Tag Archives: fur

A Clutch Coat in the Early 1920s

I’ve never understood clutch coats.  They are meant to be open at the neck, and sometimes you even have to hold them closed with your hand if no other fastener is provided.  But don’t you get cold around the neck, … Continue reading

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Statement Sleeves, ca. 1922

Big sleeves are in style these days.  However, even the generous sleeves of today are no match for this creation.  It looks almost like a kimono sleeve.  Note the light and shadow around her top arm, though.  Is the sleeve … Continue reading

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Easter Hat, 1959

Photos by the street photographer Angelo Abruzzo show New York in the fifties and sixties.  Similar to the Chicago photographer Vivian Maier, his work was unknown during his lifetime.  Later studies stress the fact that the people in his photos … Continue reading

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Girl Group Mystery Story, mid 1940s

Who are these women gathered together on a fairly chilly day?  Members of a women’s club? Girl scout leaders? A quilting circle?  My guess is that they are teachers, which would explain the wide range of ages and also the … Continue reading

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Gold Star Mothers on Memorial Day, 1924

With all the talk of road trips and crowded airports, Memorial Day is mainly known as the official start of the vacation season in the United States.  However, its original purpose was to honor war dead.  Read this fascinating articles … Continue reading

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Strange Fur Pieces from the 1920s

The undated photo above shows New York governor Al Smith and his wife Catherine in around 1925, judging by the length of her skirt.  That would make Catherine, born in 1875, just about fifty here. This photo makes me reassess … Continue reading

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The Full Fancy at the Airport, 1963

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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A Skirt with Fur Trim, mid 1910s

Here’s an elegant update to a classic style. This older woman wears all the components of the classic shirtwaist look–a white blouse and a dark skirt–that had been an American fashion standard for years. However, the fur trim added to … Continue reading

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Wrapped in Fur

These fur scarves, wraps, or boas (I’ve seen many different names) were a terror to me as a child.  My grandmother had one and I was convinced that she was wearing an entire dead animal around her neck.  Since then … Continue reading

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Delila’s Christmas, 1957

Doesn’t this image of a very cheerful, single, older woman call out for a story?  Maybe Delila Pinegar was recently divorced and had just bought a new car with her settlement money.  Perhaps she was marking a successful year at … Continue reading

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