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Tag Archives: shoes
Wisconsin Scrubwomen, 1933
Meet the women who kept the Wisconsin Capitol Building clean in 1933. All were white and older. Most wore glasses. The sensible lace up Oxford was the most popular footwear, but two wore shoes that hearkened back to the strappy … Continue reading
Bipartisan Fashion, 1977
Given today’s political contentiousness, it is reassuring to remember a moment in American history when Democrats and Republicans stood together to advocate for women’s rights. In 1977, the federal government sponsored a National Women’s Conference to discuss the status of … Continue reading
A Pop of Color
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
On the Boardwalk
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
Girl Group, 1940s
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
Visiting the New York World’s Fair
The New York Public Library has a huge digital collection of photographs and documents from the 1939-40 New York World’s Fair. Among the photos, you can find not only the expected ones of striking buildings, but also hundreds of shots … Continue reading
The Ebell Club of Los Angeles, 1927
The Ebell Club of Los Angeles, founded in 1894 and still going strong, was part of a network of women’s institutions devoted to women’s education and philanthropy. As we can see in this photo, the members were mainly the well … Continue reading
Posted in 1920s, General
Tagged California, furs, hats/headcoverings, shoes, women's organizations
6 Comments
The Sporting Life, 1923
According to fashion historians, women’s participation in sports was perhaps the biggest engine driving the change to ever more casual clothing in the twentieth century. Serious sportswomen wanted more range of movement than conventional clothing allowed. Skirts got shorter, fabric … Continue reading
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
Gossiping on Geary Street near Union Square, 1947
It pays to have friends who are librarians. Ever since I started this project on older women and fashion, I’ve had the help and encouragement of Becky Imamoto at the UC Irvine Library. She’s ordered books and online collections for … Continue reading