Tag Archives: advertising

The Gracious Lady from Sears

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Lynn

A key item on my research wish list was to find a searchable version of the entire Sears catalog on line. And now I have, for a price. The extensive website Ancestry.com, used by genealogists everywhere, has just acquired a … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Stylish Stout in the 1920s

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Lynn

In the era of the pencil slim, boyish flapper, plus size clothing gained a real foothold in the American clothing market. Perhaps this isn’t as much of a paradox as it seems at first glance; larger women who wanted to … Continue reading →

Posted in 1920s | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Mr. Thompson…Please!

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Lynn

“Tell me! What this coast-to-coast excitement about your new SPANDEX stretch pants?” reads this ad for Mr. Thompson pants. Instead of chiding the man for his inappropriate advances, this woman (probably on the young side, given her tiny waist) is … Continue reading →

Posted in 1960s | Tagged , | 7 Comments

The Cheerful Granny at Christmas, 1957

Posted on August 8, 2014 by Lynn

Pictured with family members and used to promote  household products, the Cheerful Granny was a staple of the American advertising industry in the early to mid twentieth century. I was drawn to this advertisement for the chain store Penney’s because … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Half Sizes, Part 3–The Martha Manning Brand

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Lynn

Although I don’t yet know when or how half sizes were invented, by the 1940s there were a number of clothing lines devoted to the older, shorter, wider woman. One of the best known was Martha Manning, a clothing company … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, 1950s, 1960s | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Mrs. Exeter’s Marketing Power

Posted on January 29, 2011 by Lynn

Mrs. Exeter was not a “brand” in the way we understand the word today.  She had no clothing line or pattern line; she did not promote her own perfume.  Nonetheless, she wielded considerable marketing power outside the world of Vogue … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s | Tagged , | 1 Comment