May E. Shogren and Anne H. Shogren papers, 1899; 1914-1920

May E. Shogren and Anne H. Shogren (sometimes written as Anna or Ann) were born in 1861 and 1868, respectively, and grew up in Portland, Oregon; they were the daughters of Swedish immigrants to the United States. May Shogren was apprenticed to local tailor Henry Litt, where she advanced to the position of forelady. In 1889, she left Litt to found her own dressmaking business. Anne Shogren had joined her as a dressmaker by 1893, and later in the 1890s, city directories listed their business as M & A Shogren. The business was located in the Dekum Building until a fire led them to move to a store at Southwest 10th and Yamhill.

The Shogren sisters' business specialized in high fashion. They copied and modified designs that they saw in fashion plates, and also traveled to Paris and New York to find inspiration and source fabrics. Their clientele included prominent residents of Portland such as Emma Corbett and members of Henry Failing's family. May Shogren handled most of the designs and clients, while Anne Shogren dealt with business administration. Their shop hosted many elite figures from the West Coast for consultations and fittings, and was known for its elaborate custom dresses. The business declined around World War I as the fashion industry changed to favor simpler dresses and department stores began producing fashionable ready-to-wear dresses. By 1920, the Shogrens' business was no longer listed in the Portland city directory.

Neither sister married or had children. May E. Shogren died in 1928, and Anne H. Shogren died in 1934.

Sources: "M & A Shogren," by Helen Fedchak, Oregon Encyclopedia, https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/ma_shogren/; obituary for May E. Shogren in the Oregonian, July 20, 1928, page 16; obituary for Anne H. Shogren in the Oregonian, September 5, 1934, page 6; vital records on Ancestry.com.