Labor Day Race, 1917

Posted on September 4, 2023 by Lynn
Photo by William Davis Hassler, Digital Culture of Metropolitan New York

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 women at Labor Day events marching, protesting, and having fun.  This one is by William Davis Hassler, a well-known chronicler of everyday life in New York City in the early twentieth century. 

Was this an impromptu race?  Some participants look better prepared than others.  The older looking woman trailing on the left seems to have on her everyday shoes, while others have on types more suitable for running.  The most fun is the older woman on the right, who probably dressed up specifically for this event.  Better experts than I inform me that she is wearing an up-to-minute style bathing suit and flat shoes, excellent attire for running.  The outfit has decorative stripes around the neckline, armholes, and down the sides.  However, with her flowered hat and big bow, she wants us to know that she doesn’t take herself that seriously.  And she’s even keeping pace with the much younger woman to her left.

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Circle Skirts and the Older Woman

Posted on August 27, 2023 by Lynn
Found photo

Although they are now coming back in style, circle skirts were originally a 1950s phenomenon.  Actress turned designer Juli Lynne Charlot is credited with their invention. It was her response to the New Look style that emerged after World War II.  Charlote is also credited with the creation of the poodle skirt, sometimes used as a synonym for the circle skirt.  She made one model out of felt decorated with poodles, and the fad caught on.  However, the skirt could be made out of any fabric.  See some fun examples here.

Via Vintage Everyday

I have always associated circle skirts with teenagers because they are ones wearing them in catalogs, magazines, and old photos.  However, my found photo shows that young women were not the only ones to try the style.  It’s hard to guess the age of the woman depicted, in part because of the odd angle of the picture which favors her shoes over her face.  Clearly, though, she is no young thing. 

She is obviously dressed up, with fancy gloves, dressy shoes, and a big beaded necklace.  Did her friends think she looked stylish, or did they whisper behind her back “mutton dressed as lamb.”

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At the Beach, 1940s

Posted on August 16, 2023 by Lynn
Found photo

Since Labor Day is fast approaching, the official end to summer in the US, I thought I needed at least one more beach photo.  This couple certainly looks to be enjoying the sun, especially the man with his sun glasses and what looks like a big cigar. 

I’m guessing the older woman’s swimsuit is from the mid to late 1940s.  This was the era of the bared midriff, and although we can’t see all the details, there might be a bit of naked skin showing under her breast.  It certainly did not have a skirt, a common choice for older women.  The ruched bodice details were also a popular feature of the era.  Was this suit strapless, or had she tucked the halter straps away to get a better tan?

Images from Vintagepatterns.fandom.com

What made me think immediately of the 1940s was the woman’s Rosie-the-Riveter style headscarf.  Hats could be expensive and a wrapped scarf made for a thrifty and practical alternative. 

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Grandma and Ruth, ca. 1900

Posted on August 6, 2023 by Lynn
Found photo–“Grandma and Ruth” on the back

I find it hard to believe that over a century ago a grandmother would ignore the rules of proper dress in order to pose outside in her nightgown.  But then what is she wearing?  Is it perhaps a wrapper without the waist band?  Even that would be a little risqué, since wrapper dresses served somewhat like dressing gowns and were not meant to be seen outside the house.

The date of this photo is also somewhat of a mystery. The wrapper dress has a long history, becoming popular in the Victorian era and lasting well into the twentieth century. The example on the left above, from the Maine Memory Network, is dated 1895.  The McCall pattern on the right is from 1909.  Even the tricycle with its big wheels doesn’t help.  I found photos of similar models from 1880 to 1912.  I turned to my favorite expert, Lizzie Bramlett of The Vintage Traveler, for help.  Her best guess is somewhere around 1900.

Let’s imagine a story for this photo.  Ruth’s father, an amateur photographer, wants to capture a picture of his daughter on a trike that is obviously too big for her.  He calls his mother for help and she rushes out with little thought to what she is wearing.  Or was she a fashion rebel choosing comfort over rules? Little did she imagine it would be a puzzle for us over a century later.

Posted in 1900s | Tagged | 3 Comments

At the Atlantic City Boardwalk, 1920s

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Lynn
Found photo

I’ve never been to Atlantic City, so the distinctive features of its boardwalk are unknown to me.  However, my eBay dealer recognized them right away—the wicker push carts and the big Heisey’s Glassware sign in the background.  This older couple is posed so that both markers are in clear view.  Maybe they hoped to show all their friends exactly where they had been on vacation.

At first I thought they might be sitting on a wicker bench, but other photos show how the little carts worked.  Somewhat like a rickshaw, they had people behind them pushing.  The cart in the photo does not have a roof, unlike those below.

Duke Library Collections

The Heisey’s sign helps to date the photo.  This Ohio glassware company was well known for its ubiquitous ads.  The earliest photo I have seen of the sign in Atlantic City comes from 1919, the latest from the mid-1920s. 

The older woman’s clothes look to be from the 1920s as well, with her cloche hat and loosely cut dress.  Since we see her sitting down, the waist of the dress looks close to her natural waistline.  However, I bet it was nearer to her hips when she stood.

What a happy couple!  They aren’t holding hands, but both appear to be having a fine time on their outing.

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Dog Days of Summer

Posted on July 17, 2023 by Lynn
Found photo

It’s hot where I live in Southern California, although I’m close enough to the ocean to get some cool breezes.  I dress for the heat in light weight pants and cotton shirts, preferably very thin Indian cotton. However, many women choose dresses for hot days.  It’s just one easy item to slip on, leaving the legs free.

The woman above has on an update of the old classic—a polka dot dress!  Her version comes in a sunny yellow.  Since the Polaroid snap shot isn’t very clear, those might in fact be tiny squares or crosses instead of dots.  Polaroid color film was introduced in 1963, which helps to date the photo.  These days we probably would quickly delete such a blurred photo, but the film was very expensive!

The cut of the dress is loose, yet not shapeless.  It looks like a transitional shape between a sheath cut and a shift dress.  That might confirm that the photo was taken sometime in the 1960s, although it is also possible that she wore this style well into the 1970s.

Is the woman the real focus of the photo? Or is it in fact the white poodle, standing proudly on the table and looking quite cool.

Posted in 1960s, 1970s, General | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Barbie Gets Old

Posted on July 4, 2023 by Lynn
Found Photo

In her long career, Barbie has been a lot of things—an astronaut, a teacher, a doctor, and more.  One thing she’s never been is old.  The Barbie of my day had unreal body proportions and permanently misshapen feet.  Not yet a career girl, she was always on the cusp of growing up.  Her love of pink—a color linked to girl babies—suited her quite well.  That’s why I’m dismayed by the latest bizarre fashion trend of “Barbiecore.”  I don’t consider it a color suited for adult women.  The last time I remember wearing pink I was sixteen years old.

Found photo

I’m an outlier here, though, since grown up women have long accepted a vibrant pink aesthetic.  In fact, one could argue that “Barbiecore” has always existed on the fringes of the fashion universe.  The women depicted here are too old to have played with Barbie’s Dream House. They loved pink for its own sake. I probably could have found older examples if my photo collection wasn’t mainly black and white.

Found photo

Sometimes an aging Ken even got into the groove.

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At the Beach, 1930s

Posted on June 27, 2023 by Lynn
Found photo

Since summer has officially arrived, it’s time to take a look at older women in the swim. Are these two women wearing skirted bathing suits?  Or do they have on short play dresses, designed for fun and sun but not for swimming?  Given the loose fit of the bodices, I’m guessing the latter.  Both options existed in the 1930s, when I think this photo was taken.  The skirted suits—called dressmaker suits–were popular with the older set.  That most likely would be the preferred choice for the older woman on the left.

A dressmaker suit from Vintage Dancer ; A playsuit from The Dreamstress

The older woman certainly looks comfortable with her spotted kerchief, sunglasses, and loose fitting attire.  Is she related to the glamorous young woman next to her?  Their noses look similar, and so do their shapely legs.

Posted in 1930s | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

A Sewing Pattern for the Older Woman, ca. 1936

Posted on June 20, 2023 by Lynn
From vintagepatterns.fandom.com

The gray haired woman on the envelope is the first clue that this pattern was aimed at an older clientele.  There are others, though.  The size—a 42 inch bust and 45 inch hips—is another indication, since women generally gain weight as they age.  The style lines also conform to standard advice to create a pleasing shape for an older woman.  It has a frilly white collar to bring light up to the face, long sleeves and a jacket to cover aging arms, and long vertical lines on the skirt to give the illusion of slimness and height.

Despite all this, the illustrator could not move away depicting the gray haired woman with all the elements of the standard 1930s silhouette–broad shoulders, a small waist, and hardly any hips at all.  I wonder if the woman who bought this had any illusions that she who look like the towering slim creatures depicted here.

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Oldsters at the Pride Parade

Posted on June 11, 2023 by Lynn
Alix Dobkin and grandchildren at a gay pride parade

If you associate gay pride events with young men in colorful costumes, then you are probably overlooking the older women who are also part of the parade.  The lesbians who took part in the Gay Rights’ movement of the 1960s and 1970s are now old themselves.  Not only are they still fighting against the country’s reinvigorated prejudice against the LGBTGIA+ community, they have to fight ageism as well.

Poverty is a serious problem for older women in the US, with gay women and women of color even more likely to be poor. (If you are interested in statistics, take a look at the 2018 report, “Women and Poverty,” put out by Justiceinaging.org). That makes housing a serious issue.  Even those with funds can be afraid to move into facilities, not knowing if their new community will accept them.

The banner above publicizes an organization specifically created for this group, Old Lesbians Organizing for Change (OLOC.org).  They advocate for better housing, better treatment of the aged, and better access to government resources. 

OLOC December 2021 newsletter

And lest you think older lesbians all have a similar sense of style, I urge you to scroll through the pictures on the OCLO site.  You will find everything from pink suits to fleece vests.

Posted in 1990, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s | Tagged , , | 2 Comments