Friends or Sisters, 1938

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It’s hard to tell ages from old photos, but in a stroke of luck I found the names and ages of these four women written on the back: Anna 46; Margrete 48; Ingeborg 41; Lina 59.  Given their Germanic sounding names, maybe they are related.  They all wear hats tilted in the same direction and have on white sensible shoes to go with the summer season.

If the names go from left to right as is standard, then Lina on the far right is the oldest.  She certainly doesn’t look it. Although puffed sleeves were in style at the time, on her they have a juvenile look. Maybe that’s because the dress has a girlish print and a broad round collar.  Perhaps it was a special dress to her, but she looks much less dressed up (and grown up) than her three companions.

I like the outfit of Anna on the left.  Her crisp summer suit is accented with dark buttons and a dark belt, all matching her dark hat.  And if I’m not mistaken, her skirt is the shortest and most stylish length.  Who is your favorite?

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3 Responses to Friends or Sisters, 1938

  1. I too like Annas outfit, and also Margrete, probably as they look so elegant and normally I dont like belts but they look great (equally I dont like seams at the waist anymore as I always think they sit wrong so perhaps it is why I think the belts work), love the hats all at the angle, what a lovely photo

  2. Judith says:

    Margrete is my favorite. Her dress (I think it is a dress, with a peplum) fits her beautifully. And as someone who shares her full-busted, large bicep, small shoulder joint figure, I know very well how difficult it is to achieve that fit. Well done, Margrete (or your dressmaker)!

  3. Anne S. says:

    They are probably Swedish-American (or Norwegian maybe) – my mother’s family was from there (Tacoma-Olympia) and the area was settled by Scandinavians in the mid-late 19th century. My mother and grandmother were living in Tacoma then. My grandmother’s name was Anna – they knew/were related to – Lina’s and Hildegard’s and Gerda’s … my grandmother was around 50 then –
    My favorite is also Anna!

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