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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: generations
Time Stands Still
How do we pick our favorite styles? For some older women, it may have more to do with our past than our present. At least that is a conclusion reached in Karol Blaylock’s 1999 dissertation, “Determining Apparel Style Preferences of … Continue reading
Felipe Family Women, 1979
In family photos that span the generations you can often see how women hold on to styles that make them feel comfortable, regardless of current trends. In this photograph of a Mexican American family in Corona, California, the three older … Continue reading
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
An Immigrant Family, 1906-1908
I find many of the photos for this blog in thrift stores, at flea markets, and on sites like eBay. Most of them are not dated, which means that I have had to teach myself how to make educated guesses … Continue reading
Great Grandmother Caro Visits America
Reader Davrie Caro sent photos of a special family gathering in San Diego. His great grandmother, second from right in the photo above, visited the United States for several months in 1992-93. The photo above shows a surprise birthday party … Continue reading
Color Coding, 1930s
These snapshots from the 1930s show a common color pattern for the period: older women in dark-colored dresses, with younger women in lighter ones. In photos from the era, the women’s clothes are often color coded in this way. You … Continue reading
Mini Skirts and the Older Woman
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
Mother’s Day at the First Christian Church, 1973
The First Christian Church of Corpus Christi, Texas decided to honor the oldest and youngest mothers in the congregation on Mother’s Day, 1973. What a wonderful contrast between the outfits of the very old and still quite young. We can … Continue reading
Unruly Seamstresses in the 1930s
The Works Project Administration (or WPA) is best known for funding murals and highways in the Great Depression. However, it also started programs aimed specifically at women. One was the WPA sewing project, which employed thousands women creating garments for … Continue reading
Posted in 1930s
Tagged African American, California, generations, Great Depression, hats/headcoverings, sewing, shoes
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For the Love of Books, 1948
Have you missed libraries during the pandemic? I certainly have. Through the wonders of the internet, I’ve been well supplied with reading materials. But for me nothing compares with the adventure of wandering through the stacks, discovering treasures by accident. … Continue reading