Apparel Maker James George Baily Dies
James Baily, who for years had a Los Angeles dressmaking business, has died. He was 81.
Baily passed away on May 5 in Amesbury, Mass., where one of his daughters lived. The cause of death was mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer.
“He was playing tennis and working until the age of 79,” said his youngest daughter, Sydney Baily-Gould of Amesbury, Mass. “Then, in the summer of 2009, he started to slow down.”
Baily, one of nine children, was born Percy George James Baily in London. During the German Blitz of London during World War II, he was evacuated with two of his siblings to the countryside but returned to London after the war. After serving in the British Royal Army, he attended college and became an apprentice tailor on the famous Savile Row. He married Beryl Garrard, and they later immigrated to Canada.
“The day they arrived, a large company closed, and there was a flood of tailors looking for jobs,” said his oldest daughter, Toni Carol Echols of Healdsburg, Calif. “So he switched to dress manufacturing.”
Baily and his wife moved to Los Angeles in the late 1950s, and he started a dress company whose label was known as Terry-K. That company closed after he split with his partner. He went on to manufacture dresses under various labels, including My Things, Taste of Honey and Sybil. His office and work space encompassed the entire eighth floor of 810 S. Spring St. in downtown Los Angeles. His labels were sold at department stores such as Bullock’s, Robinsons, May Co. and Neiman Marcus.
He closed his business around 1990 when more people started manufacturing clothes overseas.Most recently, he had been working as a patternmaker for Sister Sam, a childrenswear label started by Shelli Segal, whose Laundry by Shelli Segal label was acquired years ago by Liz Claiborne.Besides his two daughters, Baily is survived by his ex-wife, Beryl; his son-in-law, Tom Gould; and two grandchildren, Pandora and Jasper. He is also survived by seven siblings: Evelyn Reid, Victory Baily, Janet Wilson, Rose Riches, Terry Baily, Christine Sapscord and Barrie Baily.—Deborah Belgum
