Tag Archives: generations

Lucy’s Navy Blue Polka Dot Dress

Posted on July 11, 2020 by Lynn

In her memoir Don’t Sing at the Table (2010), the best-selling author Adriana Trigiani tells a wonderful fashion anecdote from her childhood.  When she was about eleven, in the late seventies, she noticed that her maternal grandmother, Lucy, only had … Continue reading →

Posted in 1970s, 1980s | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Preparing for the Prom, 1959

Posted on May 4, 2020 by Lynn

There won’t be a senior prom for many this year, so this 1959 photo seems especially poignant.  The daughter is all gussied up—is it the actual day of the prom or was she just posing to document the dress? It … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Fashion Clash, 1948

Posted on December 5, 2019 by Lynn

The only information on this grainy photo is the date, 1948, but my guess is that it shows a visit by two granddaughters to see their grandmother.  What a clash of styles!  The grandmother wears two items of clothing that … Continue reading →

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Glamorous Grandmas

Posted on November 22, 2019 by Lynn

Well, it’s not so hard to be a young looking grandmother if you are in fact young. Joan Bennett (1910-1990) was eighteen when she had her first child and all of 39 in the photo above.  This LA Times article … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s | Tagged , | 1 Comment

A Pop of Color

Posted on November 18, 2019 by Lynn

Is it a pop or is it a blob? We can’t see the whole design on the younger woman’s dress since it continues on up over her hip. Nonetheless, I find the big splash at the bottom a little distracting, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The Arroyo Family of Los Angeles, ca. 1927

Posted on October 4, 2019 by Lynn

This photo comes from a project sponsored by the Los Angeles Public Library called “Shades of LA.” In order to capture the ethnic and racial diversity of the city, the library solicited a wide range of local families to contribute … Continue reading →

Posted in 1920s | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

On the Boardwalk

Posted on August 12, 2019 by Lynn

When Mary Quant started her fashion revolution in the sixties, she claimed that her goal was to make clothes so that young women could dress differently than their mothers.  The sixties might be an extreme example of generational difference in … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Girl Group, 1940s

Posted on July 31, 2019 by Lynn

This lineup of women with great legs comes from a Chicago antique store.  Perhaps this is a family gathering of mothers, daughters, aunts, and nieces.  The skirt lengths and cuts indicate that this photo was most likely taken in the … Continue reading →

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Slim and Full Dresses in the Sears Catalog, 1965

Posted on July 18, 2019 by Lynn

The 1960s saw many fashion battles—pants, pantsuits, miniskirts, etc.  But when I was growing up at the time, I thought the biggest showdown was between the sheath dress (modern) and the shirtwaist (not).  Imagine my surprise to see versions of … Continue reading →

Posted in 1960s | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Avon Calling, 1940

Posted on July 15, 2019 by Lynn

As someone who started historical research with a card catalog and a pencil, I am continually amazed at how much is available on line. Although it is surely not complete, a good bit of the Avon Company archive is available … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments