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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: textile prints
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
Fashion Clash, 1948
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
Road Trip, ca. 1933-1934
My guess for the date of this photo is based entirely on the sleeves. In 1932, Gilbert Adrian created a gown with exaggerated ruffled sleeves for the film Letty Lyndon. It created a fashion sensation. Not only were there exact … Continue reading
At the Sewing Machine, 1932
This portrait, a gift from the wonderful Lizzie Bramlett, is apparently a practice photo by a budding new photographer. On the back the maker has listed the day (June 25, 1932), the time (4:00 pm), the camera setting (F6.3, 1 … Continue reading
Fashion Backward/Fashion Forward, 1934
Family photos are a wonderful source to reveal the range of clothing options for different generations. This particular found photograph, labeled “Bonnie Crisco 1934” by an unknown hand, shows a stark difference between old and young. The mother or grandmother … Continue reading
Life on the Ranch, 1939
Since elements of Western clothing have become our national style, it’s easy to forget their regional origins. This 1939 photo by government photographer Arthur Rothstein shows Mrs. Arnold, co-owner of the Quarter Circle U-Ranch in Montana, in a distinctively Western … Continue reading
Tomeyo Okine—A Japanese American in California
The year is 1940, and the Okine family of Whittier California poses in front of their recently bought car. In the amazing online collection of family photos, there are many in front of the car, obviously a prize possession. Tameyo … Continue reading
Friends or Sisters, 1938
It’s hard to tell ages from old photos, but in a stroke of luck I found the names and ages of these four women written on the back: Anna 46; Margrete 48; Ingeborg 41; Lina 59. Given their Germanic sounding … Continue reading
Shirley Chisholm–Unbought, Unbossed
Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005) was a trailblazer. In 1968, she became the first African American woman elected to the House of Representative. Four years later, at the age of 48, she ran for president. Her slogan was “Unbought, Unbossed,” perhaps one … Continue reading
Posted in 1970s, 1980s, 1990
Tagged African American, New York, power dressing, textile prints
2 Comments
Mother and Daughter, Late 1920s
Was there ever a crueler fashion era for the older woman than the 1920s? The preferred fashion shape made a woman with a matronly figure look like a big stuffed block or triangle. The daughter on the left, whose dress … Continue reading