The star publication that reached across all
“I do understand how difficult it is to track aspects of the tailoring trade was the long-
down any information about the J.J. Mitchell running Sartorial Art Journal, established in
Publishing Company. I was interested primarily 1874. First titled The American Fashion Review,
in the plates and patterns they published, and in the name change in 1887 stayed with the
the commentary – how the button spacing publication until its last issue in 1954.
changed 1/4” and that was NEWS.” And perhaps the most influential publication
Digging through information from the next to The Sartorial Art Journal was American
remaining existing examples of the many prints, Tailor and Cutter (1880-1916). The two
publications, and books by Mitchell Publishing magazines appear to be the foundation of much
helped to build its story. of the information dispensed to those in the

18 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles