Sally Holt in Pants, 1940s

Sally Holt and Miss Meek, maybe 1942

Sally Holt and Miss Meek, maybe 1942

In response to my call for more information about older women in pants, my cyber friend Witness2Fashion sent me these photos from her aunt’s amazing collection. They feature Sally B. Holt of Pulaski Tennessee, a woman apparently in her forties, wearing pants in public. Sally came to California to visit her cousin, stationed in San Francisco. She brought with her young Miss Meek, who was engaged to her cousin’s nephew, stationed in Monterey.

Sally Holt and her cousin, maybe 1945

Sally Holt and her cousin, maybe 1945

Note that Sally is pictured in two different pants outfits. In the top photo the pants are fairly slim and the jacket trimmed. In the bottom picture, perhaps from a different trip, the pants are much wider.

Why did Sally Holt choose pants for her travels? These are questions old photos can’t answer. Was it a practical choice for a long journey across the country? Had she heard that folks out in California were more casual than those back home? Or was she a fashion rebel, taking pants to the street decades before other women of her age?

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