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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.-
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Tag Archives: pants
Dottie Quinn–A Life in Pants
I love being able to follow a woman’s clothing choices from youth to age, sometimes possible when I stumble upon a family photo collection online. That was the case for Sylvia Dorothy Quinn, known to all as Dottie. Her husband, … Continue reading
Josie Home on Vacation, 1977
“Josie home on vacation,” reads the text on the back of the photo. It also includes the date, 1977, so helpful in analyzing style choices. Josie must be the younger woman in the middle. “Home on vacation” makes me think … Continue reading
In the Chicago Bus Station, 1943
In 1943, the Office of War Information sent the young photographer Esther Bubley on a six week bus tour of the United States to document how people were living in wartime. Many of her photos show soldiers on the move, … Continue reading
Fashion Commentary from Life Magazine, 1970
Women often get ridiculed for following fashion trends, even though lowly consumers are hardly the ones who think them up. In 1970, pretty much everyone was confused. It was the time of the great “maxi” versus “mini” confrontation, and even … Continue reading
Grand Opening at the Waffle Shop, 1931
I chanced upon this wonderful photo in a search for polka dresses—a favorite theme of mine. You never know what you will find! There isn’t much of a backstory to the photo, but I imagine it was opening day at … Continue reading
The Biggest Hair, 1968
What a historical treasure! The photo was sent to me by reader Nann Hilyard, who got it from a friend, who got it from who knows where. The magic of the internet. Big hair was already heading out of style … Continue reading
The Dog Days of Summer
When it’s hot out I tend to cover up in loose clothing, choosing baggy pants and long sleeved cotton shirts. The older woman above takes the opposite approach. She opens up her body to the breeze with a sleeveless top, … Continue reading
Mutton Dressed as Lamb–Helen Hokinson’s View
According to Alison Lurie’s inventive book about fashion, The Language of Clothes, trying to dress younger than you are has long been regarded as a bad fashion move. “Since classical times, literature has been full of elderly and not-so-elderly comic … Continue reading
Big Hair at the Grand Canyon, 1972
That’s a pretty elaborate hairdo for a vacation outing, but some people put in a lot of effort to look good no matter what the occasion. This very cheerful woman was not following current hairstyles, which had moved on to … Continue reading
That Seventies Polyester
Was there ever another decade more closely associated with a fabric than the seventies and polyester? I have a book featuring Sears clothing from the early 1970s, and it is simply amazing how many of the clothes are made from … Continue reading