Category Archives: 1960s

Mini Skirts and the Older Woman

Posted on June 2, 2021 by Lynn

The British designer Mary Quant is often given credit for inventing the mini skirt, that iconic clothing item of the 1960s.  Where did her ideas come from?  In her interesting book on women designers, Women of Fashion, historian Valerie Steele … Continue reading →

Posted in 1960s, 2020s | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Learning from the Facebook Group “Mid Century in Color”

Posted on May 3, 2021 by Lynn

Sometimes I wonder just who Facebook thinks I am, sending me links to sites about farms and baby animals.  But recently the mysterious algorithm provided something I treasure—a link to the wonderful resource Mid Century in Color: Amateur Photographic Slides … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Maree’s Fashion Cycle

Posted on April 30, 2021 by Lynn

Many sociologists who study fashion try to determine when and for what reason people buy clothes. For a long time, the assumption was that older people tended to slow down consumption as they aged. Why? Often they have a smaller … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s, 1960s, 1970s | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The Full Fancy at the Airport, 1963

Posted on April 13, 2021 by Lynn

This dressed up woman has inspired me to coin a phrase—“the full fancy.”  By that I mean adding every possible fancy element to your outfit, even when the situation doesn’t necessarily call for it.  Is she going on a trip … Continue reading →

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Gramie and Grampi Cut the Cake, 1960

Posted on April 8, 2021 by Lynn

“Gramie and Grampi with the cake Annie made for you,” reads the message on the back of this photo.  At first I thought this might be an anniversary celebration cake for the older couple, but the caption tells a different … Continue reading →

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Easter Bonnet Luncheon, 1961

Posted on April 3, 2021 by Lynn

This photo comes from a very large archive of work by Charles “Teenie” Harris, housed at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburg.  Harris was a staff photographer for the Pittsburgh Courier, a major African American newspaper in the mid … Continue reading →

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Mae Reeves, Queen of Hats

Posted on February 17, 2021 by Lynn

You might know the names of famous black fashion designers—Ann Lowe is having a moment on sewing sites right now.  But how about black milliners?  One the biggest names in that field is Mae Reeves (1912-2016), who ran an extremely … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990 | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Big Birthday, Big Cake–1961

Posted on December 10, 2020 by Lynn

When this photo appeared in the Valley Times in 1961, the accompanying text read, “Five generations of the Prince family were on hand to help celebrate the 90th birthday of Mrs. Emma E. Prince, a woman who honeymooned to the … Continue reading →

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Hiking in Pearls, Late Fifties or Early Sixties

Posted on November 17, 2020 by Lynn

From the recent showing of The Crown, I know that some older women (Queen Elizabeth, for example) hiked wearing skirts well into the 1980s.  However, Elizabeth’s outdoor outfits looked considerably more rough and ready than the sheath dress worn by … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s, 1960s | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Chic Trio, 1960

Posted on October 14, 2020 by Lynn

These three women have captured the look of polished sportswear.  Thanks to some sainted family historian, I have a lot of details about the snapshot. It was taken in Belmar, New Jersey in July 1960.  Although the handwriting isn’t entirely … Continue reading →

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