Hepworth’s lobby floor, Penrith
For a full century, between 1884 and 1985, Hepworth’s was a thriving national chain of men’s clothing shops, with a strong line in ready-made and made-to-measure suits. Rivals in the same field included Montague Burton, The Fifty Shilling Tailor (later renamed John Collier), Alexandre and Jackson’s.
Hepworth’s shops were converted to the Next format in 1982-85. The premises had never been quite as striking visually as Burton’s – the company did not construct so many complete buildings and did not engage in such all-encompassing shopfitting – yet traces of Hepworth’s can still be spotted on the high street.
Hepworth’s, Penrith
Hepworth’s was founded by Joseph Hepworth (1834-1911), the son of a ‘cloth dresser’ from Lindley near Huddersfield. Joseph followed in his father’s footsteps while he was still a schoolboy, becoming a part-time woollen cloth dresser at a local mill. Because he had to start work at an early age, Joseph always felt that his education was neglected. He compensated for this, however, with business nous.
Joseph married a local girl, Sarah Rhodes, in 1855. Six years later he was living in his mother-in-law’s house and working as a ‘teazel setter and woollen draper’, probably at George Walker’s Wellington Mill in Huddersfield. Teasels were used to brush the surface of the woven cloth, to raise the nap. In 1864 Joseph and his brother-in-law, James Rhodes, entered business together as ‘Juvenile Clothing Manufacturers’ in Scarborough Buildings, Bishopgate Street, Leeds. Although this partnership was dissolved in 1867, Joseph continued to specialise in the manufacture and wholesaling of juvenile clothing, employing 2 men and 20 women in 1871.
Hepworth’s, Blandford Forum
In 1878 Norris Rhodes Hepworth (1857-1914) became a partner in his father’s business, which was known thenceforth as Joseph Hepworth & Son. By 1881 the firm gave employment to 272 hands: they used outworkers as well as employing machinists in the factory at 25 Wellington Street, Leeds.
Shortly after this, on Norris Hepworth’s initiative, the firm adopted a new strategy. It cut out the middleman. Instead of continuing to act as a producer and wholesaler that supplied the trade, Hepworth’s began to retail direct to customers, not just in Britain but also in the Colonies. The decision was taken to open shops in ‘all important towns’ as rapidly as possible, rather than to build up a chain gradually. Amongst the first retail branches, which opened in 1884, were South Shields, Middlesbrough, Birmingham, Derby and Aberdeen. A year later there were 53 shops, promoted as ‘The World’s Clothiers’ or ‘the Great XL’ (seemingly a pun on ‘excel’). When the Wellington Street showrooms were extended in 1885, the basement was lit in the most modern fashion, by electricity.
In 1891, with 81 shops, Hepworth’s became a limited liability company with capital of £360,000 (Leeds Times, 14 November 1891, 4). This followed the opening of a large new factory, the Providence Works on Claypit Lane (Leeds Times, 17 January 1891, 8), designed by the London architect H. A. Cheers. Unfortunately, it had to be rebuilt after a fire just four years later, in 1895. By the eve of the Great War, Joseph Hepworth & Son was probably the largest clothing manufacturer and retailer in the country, a position usurped by Montague Burton in the early 1920s.
Hepworth’s Arcade, Hull
Fragments of several Hepworth’s shopfronts have survived, as does their painted sign in Hepworth’s Arcade on Silver Street in Hull. This L-shaped shopping development was designed by the architects Gelder & Kitchin specifically for Hepworth’s, who relocated there in 1894. In the mid-20th century Hepworth’s shops were characterised by deep entrance lobbies (maximising window display area), low stall risers of pearl granite (bringing the clothing to the same level as window shoppers) and deep fascias (signboards) with large lettering reading, simply, ‘HEPWORTHS’.
Hepworth’s Arcade, Hull
Hepworth’s changed its image in 1961, becoming closely associated with Hardy Amies, the Queen’s dressmaker. It opened shops named ‘The Hardy Amies Tailoring Shop’ within several Debenham Group department stores, such as Woollands of Knightsbridge, Pauldens of Sheffield and Plummer Roddis of Southampton. A new production centre opened at Ashington. Expansion remained strong throughout the 1960s, with 13 new shops opened and another 19 planned in 1966 alone.
Hepworth’s, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis: 1954 advertisement
Hepworth’s, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis
Hepworth’s set off in a different direction in the 1980s. This began when the designer and retailer Terence Conran, then associated principally with Habitat, was brought in as Chairman. Hepworth’s sales were lacklustre in 1981, when the company bought the womenswear chain Kendall & Sons of Leicester, with 79 shops, and used this as a springboard for a new chain of women’s shops called Next. George Davies was brought in to nurture this development. The first Next opened in 1982, followed by Next for Men in 1984, and the chain was augmented by the acquisition of Lord John shops in 1985.
Next proved so phenomenally successful that Hepworth’s name was eradicated from the high street by the end of 1985, absorbed by the new brand.
Next, Oxford Street, London, 1998
Building Our Past 
I worked at the Broad Street branch in Reading and joined the company in 1967,the branch manager was Terry Bunce,who taught me every thing I needed to know about sales and good dress sense,the style of clothing was sheer class and in my opinion has never been equaled by any high Street chain,I loved my time there an amazing company to work for.
LikeLike
Hi, gary here. In 1973 I purchased an old double breasted blazer jacket from a second hand store called Trims in Adelaide for the princely sum of $2. I wore around Adelaide Uni for a couple of years in winter then it has been stored in my wardrobe ever since with the occasional wearing. apart from being the best fitting jacket I have ever owned it has a Rule Britannia badge on the left hand pocket opposite the left lapel. A bit ironic actually as I am not really a big fan of royalty. Even though the jacket is 30’s or 40’s vintage it still wears really well and is very stylish.
LikeLike
To the Hepworth family…..Fabulous clothes! I bought a fantastic Hepworths double breasted over coat in a cream, brown & chocolate houndstooth pattern. I’m guessing by the design it would be late 60’s / Early 70’s. It is in remarkable condition, almost like it was never worn. The ammount of compliments I receive when wearing it is a testament to yourselves! Thank you Hepworths!
LikeLike
I was taken to Hepworths in Hayes Middlesex aged 11 years in 1950 by my farther to have a suit made, I remember it now, a mid grey dogtooth check, single breasted with hand stitched lapels. Trousers with 21″ bottoms and turn-ups of course. I had two or three fittings by the Manager, I cannot remember his name but he was always courteous and his attention to detail and perfection was I would say world class and I have had suits made all over the world. I would go as far as to say that that suit was probably one of the best fitting suits I ever had. The material was also very good quality. The cost of the suit £11-00 which at the time was a lot for my farther but he instilled in me the need to dress smartly and with style which I have always tried to keep to, unfortunately todays scruffy styles and poor quality do not easily allow that.
I wish I could still go into a Hepworths.
LikeLike
i started work as a saturday lad at hepworths in bolton, lancashire in 1969. crazy to think how busy the shop was on a saturday, customers queueing, must have been 15 sales staff then, and we were all run off our feet. but then, £21 for a decent made-to-measure suit was about the norm. booking 100 suit orders on a saturday was pretty normal. hardy amies link, and do you remember the tv series the avengers, dressed patrick macnee/john steed in that. hepworths always got the contract to dress olympic teams, maybe they did it for nothing, other than the publicity
LikeLike
interesting Stephen I too remember those busy Saturdays and all those bespoke suits . What a great company to work for I was there from 73 to 79 , fantastic training that helped me throughout my career in selling .
LikeLike
Hello…anyone out there worked at the Ashington factory when Arthur Mann was the factory manager
LikeLike
sorry, I have to ask, are you ian g Rhodes who worked in bol
LikeLike
I just got back from a Luton Hepworth’s reunion (16/09/23). Catching up with ace salesmen Martin Strang and Kevin Moroney who both contributed to this thread. I worked in Luton (42-175) Hepworths from 1973 for about 3 years. Unfortunately during the recession I was made redundant and my claim to fame was that at 19 I became the only person from retail sales at Hepworths to take them to an Industrial Tribunal. Was I bitter? No they gave me the best training of my life. Those formative years were so crucial. Did I win? It was win-win I fought my case all day on my own against the manager, district manager and personnel director from Leeds. A sign of how good the training was came when I could hear the other side through the waiting room wall, and I heard Don Faulkner say “how impressed he was and thought I’d win, and that they had probably trained me too well!” Best ever compliment from a man who I never stopped respecting. I lost the case on a technicality.
As Kevin mentioned we had a reunion in 1990 (when DF retired?) and that was the last time I saw all these guys until this weekend. They both rightly praised the sales training which became a competitive game in the shop. But there was something more subtle than selling skills and closing the sale. I took something different from the experience and the process. Much of the training was also about human relations, it made me a better person, DF was a great man manager to watch in action, empathy and understanding staff and customer emotions was all part of the training which he exemplified. Dale Carnegie’s “the most important thing to a man is his name – use it” Was such an important life skill. Arthur Shuttleworth’s trip to the DC sales institute in the states and 16mm training films he came back with was transformative for the company. And I like the other guys I recognise how privileged we were to be a part of that era where customer service was a lived experience! I still have my training manual! And my first suit! And I completed my management training in LEEDS at 60 with an Executive MBA at the University Business School! (Full circle)
LikeLike
Hi Stephen never worked at Luton . But at stevenage Letchworth Welwyn Garden City St Albans. I will have to tell Andrew Birch he will be so annoyed he missed the reunion . Would of loved to meet you guys again .
LikeLike
Kevin worked miracles to track us down. The estate agent for my old family home in Dunstable spotted his FB notice. And alerted me. I’m sure we will meet up again as there was just too many things to recall in one session. I’ll Kev know and get in touch.
LikeLike
Hi Stephen, I’m a direct descendant of Joseph & Norris Hepworth & would really love to see the training manual, or snippets of it. My current job, not sales, is about learning & development and it sounds like Hepworth’s training was ahead of its time and stood the test of time.
LikeLike
Hi Kirsty,
Well for those of us who Hepworths gave such a great start to working life this is like being contacted by royalty! 🙂
I’m living the Leeds City region now my plan was to pass all my Hepworths memorabilia to the Leeds Discovery Centre archives. Where it can be viewed by researchers. I was at a tailoring exhibition at the Leeds gallery a couple of years ago and met one of the curators who seemed keen on the collection. I would also like to capture some oral histories of this time not just the hilarious behaviour of some of the staff but the benefits they all talk about of having been part of the Hepworth’s family.
As discussed at the reunion having this sort of training in our formative years set us all up for life in one way or another. I’m sure it would be of interest to anyone in learning and development. I may have mis-described the folder as it is actually called a “Personal Training Record” Which contains the programme of the two courses I attended. Nevertheless that are the basic training programmes. I will endeavour to digitise the contents before handing it over to the archives. I’ll let you have the first copy! I have to say that the training only came to life when we were sent to the new HQ in Clay Pit Lane Leeds on “Management Cadet” courses and when we returned we were expected to cascade knowledge by running an in-shop SFT (shop floor training) session on a particular element of our course.
LikeLike
I was also a cadet and every time you attended and passed said training courses with Arthur and Ron at Claypit Lane you recieved a star but cannot recall if a pay rise was included as well. July 72 to Oct 84 I worked for Hepworths and Manager in Kirkwall and Peterhead, thanks for you previous comments and good memories Alan Joiner.
LikeLike
That’s great Stephen, really good it will be saved in the archives. I grew up in Leeds & a lot of family still there. I’m now on west coast though. I would love to see anything you’re able to digitise. My email is kirsty.hepworth@sky.com
I didn’t intend posting it here, but can’t see a way to send it privately to you
Kind regards, Kirsty
LikeLike
Stephen, don’t know if you remember me but I certainly remember you, and Kevin and Martin was a name I know but don’t think we ever met. Please pass my contact through to Kevin as I would really like to be at any future reunions.
Great to read your story and have memories stirred up.
All the best
Andrew Birch
LikeLike
Hi Andrew,
I do remember you but can’t remember if you came to the Luton shop on an exchange or I to you? Martin was at Luton before and after me and Kev. But we hit it of as a trio and took Sands nightclub by storm in our Tonik Mohair specials!
I highlighted it to Kev to put you in his little black reunion book!
LikeLike
Don’t seem to have the option to reply direct to Alan so doing it this way:
Hi Alan I don’t suppose you sold much but Harris Tweed up there? There was a guy from Stornoway (Colin MacAulay) on my basic course and he said that they sold not much else!
Here is the cadet structure. It talks of promotion so I guess you did get a pay increase.
Young Salesman – To be considered for promotion to One Star. Should have: a) Above average sales record b) High standard of appearance c) Attended and passed a Basic Course d) Ambition e) Likeable personality f) First class conduct g) Passed D.S.M. interview. After achieving these qualifications he will be promoted to One Star Cadet. Award of Certificate.
One Star Cadet. To be considered for promotion to Two Star. Should have: a) Maintained an above average sales record. b) Planned and presented S.S.T. exercise. c) Obtained Measuring Certificate d) Passed Product Knowledge examination After achieving these qualifications he will be promoted to Two Star Cadet. First seal awarded. Will now attend Course Cadet Il.
Two Star Cadet. To be considered for promotion to Three Star. Should have: a) Attended and passed Course Cadet II b) Improved sales performance c) Display awareness d) Ability to train e) Re-test of Measuring Certificate f) Attended Admin Course g) Success in Relief Management After achieving these qualifications he will be promoted to Three Star Cadet. Second seal awarded. Will now attend Course – Cadet III .
Three Star Cadet. To be considered for promotion to Four Star. Should have: a) Attended and passed Course – Cadet III b) Completed a minimum of 2 holiday management reliefs. c) Passed D.S.M. final interview After achieving these qualifications he will be promoted to Four Star Cadet. Third seal awarded.
Four Star Cadet. Potential Branch Manager Management Course.
LikeLike
Hello Ex Hepworth employees need more comments from Midland and west country
LikeLike
all these comments about the training programme, think hepworths were way ahead of their time. every couple of months, district day at liverpool 176, every year a divisional week in leeds. sold so many different things over the years, all comes back to what hepworths pushed, sell yourself first. joke, hepworths in bolton, next door to burtons, had to explain why we cost £1 more for exactly the same suit, and although we didnt say it, we knew for sure burtons were actually making suits for us, when we got a delivery with burtons labels in them
LikeLike
Ah! yes economies of scale. Rivalry was probably more on the sales side. At factory level there would have been collaboration to keep the good and skilled people of Leeds and the north east employed. I do remember that not too well kept secret and as you suggest we were a bit smug that they had spare capacity to make for our superior sales generated demand! 😉
Interesting the two shops were next to each other? I can see the contact table wars now!
LikeLike
in bolton, maybe other places, there was a tailors area. us, burtons next door, dunnes next door but one, jacksons and alexandres on the opposite corners. john temple, john collier and peter pell just by
you may remember what a “kill” suit was, hepworths reduced the price and put a big “spiff” on it to get rid. burtons didnt do that, sent un-collected suits back to the factory, so they were sitting on god knows how much stock they werent trying to sell, no wonder they kept going bang
LikeLike
Kills or OHBs (Old hanging balances) were a speciality in Luton. My colleagues Martin Strang and Kevin Moroney (Contributors above) were specialist in this area of sales. Luton used to get sent OHBs from other areas as the reputation for shifting them was renowned at that time. Standing joke in our place (probably industry wide?) When bespoke customer was asked “Would you like a two piece or a three piece suit sir?”. If the customer said “two piece” They would get an inquisitive look and the retort would be “Oh really? You don’t want any trousers?” 🙂
LikeLike
bolton too had a reputation for shifting kills, due to our top salesman, fred jackson, who would do whatever for the £3 spiff each kill carried. coming up to sales, we would get loads sent to us, easy to tell some had been about for years. only one i really remember, must have been made for a huge man, giant perhaps. quiet days, bored, les mannion and myself would both climb into the trousers and hop around the shop
LikeLike
you say about feeling smug that burtons were making our ready-mades, true enough. however, one time, a range of really nice navy and charcoal suits came to us, all with burtons labels in them. our tailoress worked for ages to change them before we could put them out for sale
LikeLike
ok, not about hepworths, but i think very funny. arthur eglin, manager of burtons, very much from the floor-walker school, you know, tails and stripes, stood at the bottom of the stairs, rubbing his hands. guy came flying down the stairs, eglin, “is everything ok sir?”. bloke, “it most certainly is not. one of your staff just told me to fuck off”. eglin, “that must have been graham, you really must have upset him”
LikeLike
who remembers NR lengths, the odd bits of cloth left over from a roll. used to love those, draping them over a customer, give a better idea how a suit would look, rather than just going off the pattern books
LikeLike
Hello, I am looking for a picture of the mobile HEPWORTHS tailoring lorry. I was in Catterick Camp in the early Sixties and the lorry used to visit every fortnight – it would park and then the sides would open to make a good sized shop. It would stay in one location for a whole day into the evening.
LikeLike
knew hepworths were quite cute pushing the brand – uniforms for olympics and whatever teams, tv adverts featuring patrick macnee from the new avengers – but what you describe is completely new to me, sorry. good luck with your search
LikeLike
Unsure if this is still active but I’ll give it a go .
My farther Alan Dyson worked for Hepworth for over 40yrs before being made redundant . He was based at Clay pit lane in Leeds where he started as a tailors cutter then becoming a specialist cutter and suit fitter for gentlemen who had Curvature of the spines or other disabilities that required suits adapting .
He became a foreman and union representative improving working times and conditions .. He then became Personnel Officer and thoroughly enjoyed his role .
In 1977 he received the Queens Silver Jubilee Medal in recognition of his time given to the clothing industry .. l still have the medal and a letter from Mr Shuttleworth , l believe CEO at the time congratulating him on his achievement .
I remember mum and dad attending the dinner dances at the Queens Hotel in Leeds and The Astoria at Roundhay ..
l did attend one or two as a teenager and loved how everyone dressed up for the event .. Mum and Dad were keen dancers and performed at one of the dinner dances ( Charleston Theme ) l have the picture from one of the Hepworth news letters along with a couple of old black and white photographs of Dad stood at his cutting bench . I also still have his old yard stick he used for measuring cloth ..
After being made redundant dad worked in the Hepworth shop within Debenhams on Briggate before returning to the old Hepworth building on clay pit lane where he was responsible for archiving Hepworth paperwork etc ..
He always talked fondly of his days at Hepworths where he made many a good friend , some of whome lm still in contact with .. Sadly dad passed away in 2017 (89 years young ) .. I also at 13/14 sold newspapers to the workforce as they left which earned me some pocket money .. Happy days and times .. Elaine
LikeLiked by 1 person
great comment, nice one. odd you say about your dad specialising in body shapes. hepworths – probably every tailors – had notes for body shapes, we would add them to the order after the customer had left, to help the cutter visualise what we had seen. i’d been sent to measure up a pub landlord on my way home. the man was huge, 60 inch tape wouldnt go round him, used beer-mats to make up the size. next morning, writing up the order, asked my manager if i should write corpulent – big sticky-out belly. ken took one look, saw the sizes, said just write fucking monster, they will know what you mean. thank god it fit when it arrived
LikeLike
Lovely memories Elaine, thanks for contributing this. A lot of us seem to be from the retail side on here, so it’s nice to hear something from the factory side. We were all given factory visits on our training weeks in Leeds so had some appreciation for the cutting rooms and the skills of people like your Dad. And some great memorabilia there too!
LikeLike
I worked at Hepworths 1974-77. Would there of been a Pension paid into at that time and if so where would I check it with now, Next?
LikeLike
I worked in the Blackpool hepworths around 1965/6. It was a big two floored shop in the Lewis’s building near the promenade. We had a real cross section of staff who I looked up to as the junior. The manager was called Mr. Webb and my colleagues were Alan robertson and Mike Platt. There was a Mr. Sladdin and a seamstress who I really liked but whose name escapes me. I fell out with ‘Webby’ and was exiled to a much smaller shop in Lancaster where I shared my time with the manager, Ian whose surname was possibly Clark but I’m not sure. We got on like a house on fire! I would love to know what became of any of them.
Ian Brown, Cumbria.
LikeLike
i worked at heppies from 1969-1980, starting in derby and later managing the new store in long eaton.i remember mr jackson amd mr pirrie as national sales managers, david collins was my district mananger who i owe so much to, loved visiting head office for courses led by aurthur hadrick, another great influencer on my career.
other great freinds.
malcolm cross derby/birmingham
harry thompson nottingjam
fred jordan leicester
without doubt the happiest days of my life and memories to many to mention
LikeLike
hi, I know this may sound random but I have an image of my relatives with a Hepworth’s store in the background I was wondering if anybody would be able to share the location of the store? Old image.
LikeLike
Hi Needham,
Unfortunately it is not possible to post images on here. Why not post it online on social media and direct people from here to it? Its a long shot a there were a lot of shops! Was it where they lived? Where they on holiday? Any other clues?
LikeLike
Sorry Nadeem! don’t no how I got you name so messed up!
LikeLike