Fashions, 1967

1967 was a fun year of fashion and had some really cute styles for teenagers.

Original caption:

“Confectionery Colors, this page, glow out to play all summer. Left: Trim T-shirt, about $8, crinkled over a ribbed A-liner, about $11. Center: Baby Beachdress, about $17. (See undercover notes on page 236.) Right: Swimsuit with its crinkle on the blouson side, about $18. Pakula earrings. All cotton fabrics by Halpern. Fashions are by Cole of California.”

The notes on page 236 were on what to wear underneath the spaghetti strapped dress.

My, how times have changed. Foundational garments, indeed.

Very often the tops that went with the hip-hugger skirts were ribbed knit material. I loved that look.

The mid-teen girls wore this style and I remember how cool they looked. I think I had one dress with the hip-hugger and wide belt look. And of course the baby doll style was quite popular in swimsuits, nightwear and dresses.

*Photograph and caption taken from the April 1967 issue of Seventeen Magazine.

Swimwear for Girls, Teens and Ladies, 1960

for teens

for Ladies

for Ladies

for Ladies

for Ladies

for Ladies

for Ladies

for Sub-Teens

for Girls

Notice anything unusual, compared to the current selections ~ I mean, apart from how naked they aren’t?

The catalog featured 1 – just one – swimsuit for Teens and 2 full pages for Ladies.

And the group that are called Pre-Teens now were “Sub-Teens”. There are all kinds of jokes to be made from that, but I’ll let it go for now.

Ladies’ Hats, 1960

Handbags and Gloves, 1960

The straw purses on the lower left remind me a lot of Barbie’s purse.

Suburban Shopper

My mother never carried one like that, but some of the ladies at Sheridan Road Baptist Church did, and I thought they were so glamorous.

Polka-dot gloves? I had to look twice to make sure. A girl would’ve had to have been very confident to wear something that outrageous and snazzy. Even though these are 52 years old – they’re new to me.

After having had the measles, it never occurred to me than spots on the hands could be stylish.

Images taken from the Spring/Summer Montgomery Ward Catalog, 1960
and
Barbie – Four Decades of Fashion, Fantasy, and Fun by Marco Tosa

Shoes, 1960

High heels ~

And flats ~

How women in 1960 achieved The Look

To achieve the bouffant looking skirt, like this:

$12.98

a girl would have to wear one or more of these:

or these:

However, it took something a bit more stringent for this look:

Sunback Sheath Dress – $7.98

or this one:

3 Piece suit – $22.98, Red Checked Beret – $2.98

One of these was required:

Girdles

The bouffant look was the easiest to achieve – you just needed a really full half slip. More if you could. These slips were called crinolines or, as we called them in Oklahoma: Can-Cans.

They were sold in tubes and would expand like a rubber dinghy when removed.

One girl could fill a whole seat on the schoolbus if she’d really gone all out. A friend of my sister wore a cancan made by her mother which had used 12 yards of netting.

Slips were a lovely, feminine part of a lady’s wardrobe. Montgomery Ward’s 1960 Spring/Summer catalog featured 10 pages of all sorts of slips: half, full, lacy, utilitarian, and maternity in a wide range of colors.

Years ago I bought a very nice half slip with a wide border of lace, but alas, it became as tattered as a flag left out in the wind.

When I went back to Dillard’s to get a replacement – they had one style. One. And it was ugly.

I’m afraid modern women have been sold a bill of goods (taken for a ride; cheated; swindled) by fashion setters. It’s not easy to find feminine designs.

However, a Lady of the Night no longer needs a speciality store. She can get her work clothes anywhere.

Ahem.

Okay, on to the girdles.

Those slender skirts like Audrey Hepburn wore needed something more than just a slip underneath.

A “foundation garment” was used to slim those hips. Smooth out those bumps. Hold in that tummy.

That same MW catalog had 25 pages of girdles and slimming undergarments.

25!

1960 Party Dresses

$21.98

$19.98, $18.98

$15.84, $18.98

$19.98

$16.98, $19.98

For a timeline perspective, think of Ricky Nelson’s girlfriends on Ozzie and Harriet.

Described as Bouffant, these dresses were towards the end of the New Look style of very full skirts introduced by Christian Dior in 1947.

Thirteen years is really quite a long run for one particular style. In fact, I can’t remember any other style that has been popular as long.

As to the prices, what would $19.98 be in 2012 dollars?

Go here for more specific information, but the list below will provide a brief comparison.

In 1960 a new house cost $12,700. Median price in 2012: $235,700.

A gallon of gas was 25 cents, then. Gas this week: $3.32.

In 1960 the average cost of new car was $2,600.00. Average cost of a new car in April 2012: a whopping $30,748. This is an all-time record.

Kraft Miracle Whip 51 cents Maryland 1960. Current price is about $3.00.

Jello 35 cents for 4 pks Maryland 1960. Don’t know on this one because I don’t buy Jello.

Del Monte Peaches 29 cents per can in 1960. Seems like they’re about $1.29 now.

Fresh Eggs 49 cents per dozen Maryland 1960. Just paid about 2.50 for free range.

Land O Lakes Butter 67 cents per pound Maryland 1960

Corn 6 for 25 cents Florida 1960.

Pack of chewing gum 5 cents Maryland 1960.

Pork Chops 59 cents per pound Maryland 1960.

The average house is 20X more costly, but that might not be a fair comparison because houses are bigger and grander (though not better built).

Gasoline is probably a good one to compare; it’s current price is about 13 or 14 times what it was in 1960.

So, let’s take the lower inflation rate of 13X the 1960 costs.

That $19.98 dress would have a price tag of $259.74.

Oh, my. That doesn’t include new shoes, purse, or jewelry.

But aren’t they cute? And so lovely swirling around on the dance floor.

1960 Ladies’ Fashions

From the 1960 Spring and Summer Montgomery Ward catalog.

Creche Patterns Suitable for Stitching, II

As with yesterday’s post, this design seems better suited as an embroidery pattern. It was originally designed to be made from piped sugar icing, which seems like it would be such an extremely fragile display for all that work.

Designed by Clare McCanna.

[Taken from McCall’s Christmas Make-It Ideas magazine,vol. VI, 1963]

Creche Patterns Suitable for Stitching, I

Today’s post is from another of the vintage Christmas magazines I bought at that great thrift store in Watertown, New York.

The directions are to make these ornaments from the craft-weight aluminum foil, but I think they might actually be more nicely done as embroidery on felt or muslin.

Design by Margreet Akkerman.

[Taken from McCalls’s Christmas Make-It Ideas magazine, vol. VI, 1963]