Founded in 1909 under the name H. P. Newman it changed its trading name to Dorothy Perkins in 1919. In the 1960s Dorothy Perkins was controlled by the Farmer family who used to own Winster Hosiery. Staff in the branches could expect regular visits from Alan Farmer whose picture was printed in a booklet handed to new employees. Best known for its lingerie, tights, and sleepwear collections its other clothes had a hard time competing with the more trendy Lewis Separates, now owned by River Island Clothing Company Ltd and Peter Robinson. One newspaper advertisement for management trainees asked Will curls come in? Will maxis make it? However the stores never really got to grips with sixties boutique culture. Author Margret Geraghty who worked there for a while in the late sixties remembers that all the sales staff had to wear nylon uniforms They were cerise with a zip up the front. Forget dolly birds. They looked more like canteen assistants. There were also blue nylon ones with zips down the back and turtle neck with bow which were exceptionally hard to zip up, and the assistants used to have to zip each other up. The exception was the store manageress who was permitted to wear her own clothes. The Arcadia Group then doing business as the Burton Group, purchased Dorothy Perkins in 1979. A Dorothy Perkins shared with Burton on Briggate in Leeds. The Arcadia Group has a training programme which offers financial incentives to employees to expand their responsibilities and knowledge of company and business affairs.

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