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Tag Archives: hair
A Sewn Wardrobe, 1978
In the 1970s, Vogue Patterns magazine did occasional features on women who sewed most of their own clothes. As an added bonus, the editors asked the women why they had chosen particular styles. What could be better for someone interested … Continue reading
Hair Raising Stories
A curly headed friend of mine recently posted a picture of herself as a young teen when she was trying to approximate the Vidal Sassoon-inspired geometric hairstyles of the era. Although her hair looked fairly straight in the picture, she … Continue reading
International Women’s Day and the Older Woman
International Women’s Day began in the early 20th century as an observance of women’s place in the international socialist labor movement. Although rarely celebrated in the US with any force today, it sometimes gets a mention from politicians and companies … Continue reading
The Woman Who Loved Pants
While it’s not hard to find photos of younger women in pants from the 1940s, older women are a different matter. This woman (I’m almost positive it’s the same one—or else a very close relative) might not yet be 50, … Continue reading
Covid Coiffure Complete
Well, it’s done. All the red in my hair is gone. Now it’s a color that I don’t recognize at all–a kind of steely gray with just a hint of brown. Those lighter shades you see are a lighter gray. … Continue reading
Covid Coiffure
Are you keeping a Covid diary? I tried writing down what I accomplished every day, but the repetition of “sew masks, walk, read mystery book” became boring fast. For me, the real document of this pandemic is my hair. After … Continue reading
What Color is My Hair?
I don’t know what color my hair is because I have been dyeing it for about 25 years. Clearly it is some kind of gray, but what kind? A beautiful silver color like my 95 year old mother? A kind … Continue reading
The Neighbors at Mission Court, 1919
Are you wearing your mask? These residents of Mission Court in Pasadena California are all abiding by the rules. As luck would have it, I found a Wikipedia entry for the small apartment complex, which is now on the National … Continue reading
Color Advice for the Gray Haired Woman, 1945
What determines the colors that look good on you? There is an entire industry built up to help you answer that question today. In this 1945 advertisement from Helena Rubenstein, however, you need look only to your hair color for … Continue reading
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