For some time now I’ve been trying to include items in my collection which came from local stores. By local, I mean Western North Carolina, but mainly the fashion center, Asheville. From its early days as a tourist destination, Asheville has been thought of as a fashionable place, not because the local people were particularly fashionable, but because of all the visitors who came to town with their big city wardrobes.
But from the turn of the 20th century there were more than just dry goods stores in Asheville. Probably the earliest fashionable store was what became Bon Marche.
I can remember what was the last location of Bon Marche in downtown Asheville, but the location I was most familiar with was the Bon Marche located in what was a new idea when built in 1956, a strip shopping center. Called Westgate, at that time it really was at the gateway to downtown. Today, it is just one more bit of urban sprawl, but in the mid 1960s it was still novel.
Every Thursday my family piled in the car after school and work to travel the 20 miles to Asheville for our weekly shopping trip. We always ended up at Westgate because there was a Winn Dixie where Mama bought groceries. While she shopped, my brother and I were allowed to go wherever; just be back at the car by 8. When I was younger, most of the time was spent in the two “dime stores” at Westgate, or in the hobby shop, but as a preteen I discovered the delights of Bon Marche.
They had a great teen department, and the clothes of the mid 60s were so much fun. I found I could spend the entire time just looking and getting ideas for the clothes that I made for myself.
The above label comes from a circa 1957 suit, and I imagine the Resort Shop was gone by the time I “shopped” in the store. But its a nice reminder of one of my all-time favorite stores. Sadly, Bon Marche is no more.
The photos below are 2 postcards in my collection, both from around 1960. The top one plainly shows the sign and location of Bon Marche. The next one is enlarged and it more clearly shows the size of Westgate. The bottom postcard shows how undeveloped the surrounding area was at that time. Cross the bridge (now two bridges) and you were in Asheville. The land directly behind Westgate was bought and developed by Hilton Hotels as a resort and golf course in the 1970s.
The Vintage Traveler 
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I can remember going to Westgate and even taking my children there, after I had grown and moved away, but most of my memories of Bon Marche were about the store on Haywood St. It was always the first store my family visited on any shopping trip. Before that location, it was across the street in the location where Ivey’s was for a long time. The entrance was on the corner. I remember that there was a display of one of the dresses Vivian Leigh wore as Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone With The Wind”. It was the white one with green sprigs. It obviously made a big impression on my very young mind. The Lepinskis were very nice people and courteous to all their customers, even the youngest one.
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Hi I worked at Bon Marche Downtown and at The ‘new’ Asheville Mall store in the 1970’s. I worked during my Saturdays in High School, and I also worked at Winners Department Store. My Grandfather Owned Edwin Burge Shoes, and my Dad, Scott Burge, owned The Men’s Shoe Dept. in Bon Marche, and The Red Cross Shoe Store. Did You ever shop at these stores?
The
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I remember Winners, but not the shoe stores. The Red Cross Shoe store was where Urban Outfitters is today, I think.
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Yes we shopped there. I worked there in the personnel dept. All employees received 10% discount when purchasing black dress suitable for work. Not sure if we received discounts on anything else. Too many years have passed.
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My Mom worked at both downtown and later Westgate. Her first name was Lovella and she loved selling.
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I worked at Bon Marche and helped train new employees for the opening of the store in the Westgate Mall. Have pictures of fashion shows there and also ads from the Asheville Citizen-Times Newspaper.
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How interesting! I’d love to see your photos.
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I will post the pictures referenced here on “facebook” because I do not see how that can be done here.
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I can post those pictures on “facebook”.
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My father William (Bill) Proctor, managed the old Men’s corner in the Downtown store for several years in the early fifties. He then moved to the Westgate store as Manager until the entire operation was sold. I loved to stand on the mezzazine at the Westgate store and watch the people down below. One of my first jobs was stocking and selling shoes in the Bon Marche’ shoe department at Westgate
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I loved that mezzazine, and the basement as well. Such a great store.
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I knew your father. Is your father still living. I last worked there in 1958. As I recall your father moved to the Bon Marche’ Store in Charlotte.
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I knew your father. I worked in the personnel dept and left there 1958.
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