A Monopoly On Fashion

Colin Swan, newsman for the CHLO in Canada, awards the winner of the 1976 Monopoly Tournament at Elgin Mall, St. Thomas Ontario. No doubt that Joey Starcevic on the far right is wondering how much money he’ll need to save for buying a sweet blazer like Colin’s.

Photo courtesy Elgin County Archives

Groovy Daycare

No doubt they’re on their way to the Rec Center to play PONG.

Fashion Ahoy!! [1974]

There is no end to the gems which unearth themselves from the Florida archives!

As it always seems to be, this 1974 fashion shot from Roy Erickson caught my eye as I was searching for something else.  That is one happy Sailfish, with small waves below it to soften its massive leap across her skirt.  The material in her dress appears to be identical to some of the shirts I wore during Junior High – slick, shiny and snaggy.  I’m sure there’s a name for it, but the word escapes me right now.

We can just call it “Disco Denim.”

Jantzen (and Marshmallow Circus Peanut) Spoken Here [1967]

Scan courtesy of RChappo2002

There’s coordination, and then there’s saturation. This golfer seems to have lost a ball, but found a fan. She likes that every bit of clothing is the color of a circus snack, and that he can hold a putter with the confidence of a king.  His hair is assurance that comb-overs exist even when they aren’t required.

Founded in 1910, Jantzen Sportswear still exists as a division of Perry Ellis.

Afghan Awesomeness [1966]

A thrift store treasure, beyond measure 🙂

I found this brief catalog – Bernat Afghans’ Contemporary and Traditional Styles, Book no. 132 – in a Long Beach WA shop for a whopping 25-cents. Initially I thought it would be a nice addition to Wall Of Retro – one which could dish out some of the cheesiness that only the mid-1960s could provide. Yet, as I began looking through the publication, I discovered that the pictures were just short of amazing. Staged without looking staged. Telling multiple stories, while giving focus to the subject of the catalog. The photographer employed a delicate depth of field in the work, and a film used duplicated the subject’s colors at an amazing level.

In short, I was duped by 25-cents worth of awesomeness.

While I was taken in by the quality of the photography, the stunning Mrs. BelRedRoad was smitten with the afghans themselves. “That’s beautiful work,” she said of the first one she saw, “and expensive.”

The stories depicted in these pictures are ones of relaxation, wonder, longing, and tranquility. In a sense, a warm afghan should be providing at least a couple of those – even ones that don’t cost big bucks. Check out these pictures; aside from being a warm time capsule of the Sixties, they also embody the feelings and softness in life which many of us want.

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I always make sure my chauffeur has an afghan handy…

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The Friendly Skies [1968]

Courtesy San Diego Air & Space Museum

There was a time when people traveled in something other than sweats and slip-ons.

And security was taken care of at the gate, no shoe removal required.  Flight attendants were called stewardesses, which at the time made sense because the term Steward was given to service personnel who took care of the traveler.  Many facets of air travel have changed; while I would never consider taking a “short hop” flight to places like Spokane or Portland from Seattle, because it would take me longer to get through security than it would to fly there.  While to the younger segments of our society this is standard, many of us remember when air travel was kinder on the soul.

Bad Apples who wanted to do us harm changed all that.

The fact remains that flying was once glamorous and fun, especially during the 1960s glory days.  It was the closest thing to space most of us would ever see.  Rarely was a motto so accurate: The Friendly Skies.  I still love flying, just not at the same levels as I did at 14.  I’m still amazed that a huge metal tube can hurl through thin air without falling.  Goofy me: I still love looking out the window at the passing Earth below.

While the golden age of air travel may be long past, it lives on with vibrance in an unexpected place: Pinterest.  In the past year I have found more airline, airliner, and flight crew photos on Pinterest than anywhere else.  It’s clear that people have a love for the style and feeling of the age, which embodied a sense of hope for air travel’s future that was seemingly quelled when hijackers started ruining the trips.

So today, thanks to the Internet, we can continue flying The Friendly Skies. Shoe removal not required.

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Norwegian Summer Fashion! [1953]

Jet Setter is On The Job

In the northlands of Europe, the Summer is long and bright.  Many of us outside of the Old Country (I’m Scandinavian by ancestry) don’t think of the warm Summer days that Norway and Sweden possess; most of the time I think of the frigid cold and dark days of Winter – long and chill enough to create a Castle Of Ice which lasts long enough to be a hotel.

So when I caught these1953 fashion photos in Norwegian Government Archives, I was a bit surprised.

The purpose of these photos is unclear; they could have been for an ad campaign, since many of them use flash lighting in outside settings.  But the angles are not as professional as I would expect for ad graphics.  It is a mystery.  What is clear from the pictures, however, is that the model was having a lot of fun.  She plays with the camera, hams it up with her dog, and even makes watering the garden look like a glamorous endeavor.  Her expressions are priceless, and strikingly similar to those of the modern entertainer Katy Perry.

Moter Sommeren!

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Quilting Overload [1973]

Exhausted from Quilting

This is truly a time capsule of awesomeness.

Sunset Books put out “Quilting & Patchwork” in 1973, and these are the color pictures from that publication.  I have to tread lightly when it comes to quilting, because my Mom, my oldest sister, and the stunning Mrs. BelRedRoad all love it.  But after viewing these photos yesterday, even my Mom called the photo above “dreadful.”  So I figured I could poke a little bit of fun in any case.

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Donna and Stan heading out for a night at the Rec Center

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Ad copy might read “You’ll 15-Love this tastefully quilted racquet cover!”

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Is it chocolate? A bird? Dirt? Top of a coffee drink?

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This could be my friend’s Mom at his 9th birthday.

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Heh-heh…HuhHuhHuhHuh…Heh-heh…Shrooms…

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Quilted Caftan!

After writing about Caftans recently, finding this picture was like a total win.

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Perfect for working at the Co-Op.

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Honestly, this could be 2013 instead of 1973.

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Whatever she’s cooking has no meat. And a lot of cold lima beans.

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Fifties Fashion

Courtesy of the Florid State Archives come these stylish shots of models taken in 1958 and 1959. Gloves and pencil-thin cuts were the thing of the day! There is something timeless about this look.

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Raglan For Boys And Girls [1964]

One can find all sorts of fun things at a thrift store. In my case, I found a coverless Bear Brand pattern book called Raglans for Boys and Girls – Sizes 4 to 14. It was Volume #80 from 1964, and sold for a whopping 85 cents new. Not only were there pictures of the products, but also instructions on how to make them.

“X+Y…Girl+Boy…Huh huh huh heheheh,,,”

I was immediately taken by the fact that these kid models were super-clean cut and not-cheesy.  Oddly, some of the styles from nearly fifty years ago would go over well even now, in an environment where conservative dress is required.

Others aren’t so fortunate:

“Suzy? Can I have the rest of my dress now?”

The next picture shows how photo editing was done prior to have computers:

The boy was not part of the original picture; he was taped in behind the dog and next to the girl.  If you look closely above her, you’ll see the cut line in a zig zag pattern with the bricks.

No photo editors required 🙂

“But Jenny, their tentacles are starting to push through my scalp and they burn…”

“Mom was right. It did shoot my eye out.”

As dawn breaks, she sings the praises of the Motherland…

“So…your sister’s ball is kinda bouncy…”

“But my gym teacher says I’ll be taller than you in six months…”

She has two weeks worth of her wardrobe lined up in an orderly fashion.

“Maggie, I spit on my hand…”