Sears Roebuck, 1945
A Little Dickey for Valentine’s Day
No, not what you’re thinking. Continue reading A Little Dickey for Valentine’s Day
Category: Hers
Sears Roebuck, 1945
Aldens, 1966
What killed off women’s hats?
Aldens, Fall/Winter 1966 For most of the 20th century, women’s hats were a major fashion statement. We’ve shown off various styles in different decades: here and here for example. But suddenly in the 1960s, hats started fading from the pages of catalogs. Why? What killed off women’s hats? Women’s hair. Or – judging from this … Continue reading What killed off women’s hats?
Chicago Mail Order Company, 1936
Fashion in (almost) living color
If you watch enough old 1930s movies, you can be forgiven for thinking the world once existed only in black and white. So it’s startling to see these 1936 fashions in a riot of colors. Continue reading Fashion in (almost) living color
Sears, 1954
Modern Women, Modern Fashion.
Sears, Spring 1954 The Allies didn’t just liberate Europe after World War II, they liberated women’s fashion if these 1954 Sears pages are anything to go by. Pants, shorts, haltertops, short haircuts and skin are suddenly highly visible in the casualwear pages. Just the thing for the young woman-about-town. Of course, if you were a … Continue reading Modern Women, Modern Fashion.
Neiman-Marcus, 1960
Style Starts Early
Neiman’s reels them in at a young age, with the kind of outfits you might see on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s children. Continue reading Style Starts Early
Sears Roebuck, 1918
Sturdy Shoes, Sensible Savings
In the Wizard of Oz movie, even before Elvira Gulch morphed into the Wicked Witch of the West she scared me, pedaling away furiously on her bicycle wearing tortuous-looking high-laced shoes…like these. Continue reading Sturdy Shoes, Sensible Savings
National Cloak and Suit, 1913
Going a Bit Too Fur…
National Cloak and Suit, Fall/Winter 1913-1914 Once upon a time – say, over 100 years ago, groups like PETA didn’t exist and fashionable women wore furs. These two ladies look like influencers from a “Downton Abbey” episode – svelte and chic. The artist who drew them and the printer who printed these color pages did … Continue reading Going a Bit Too Fur…
Dr. Jaeger's Sanitary Woolen System, 1913
Pulling the wool over your eyes (and other bits)
Dr. Gustav Jaeger believed in the power of wool for practical clothing. It’s a long trip from the Dr. Jaeger’s “Sanatory Underwear” to the Jaeger fashion house of today… Continue reading Pulling the wool over your eyes (and other bits)
Chicago Mail Order Millinery Company, 1900
Spring and Summer Hats, in Assorted Colors
This early postcard-sized specialty catalog is charming on multiple levels. You can enjoy just how extraordinarily fancy ladies’ hats could be at the dawn of the 21st century – just how many variations and hat accessories there were. Or… Continue reading Spring and Summer Hats, in Assorted Colors
Montgomery Ward, 1941
The earliest known Duck Face
Is that model really making a duck face? She’s ahead of her time… Continue reading The earliest known Duck Face