C&A

C&A in Lisbon seem to be the only place that larger ladies can buy clothes, apart from online. I've bought a couple of skirts from there when I've been over. They also had a range of Canda clothes - took me years to work out that it stood for C&A. Actually, come to think of it my mum had to tell me!

C & A was a German company, wasn't it? It used to be a good place to go for wedding hats - much cheaper than BHS!

Someone once told me it stood for coats and 'ats!

If you don't like rude jokes, carry straight on to the next message!!

The C & A label in a pair of knickers reminded you which way round to put them on.

I only worked out what their trademark CANDA meant recently.

I bought my first coat that was not a school coat in C & A for £5 I loved the shop. Was so sad when it closed down in the UK.

I liked C&A, but my favourite was Etam - clothes only looked good till you washed them. but were really stylish for one wear! - always bought interview clothes there, but that was in the days when you went to an interview and they asked how soon you could start!

I bought my wedding dress (1st marriage when I was 19) from C & A in Liverpool, think it cost about £20 in 1971. Looking at the photos I still think it looked as good as much more expensive dresses.

I bought a C&A trouser suit in the 1970s. It never looked old fashioned but I eventually had to throw it away about 10 years ago because I was in a flat with damp and it went musty.
I used to go to the Oxford Street store all the time.

Yes as previously said C&A are alive and well in most European cities...there's one in the mall in Torrevieja southern Spain..They still even have clockhouse, but I have to admit most of their clothing for older females are quite dowdy, although the mens' stuff seems to be ok .

I don't remember buying very much in C&A when I was a teen in te 70's ..Chelsea Girl was my go to boutique for fashion clothes. In fact I worked there for a while.

I could never afford Etam.

Same with shoes, I used to envy the girls who could afford Saxone and Dolcis, while I could only afford Curtess, remember them?

A dear male gay friend of mine always said that the c and a label on underwear stood for c-nt and arse! Delete if too rude, but it was so funny coming from him!

I still have a coney coat I'm pretty sure I bought at C&A in the 1960s. Can't wear such a thing these days, of course, but there's no doubt that real animal fur is warmer than any man-made material, "thermal" or not.

Oh, yes. I managed to save £5, a not insignificant amount in the early '60's, to buy a suit to wear for when I changed out of my wedding dress. Thanks to C & A, I managed to buy a suit and have money left over for shoes and matching handbag. Many years later, whilst living in Spain, I re-discovered C&A in Murcia and Torrevieja.

We always called it Claude and Albert's!

I bought a lot of my clothes from C & A when I was a young teenager. Cheap & cheerful.
Then I went out to work & progressed to Biba.
I also had a Saturday job in C & A when I was at school- oh the horrible job of having to spray air freshener in the communal changing room- it used to really stink in there on a hot Saturday afternoon. I'm sure we had deodorant on the 60s- I seem to remember Mum Rolette. Maybe not many people used it!

I thought it was clever that one of their own ranges was called Canda = C and A !

Remember 'Man at C&A'? My ex used to buy a lot of his stuff from them, back in the day!

I remember going to C&A with my mum back in the seventies - there was a huge branch in Bristol.

Would it be on a par with how Primark is nowadays?

Funily enough I was only n C&A last SAt in Bordeaux ...there are two I Bordeaux ...but sadly there was nothing I liked ,,,,,disappointed now that even their special floor for 'large sizes' only goes up to a 46 ..I did e mail them to complain and they directed me to their online site, which I do often use but of late there has been nothing ! I think you can order online from the German website if you live in the UK ,,,but I like to try things on ! Once bought a trouser suit years ago that cost 19/11d ...it got so many admirers ...never told anyone how much it cost !!

There was rather a risque joke around when I was at school regarding C & A knickers - you had to wear the C at the front and the A at the back. A was for ass - I dont think I had better say what the C was for!

In the 60's, I saved up for a dress ( shift dress) I was 15 at the time, and went with a friend, bought the dress (£1.00) then we went to the loo.....I left the bag with the dress inside near the sinks! Oh no, dashed back a few mins later and it had gone.
That was in a large C&A. I cried.Not much sympathy from my Mother when I got home either, and yes, it did teach me to be more careful with my belongings.

Another one here in Spain near Denia. Sometimes find tops or t shirts for me but DH can always find something. My mum used to buy some of my clothes there when I was a child. When I got to about 14 much preferred Chelsea Girl and wouldn't admit to an item of clothing from C&A!

Mags1234
I didn't know what C and A stood for or what Canda stood for till I read this post!
I grew up in East London and we used to go to the Ilford branch. There also used to be one in Romford which I used to go to when I moved to Romford. I was sorry when they all closed. It was good value, but not always the best quality, but sometimes you could get some really nice stuff in there.

I loved C&A there was one in lewisham when I worked there for an insurance co.
Would often go there in my lunch hour.

Oh Memories, a wonderful shop.
In 1974, whilst on my Honeymoon in Devon, I bought a fabulous coat in a C&A there. It was faux suede, midi length with a hood, the front was decorated with embroidery, and had a faux fur trim down the front and around the hood. It was gorgeous and I felt so glamorous when I wore it. Happy Days ?.