Contact me
To contribute to this collective history project, send pictures and stories about the older women in your life to americanagefashion@gmail.com. The more information you can include (date, place, etc.), the better.-
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
Categories
Tags
- About Me
- advertising
- advice literature
- African American
- Asian American
- book review
- California
- Chicana Latina
- coats
- colors
- comparative
- designers
- Florida
- fur
- generations
- glasses
- hair
- half sizes
- hats/headcoverings
- Illinois
- jewelry
- lace
- Mrs. Exeter
- New Look
- New York
- pants
- pantsuits
- photographer
- popular culture
- power dressing
- sewing
- sheath dress
- shirtwaist
- shoes
- sizes
- special occasion
- sportswear
- Texas
- textile patterns
- textile prints
- textiles
- Washington DC
- women's organizations
- World War One
- World War Two
Meta
Reference Links
Category Archives: 1910s
New Year’s Day at Ocean Beach in San Diego, 1918
Greeting the New Year with a dive into water is a tradition in many parts of the world. In South America the water might be warm, while in Russia it is surely icy. Although temperatures usually hover in the sixties … Continue reading
A Trio in Hats, 1910s
“Freddy seems to have some misgivings, but my expression is certainly hopeful,” it reads on the front of this photo post card. I’m thinking that Freddy is the one in the striped suit in the front. The writer must be … Continue reading
Labor Day Race, 1917
I thought it might be hard to find photos of women on Labor Day doing anything but dishing up potato salad, but I was wrong. The Digital Pubic Library of America, one of my favorite sources, had many pictures of … Continue reading
Mrs. Gibson in a Corset, 1911
Looking at this picture, it is easy to see why women were so happy to abandon corsets after the First World War. The woman in the dark dress, Mrs. Francis M. Gibson, appears to be stuffed into her dress. She … Continue reading
Meet Tish
Since the early twentieth century author Mary Roberts Rinehart made the Washington Post this morning, I thought I would do a reprise of my favorite character of hers, the single older woman, Tish. When I hear the old-fashioned word spinster, … Continue reading
Maggie Walker and the St. Luke’s Penny Saving Bank
Maggie Lena Walker (1864-1934) is not a household name, but she made a huge difference in the lives of African Americans in the Richmond, Virginia area. In 1903, she was the first woman of any race to found a bank. … Continue reading
Burning the Mortgage, 1915
Photographs often document big moments in life—the wedding, the baby, the new house. A tradition in Black churches is to mark the end of mortgage payments, the moment when property finally belongs to the residents, with a mortgage burning ceremony. … Continue reading
Posted in 1910s
Tagged African American, colors, lace, Michigan, shirtwaist, special occasion
2 Comments
Flowers and the Older Women—Violets, Yes; Daisies, No
Did you know that flowers can carry messages far behind the beauty of the blossoms? I was reminded of the language of flowers in an excellent exhibit of vintage clothes at my university. The graduate student curator, Ayrika Johnson, assembled … Continue reading
Mother and Daughter on a Windy Day
What a difference in style between mother and daughter! The mother wears either a shirtwaist dress or a shirt and skirt combination in a conservative polka dot pattern. From this angle her boots look almost flat. Maybe she had problem … Continue reading
Grandmother Smith with Ting and Ling
There’s a short, short story wrapped around the side of this snapshot—“Grandmother Smith with May’s two Pekes Ting and Ling.” Although the Pekinese aren’t hers, Grandmother Smith really looks like a dog lover, don’t you think? Maybe she’s the one … Continue reading