If you grew up in the 1960s, 1970s or 1980s, you’ll remember what used to be every girl’s favourite shop in Glasgow.

Located on Argyle Street, Chelsea Girl was a must-visit stop on our city’s high street for multiple generations of young fashionistas. From the mini-skirt to the rah-rah two decades later, this ultra-chic shop was the place to get it.

The idea for Chelsea Girl began in 1948 when Bernard Lewis began selling ladies' clothing and wool - along with fruit and vegetables - at a market stall in Notting Hill, London.

After recognising a higher demand for the former, Lewis increased production and made clothes in-house. He sold his first design – a white lace trim blouse – in 1950.

After that, Lewis and his brothers combined forces and opened nine Lewis Separates stores.

Glasgow Times:

Not quite got the same ring to it as Chelsea Girl, does it? Come the 1960s, the name was changed to embody the fashion and culture of London’s Chelsea.

Generations of Glaswegians would spend their Saturday job wages on a new blouse or buy a pair of jeans in 'in-between sizes' until 1988 when Chelsea Girl’s Argyle Street shop closed its doors.

The brand became part of River Island, but the old name has had not one, but two revivals.

A new collection called Chelsea Girl was launched in River Island in 2011 and specialised in retro designs as well as ‘Chelsea Girl’ logo tops with the name and iconic red love heart.

Last year, another range was released and aimed to focus on ‘the new generation of Chelsea girls’.

Glasgow Times:

Tammy Girl was the go-to for the generation or two below the Chelsea Girls. It was the epitome of the ‘y2k’ style – glitter eyeshadow, butterfly hair slides, logo tops, low-rise jeans and more.

Its parent brand Etam was one of the many retailers which, in its later years, fell under the Arcadia Group along with Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Evans. But its origin supersedes all those arguably more famous fashion labels.

The first Etam opened in Berlin in 1916 and it specialised in lingerie. In the 1940s, Etam ‘boutiques’ opened, and these sold a wider range of women’s clothing. The brand was a pioneer of the early ‘baby doll’ pyjamas and nightgowns, putting them on shelves in the mid-1960s.

The idea for a ‘little sister’ brand came along in 1975 when Tammy Girl was born, but it was the 1980s, 90s and early 2000s when it really cemented itself in the UK’s high street.

Glasgow Times:

It was affordable but trendy, a shop you wouldn’t protest if your mum took you, as you could browse the crop tops, platform shoes and that iconic bubble bag while she shopped upstairs in Etam.  

In 2005, teenage girls across Glasgow and beyond were gutted by the news that Tammy Girl would close after Arcadia Group sold the company to BHS – but it was not the last we saw of it.

Tammy Girl is another brand that’s had a resurgence as the 90s and noughties styles have propelled in popularity in recent years. In 2022, a Tammy Girl range was launched on the online retailer ASOS.

Would you like to shop in Chelsea Girl and Tammy Girl again?