Sophy Curson
In a city that wears history as gracefully as its finest fabrics, one boutique epitomizes the beauty of preservation itself: Sophy Curson. A chic women’s boutique that opened over 96 years ago, in 1929, in Rittenhouse Square, Sophy Curson has survived the Great Depression, World War II, and every generational shift in fashion, and there’s good reason why.
In 1929, an infamously petite woman (barely five feet tall) named Sophy Curson, working within her family’s department store in Point Breeze, placed a rather peculiar clothing order: six children’s tailor suits, reworked for adult women and dubbed the “junior size”. Her simple act of innovation marked the birth of what the fashion world recognizes as the Petites category. Sophy’s chic creativity eventually led to the opening of her very own boutique: the very first store in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to be opened by a woman.
The building, still standing tall at 122 S. 19th Street in Center City, Philadelphia, was designed by architect Beryl Price as a visual embodiment of mid-twentieth-century modernism. The store exhibited sleek new materials and glassy open storefronts, all of which are now defining characteristics of the store today. The building stood out among the more traditional architecture of Rittenhouse Square, and remains incredibly unique today. But the building isn’t the only thing that stands the test of time: Sophy Curson remains an actively thriving business. Their secret? This boutique fosters a personalized and timeless relationship with its customers that endures over time. In the words of David Schwartz, the current runner of the brand, “Customers shop in [the] store because [they] offer something that doesn’t exist anymore [ . . .] You can’t find that anywhere else.”
Sophy Curson’s customers are not confined to Philly locals. The boutique is recognized for fashioning creations for its long-term customer, former and late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Ginsburg was a frequent customer of the boutique and even returned to the shop during a visit to Philadelphia, where she told Schwartz’s mother about her past purchases. In 2020, Sophy Curson paid tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg in their boutique window, featuring her signature white collar on top of black and white looks.
Aside from celebrity clientele, Sophy Curson is known for its expansive high-fashion selections for special occasions. David Schwartz, Sophy’s great nephew and current co-owner of the boutique with his mother, Susan Schwartz, ensures to incorporate both high-end expensive pieces and less expensive selections throughout the year. The store currently features Italian designer Fabiani Fillipi, who is known for incorporating neutral color palettes. Every piece is hand-selected from Europe, and their interactions with customers are one-on-one, curated, and specialized.
Nearly a century after Sophy Curson first reimagined women’s fashion through the lens of her own diminutive figure, her legacy stands on South 19th Street. In a modern-day era dominated by fast fashion and dynamic trends, Sophy Curson proves that we can still maintain timeless beauty through dedicated relationships. The delicate trust between a customer and a seller, and the family-oriented nature of the business, are what keep customers coming back. As the Schwartzs continue Sophy’s legacy, they help uplift exactly what the boutique epitomizes: timeless fashion takes and a commitment to sharing them with every member of their clientele.
Featured Image Courtesy of HiddenCityPhila