Althouse: Living like it's 1958.

November 12, 2020

Living like it's 1958.

125 comments:

Howard said...: Well for certain in 1958 women's clothing was much more flattering to heavy women. I do find the bright red lipstick to be somewhat scary.; 11/12/20, 10:44 AM
Mr. O. Possum said...: KitchenAid mixer in 1958?; 11/12/20, 10:46 AM
Lurker21 said...: Somebody somewhere is always living like it's the Nineteenth century. The current pretenders are a British portrait painter and a couple in Washington State.; 11/12/20, 10:47 AM
Readering said...: My parents were also married 1955. I'll have to show my mom and ask if that's s how she dressed. I know they didn't have that much stuff in 1958 on navy pay.; 11/12/20, 10:49 AM
MadisonMan said...: I would love to find a soda fountain near my house. Mickie's comes close.; 11/12/20, 10:50 AM
Rob said...: In his dementia, that’s where Joey Biden lives too.; 11/12/20, 10:55 AM
stevew said...: I saw this a few months ago, thought it was here, maybe was Neo's place.

How are the haters treating her? Pretty poorly when last I checked.

This is a lot less invasive and permanent then getting all tatted up or transitioning your gender. She seems nice.; 11/12/20, 10:56 AM
gspencer said...: Chantilly Lace (1958) by the Big Bopper,

Chantilly lace and a pretty face
And a pony tail a hangin' down
That wiggle in the walk
And giggle in the talk
Makes the world go round
There ain't nothin' in the world
Like a big eyed girl
That makes me act so funny
Make me spend my money
Make me feel real loose like a long necked goose
Like a girl, oh baby that's what I like; 11/12/20, 10:57 AM
Wince said...: I like the independent, fun attitude.; 11/12/20, 10:58 AM
reader said...: Voodoo Vixen has some cute retro outfits on Amazon. I do think the clothes are flattering and I’d love to look that nice but I’m too lazy to take the time. I say this as I work around the house in yoga pants and a men’s xl sweatshirt.; 11/12/20, 11:00 AM
Curious George said...: Laci's grandmother looks like a 1958 Cadillac.; 11/12/20, 11:04 AM
stevew said...: The husband is a total hipster though, am i right?; 11/12/20, 11:05 AM
hombre said...: 1958 was a great year! I was blessed to have grown up in Southern California when it was still California.

The Chevy is a ‘55, but the ‘58s were ugly (IMHO).; 11/12/20, 11:06 AM
Readering said...: Ok, quick verdict from my mom. Loves the video. That's how she dressed, but "much preppier." "Hey, that's our car."; 11/12/20, 11:08 AM
William said...: The husband is not a matching accessory. He looks kind of hip. Maybe he's trying for a beatnik look, but I think beatnik beards were stragglier and women who looked like that did not marry beatniks.... My guess is that she doesn't shave her pubes, but I doubt that she wears a girdle. What was the point of a girdle? Women go to elaborate lengths to make themselves uncomfortable. I think the girdle was something that women inflicted upon each other and not a by product of the patriarchy.; 11/12/20, 11:09 AM
Assistant Village Idiot said...: She likes the decorative aspects of the era. Not sure she is embracing much else about the times.; 11/12/20, 11:15 AM
robother said...: If could find a working black circular dial Ma Bell phone, she could call the Big Bopper and warn him not to charter any single engine Pipers.; 11/12/20, 11:20 AM
J. Farmer said...: I remember seeing this some time back. It looked more like the 50's via Happy Days or American Graffiti.

The comments section is full of snark. When I was growing up, "the 50's" was practically synonymous with Republican conservative. They were constantly accused of wanting to take us back to the 50's, a time invariably depicted negatively as conformist, dogmatic, repressive, racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. The 60's, by contrast, were dynamic, self-expressive, experimental, etc.

The left has its own version of 50's nostalgia. They see it as a time of big government, high taxes, strong labor unions, and and broad economic growth. They liked the politics but not the culture. Republicans liked the culture but not the politics. It isn't clear to me that you can have one without the other.; 11/12/20, 11:22 AM
reader said...: Some women still wear girdles, they are just called shapewear (Spanx).; 11/12/20, 11:30 AM
Narr said...: I dig.

I think that's a terrific attitude, and they clearly are having fun. I was born in '53 and live now in a midcentury modern ranch-style built in '55. My wife and I both have some classic 50s furniture we inherited, and every now and then I'll buy something 50s at an estate sale.

We could easily have a 50s-themed house, but wouldn't go the whole hog.

People have already commented on hubby's beard, but did you notice she's not wearing a honking big rock on her finger (at least at the end, when I noticed)?

Narr
I like Ike!; 11/12/20, 11:40 AM
mockturtle said...: What's he supposed to be dressed like?; 11/12/20, 11:46 AM
Curious George said...: "robother said...
If could find a working black circular dial Ma Bell phone, she could call the Big Bopper and warn him not to charter any single engine Pipers."

Single engine yes, but a Beechcraft 35 Bonanza. The Big Bopper didn't charter it, that was Buddy Holly. It is said that the Bopper wasn't even originally scheduled to be on the plane. Supposedly he had been suffering from the flu and asked Waylon Jennings if he could take his seat.; 11/12/20, 11:48 AM
Marc said...: how about medicine, and dentistry?; 11/12/20, 11:48 AM
Joe Smith said...: Hubby's beard takes you right out of the illusion...; 11/12/20, 11:48 AM
mockturtle said...: I'm sure dressing that way had a civilizing effect. It's hard to imagine a mob of antifa females dressed that way.; 11/12/20, 11:48 AM
wild chicken said...: We'd left my hometown Eagle Rock ny 58 but 1957 was good. We had a Rexall drug store soda fountain and ole Tom would slip me a freebie once in awhile. I can still taste the cherry phosphates.

I bought all my comic books there.

Tho I think I'd rather do 1967. That would be far out.; 11/12/20, 11:54 AM
wild chicken said...: Eagle Rock ca not ny.; 11/12/20, 11:55 AM
NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...: Unknown said...

KitchenAid mixer in 1958?

Why not? They've been around since 1919.; 11/12/20, 11:57 AM
robother said...: Curious George: At one point I probably knew that Holly chartered the flight, but the chance to play off gspencer's Big Bopper quote was irresistible. I had totally forgotten that Waylon Jennings was backing up Buddy Holly (knew they were both high plains Texas boys). In the 50s, the lines between Country and Rock'n'Roll were pretty fluid.; 11/12/20, 12:00 PM
NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...: mockturtle said...

What's he supposed to be dressed like?

Ward Cleaver?; 11/12/20, 12:00 PM
JMW Turner said...: There's a young Brit, Zack Pinsent, a taylor, who dresses in public in the early 19th century Regency style. Think Johnny Walker whiskey guy. He actually looks great in all white, complete with a colorful cravat covering his throat, and a natural colored top hat made of straw. He makes a living custom producing men's clothing and claims these outfits are more comfortable than modern wear. He's not coming back to the 21st century in men's wear; he burned his last pair of jeans a few years ago.; 11/12/20, 12:07 PM
NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...: J. Farmer said...

I remember seeing this some time back. It looked more like the 50's via Happy Days or American Graffiti.

They make the same mistakes that most film sets do. Not everyone (unless they were extremely wealthy) had 100% stylistically up to date furniture. Yes, the dining room set may have been bought last year, but the living room furniture was likely 8 or 10 years old. And everyone had that one piece that had been handed down because Great Aunt Bertha paid a lot for it back in 1894.; 11/12/20, 12:08 PM
JMW Turner said...: Ward Clever as Maynard G. Krebs...; 11/12/20, 12:11 PM
JMW Turner said...: "Cleaver"; 11/12/20, 12:12 PM
wild chicken said...: but the living room furniture was likely 8 or 10 years old"

Most our stuff was from the 40s. So I'm fascinated with noir film now, just for the interiors..all with no TV.; 11/12/20, 12:16 PM
gspencer said...: "Hubby's beard takes you right out of the illusion"

Right. Every two weeks a man got a haircut.; 11/12/20, 12:21 PM
Interested Bystander said...: It’s nice to have something to smile about. My first thought was “no smartphones or computer”? Does she do her banking and mail like 1958? I wouldn’t want to go back in that way. The styles are cool but life is more convenient now.; 11/12/20, 12:23 PM
Readering said...: Mockturtle, the mobs Eisenhower called the troops out on were dressed that way.; 11/12/20, 12:26 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Except for the gloves while eating (!!) and the heavy make-up daily, it looks like I remember my Mom in the 50's. We did wear gloves and dresses when going someplace special, like shopping in San Francisco or to Church. Or summer dresses at a neighborhood BBQ.

My Mom wore dresses occasionally but more often "toreador pants" or capris. Especially when working she did NOT wear dresses. (Printer, linotype operator)

The house in her clip seems to be decorated similar to ours, except we didn't have all those cutesy animal figurines and clutter on the shelves.; 11/12/20, 12:28 PM
Narr said...: @NOTOOO, absolutely correct.

I would never part with the 1920s glass-fronted, three-doored, free-standing bookcase that has housed my EB11 and other prizes since before I was born.

She looks natural (not all pretty women look good in vintage hair and cosmetics); he's badly cast and costumed.

Narr
But that's copacetic with me; 11/12/20, 12:29 PM
Scot said...: In the 1950s, a gentleman
1) walks on the side nearer the street when escorting a lady, and
2) removes his hat upon entering a building; 11/12/20, 12:30 PM
Anonymous said...: Some have criticized hubby's beard. He could have fit in as a college professor back then.; 11/12/20, 12:37 PM
Anonymous said...: We didn't have all that stuff. My dad worked for $150 a week or maybe less, as an auto mechanic in Cameron County, TX. Still one of the poorest counties in the country. Like some others have said, everyone had an overstuffed chair and/or sofa. My grandmother referred to it as a chesterfield.; 11/12/20, 12:42 PM
NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...: Sacto_Dave said...

Some have criticized hubby's beard. He could have fit in as a college professor back then.

Yeah, but he'd need to trim it up and wear the tweed coat with the elbow patches.

Actually, he doesn't look that out of place clothes-wise, but the beard does blow the look.; 11/12/20, 12:43 PM
tim in vermont said...: "He could have fit in as a college professor back then”

It’s the beard + hat combination that says “hipster” not fifties. He’s so hipster that he got himself a mid century modern style wife.; 11/12/20, 12:43 PM
tim in vermont said...: He should wear the brim of the hat down. The hat looks more thirties or 2010s.; 11/12/20, 12:45 PM
Narr said...: I was correct--no DeBeers to be seen. That's way not right, I think.

When I spent a night or a week with my late cousin Jim, back in the 1960s, we could walk one block from his house to the little business strip on Highland, a few blocks west of the U. (The 60s are relevant because the 50s lasted longer down here.)

There was a small movie theater, diner, five-and-dime, bakery, and other small businesses, and the drug store had a 1920s soda fountain. Cherry cokes for a nickel. A dime for a cold Chocolate Soldier at the corner store . . . and setting pennies to be flattened by the trains pulling in or out of the Forrest Yards. (Strictly forbidden! Aunt Helen would have
gone nuts; Jim was her only child, my mom had four sons and much bigger problems.)

They're striving and spending mightily to turn that few blocks into something approximating a real college-town student strip, but may have over-invested, and the CCP Flu hasn't helped.

Narr
The RR is now NorSo, but back in NBF's day it was the Memphis and Charleston; 11/12/20, 12:48 PM
Earnest Prole said...: One detail blows the entire illusion: She’s not wearing a wedding ring.; 11/12/20, 12:48 PM
tim in vermont said...: That car is great too, and if you get into an accident, they can just hose off the dashboard and sell it to somebody else.; 11/12/20, 12:48 PM
Phil 314 said...: The year I was born. that living room couch (or "davenport" as we called it) is very much like what we had when I was small. I recall that patterned fabric.

In Phoenix there is so much "mid century modern" because that's when the city started to come into its own. Homes built in the 50s and 60s are the historic homes here.; 11/12/20, 12:49 PM
tim in vermont said...: In the 60s we used to get phosphates at the drug store, and you could share one with your best girl. I was pretty young, but I had a paper route so I could afford a phosphate and maybe an Archie comic or two. By the time I was a teenager though, it was gone.; 11/12/20, 12:51 PM
Temujin said...: That's OK. I'm living every day like it's 1999. Ahh...the good ole days of Y2K. When experts were expert and the masses stocked up on battery powered radios, wind-up clocks, canned food, and candles.

I myself stocked up on beer and scotch. I won.; 11/12/20, 12:54 PM
mockturtle said...: DBQ: I remember Mother wearing white gloves to teas and such and maybe shopping. And I guess, as little girls, we had to wear them when we were dressed up for some occasion. If I were to choose a retro period for styles it wouldn't be the 50's. Elizabethan England, maybe...The peasants, not the nobles.; 11/12/20, 12:56 PM
Tregonsee said...: I like Ike!; 11/12/20, 12:59 PM
Joe Smith said...: "In the 1950s, a gentleman
1) walks on the side nearer the street when escorting a lady, and
2) removes his hat upon entering a building"

I do the first but don't wear a hat.

When hiking I always walk on the 'dangerous' side...if anyone falls off the cliff it will be me : )

I also walk behind a woman going up the stairs (to catch her if she falls) and ahead of her going down (to break her fall if she stumbles)...; 11/12/20, 1:00 PM
Joe Smith said...: "davenport"

What my grandfather always called it.

He also called cute girls/women 'patootie.' : ); 11/12/20, 1:02 PM
mockturtle said...: I also walk behind a woman going up the stairs (to catch her if she falls)

Uh-huh.; 11/12/20, 1:10 PM
J. Farmer said...: The word "hipster" has undergone a strange evolution. In the 90's, it meant aping the style of 40's and 50's coolness. Today it means aping the style of 80's punk rock. I guess it's very postmodern to be united in anti-conformity.; 11/12/20, 1:12 PM
Whiskeybum said...: If I had a time machine, I’d go back to my H.S. years in the early 70’s and burn every bit of clothing that I had from that awful period. Then, hopefully, all photos of me from that period would slowly dissolve into me wearing clothes from the 50/60’s in a ‘Back to the Future’ fashion. Bell bottoms, crazy pattern puffy sleeve shirts with rows of buttons on the sleeve, really fat ties... Horrible!; 11/12/20, 1:14 PM
Mattman26 said...: It's only fun til it's time to defrost the freezer.; 11/12/20, 1:17 PM
Joe Smith said...: "Uh-huh."

Being polite sometimes has advantages...

"I believe you should place a woman on a pedestal - high enough so you can look up her dress."

--Steve Martin; 11/12/20, 1:26 PM
Whiskeybum said...: A few recollections of the ‘50s in my childhood:

* Formica tables
* Wooden TV sets with channel dials (could get 3 different stations) and rabbit ears
* Small 45 rpm-only record players
* Anyone else’s mom hold bridge parties with the women in the neighborhood?; 11/12/20, 1:27 PM
mockturtle said...: Mother went in for Danish Modern furniture about that time. Bloody uncomfortable, of course, but comfort was not part of the equation.; 11/12/20, 1:32 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Neat - thanks for posting this.; 11/12/20, 1:34 PM
Rick.T. said...: mockturtle said...

What's he supposed to be dressed like?

Ward Cleaver?
———————-
A - not the - 50’s beaver?; 11/12/20, 1:40 PM
Phil 314 said...: "In the 60s we used to get phosphates"

I was a kid in the '60s and a teen in the '70s and I recall the word "phosphates" as a pollutant.; 11/12/20, 1:44 PM
Rick.T. said...: Those Mirro cookie press cookies? Highly overrated.; 11/12/20, 1:46 PM
Brand said...: These one-offs are interesting, but more impressive is when groups go retro. Like how large groups of the Democrat Party are trying to recreate 1984.; 11/12/20, 1:48 PM
Skeptical Voter said...: Hey 1958 was a pretty good year for me in my early teens; and adult women still dressed like that into the middle 1960s. And if this woman wants to identify as "living in 1958" instead of identifying as a gay black male, why more power to her. It's harmless. Ditch those pink plastic flamingos though.; 11/12/20, 1:51 PM
Clyde said...: I noticed that there is a modern dishwasher.; 11/12/20, 2:02 PM
Known Unknown said...: History of Kitchen Aid Stand Mixers.; 11/12/20, 2:02 PM
Charlie Currie said...: Phil 314 said: "I was a kid in the '60s and a teen in the '70s and I recall the word "phosphates" as a pollutant. "

Phosphate is what they put in detergent, and other cleaners (TSP - tri sodium phosphate), to actually get things clean. Supposedly, (probably junk science) they caused algae blooms when treated sewage waste reached open water.

The more science educated on here can correct my understanding if it is off base.; 11/12/20, 2:03 PM
Known Unknown said...: "My Mom wore dresses occasionally but more often "toreador pants" or capris. Especially when working she did NOT wear dresses. (Printer, linotype operator)"

I would love someone to explain the difference between Capris, Pedal-Pushers, Clam-diggers, Toreador Pants, or Cigarette Pants.; 11/12/20, 2:03 PM
ALP said...: Sigh. My only sibling is like this. Haven't seen her in anything contemporary in a while. The only downside? She will send me stuff from this era out of the blue - in the course of her 'vintage shopping' she'll decide I MUST have this or that. Finally got her to stop.

She is a professor in a CA university - 56 years old. Being as old as she is, she is starting to look like an Italian grandma in her vintage fashion. One other thing - people were way smaller and less obese back then. Our gene pool I call 'stocky peasant'- eating right and exercising diligently means we manage to keep the excess fat down to 10 lbs in middle age, plus bone structure is not petite/delicate. She tells me that the clothing that fits her is often termed "for the stocky gal" or "full figured lady". A current size 12 is my guess.; 11/12/20, 2:11 PM
Charlie Currie said...: Being a 12 year old white male in 1958 and living 2.5 miles from some of the greatest beaches in southern CA, life was exceptionally good.

We were a two income, two car family in a very blue-collar city. By the end of the summer of '61 we owned two houses, side by side. We moved from our two bedroom house to the three bedroom and a den/family room house next door. In Jan '62 my mom bought her first ever new car, a '62 Ford Galaxie 500XL.

My dad worked at Sears as a salesman/department manager and my mom worked at the Thrifty Drug warehouse - first making Easter baskets part-time, then fulltime as an order picker.

Try accomplishing what they did with those jobs in that location today.; 11/12/20, 2:20 PM
tim in vermont said...: Recipe: CHERRY PHOSPHATE:
One ounce cherry syrup, 4 dashes of phosphate. Fill glass with carbonated water, using coarse stream; stir well with spoon.

Definition Phosphate US dated An effervescent soft drink containing phosphoric acid, soda water, and flavoring.; 11/12/20, 2:23 PM
Charlie Currie said...: Known Unknown said: "I would love someone to explain the difference between Capris, Pedal-Pushers, Clam-diggers, Toreador Pants, or Cigarette Pants."

You left off, stirrup pants.

I believe the difference is all in the length...and, stirrups. But, don't ask me for the exact details.; 11/12/20, 2:26 PM
rehajm said...: We finished watching Queen's Gambit and my wife is now crushing on the late 60s. Could do worse...; 11/12/20, 2:27 PM
R C Belaire said...: There is a Coca-Cola themed restaurant in Kalkaska MI that comes pretty close to a mid-50's feel. Great soda fountain among other features -- often stop by for malts on the way south.; 11/12/20, 2:35 PM
wild chicken said...: The cherry phosphates tasted like a really good cherry 7 up.

Don't commercial sodas have phosphates? Or at least phosphoric acid.; 11/12/20, 2:35 PM
R C Belaire said...: Whoops - that should be Grayling MI, not Kalkaska!; 11/12/20, 2:36 PM
J. Farmer said...: @Known Unknown:

I would love someone to explain the difference between Capris, Pedal-Pushers, Clam-diggers, Toreador Pants, or Cigarette Pants.

I think about 2" at the top and/or bottom. Now tennis shirt, polo shirt, and golf shirt, I can't help you.; 11/12/20, 2:46 PM
MountainMan said...: One thing I really liked about "The Queen's Gambit" was the clothing, hair, and makeup of Beth as she grew into a young woman. Especially Ep 4 when she was at the tournament in Mexico City and the tournament in Moscow in Ep 7. Her looks were perfection. I remember from my childhood and teen years when young women looked like that, especially the one I eventually married.; 11/12/20, 2:46 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Mockturtle: I remember Mother wearing white gloves to teas and such and maybe shopping................ If I were to choose a retro period for styles it wouldn't be the 50's

Hats too. Fancy hats with feathers or little veils. Mom always wore a hat and matching gloves when going out. I still have a couple of her hats and gloves. So glamorous.

I really like the styles from mid 1930's to mid 1945's.

Like Katherine Hepburn in many of her moves. Clothing was so much better made, tailored with exquisite detailing..; 11/12/20, 3:12 PM
Scot said...: Re dishwasher: We got one in the early 70s (Mother had 4 sons & worked full time) but it could have come from the 50s. It loaded from the top & had a hose you pulled out & attached to the kitchen faucet. When you were done, you rolled it back into its corner.; 11/12/20, 3:17 PM
Joe Smith said...: Started 'Queen's Gambit' but don't have much faith in finishing it.

In one of the first scenes, my wife and I looked at each other and she said, 'Isn't that a man?'

Yes, it was a trans-woman playing the part of a woman at the orphanage.

It was blatantly obvious and not subtle. Took me right out of the story.

Why do these modern productions insist on political correctness? Certainly a cis-woman (now I'm being PC) would be better for the part (she only had a few lines of dialog).

And, to the person on this forum (I forget who) that insisted it was based on a true story...sorry. Total and complete fiction.; 11/12/20, 3:24 PM
n.n said...: She's happy. Is her husband happy? Children? Happy life.; 11/12/20, 3:26 PM
Howard said...: I was too young for phosphates. I did get to experience the newfangled Icee from stop-and-go market; 11/12/20, 3:56 PM
tcrosse said...: 1958 cars were especially ugly. Olds, Buick, Ford, Edsel.; 11/12/20, 4:07 PM
Ken B said...: Annus mirabilis. Blessed be the cohort.; 11/12/20, 4:14 PM
Mattman26 said...: A chocolate phosphate was a pretty yummy thing. I wonder how you'd go about recreating that today.; 11/12/20, 4:26 PM
gilbar said...: serious question WHO WOULDN'T Want To Live Like It's 1958?
i know you're thinking: Blacks! That's WHO!
but Really? Is Systemic Racism ANY Less now, than it was then?

Jobs were good, the country wasn't at war (THINK about THAT!), Gold was $35/oz, so there was STILL basically NO inflation.
You had Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Johnny Cash, (a bunch of jazz shit, if you were into that)
You had 707's, you had satellites, nuclear submarines [FUCK! you had nuclear merchant vessels being built]
you had Norman Borlaug's Green Revolution, so hunger was a thing of the past

What's NOT to like?; 11/12/20, 4:29 PM
RichardJohnson said...: tcrosse
1958 cars were especially ugly. Olds, Buick, Ford, Edsel.

I remembered the Edsel as the epitome of ugly. Upon looking at the other cars you mentioned, it looks like the Edsel didn't beat them out by much. Close to a photo finish.; 11/12/20, 4:33 PM
todd galle said...: History, as Dr. Glatfelter always stressed as my Historical Methods professor, is an escape. This may a coping mechanism, though I never took any of those 'psych' type courses back in the early 80s. Whoever mentioned the clothing comfort angle is right on point. I've worn reproduction clothing from 1650 to 1945 (made with correct materials), and army issue from the 80's. The older stuff is much more comfortable than the newer, as modern military gear seemed to be comfortable for 3 weeks in the spring, and 3 weeks in the fall. A 16 yard or so kilt is ideal for all seasons.; 11/12/20, 4:35 PM
gilbar said...: mockturtle said...
I also walk behind a woman going up the stairs (to catch her if she falls)
Uh-huh.

GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER mockturtle!!!
how does that joke go?

"What's the first thing you look for, in a girl?"
"It depends if she's walking towards me, or away from me"; 11/12/20, 4:38 PM
Jim said...: She needs to come visit the Johnson County Kansas Museum. They have a 1950's All Electric House.https://www.jcprd.com/933/1950s-All-Electric-House

At Christmas they had an aluminum Christmas tree display.

Johnson County Kansas is heaven.; 11/12/20, 4:58 PM
tim in vermont said...: "I was too young for phosphates.”

I just grew up in the city that time forgot.; 11/12/20, 5:08 PM
Francisco D said...: J. Farmer said...Now tennis shirt, polo shirt, and golf shirt, I can't help you.

In my day, polo shirts were all cotton with roll collars and ribbed sleeves. They were usually made by Polo or Izod - overpriced status symbols. If I recall correctly, LLBean got into the game a little later.

Golf and tennis shirts were much more varied in looks and made of various materials, including the iconic Banlon. They were more likely to be worn by the common man.

The smart set and smart set wannabes wore polo shirts, of course.; 11/12/20, 5:23 PM
Charlie Currie said...: "RichardJohnson said...

tcrosse
1958 cars were especially ugly. Olds, Buick, Ford, Edsel.

I remembered the Edsel as the epitome of ugly. Upon looking at the other cars you mentioned, it looks like the Edsel didn't beat them out by much. Close to a photo finish. "

1957 was a great year in automotive styling. 1958/59 designers were on drugs. 1960 they all got their groove back.; 11/12/20, 5:28 PM
eddie willers said...: Yes, it was a trans-woman playing the part of a woman at the orphanage.

It was blatantly obvious and not subtle. Took me right out of the story.

Not obvious as I don't know what you are talking about. I do not remember even seeing a "manly" woman, much less a transexual.

I liked this show because it stayed away from the PCisms that have been ruining so much entertainment. I read the book and they only strayed with two nods to "modern sensibilities"

SPOILERS: (but minor)

1. They suggested (but didn't come right out and say it) that Beth's first crush was a closeted homosexual to explain why they never connected. (He was a minor character in the book, but they expanded the role for the TV show)

2. They made Jolene more of a "Magical Negro" than in the book, though 'book Jolene' was indeed black and DID play an important role in getting Beth back on track.

I hate PCisms more than most, but I recommend "The Queen's Gambit" with no reservations but those two, very minor nits, that I picked.; 11/12/20, 5:42 PM
eddie willers said...: 1957 was a great year in automotive styling.

My first car was a pristine 10 year old '57 Chevy and it is my greatest regret that I ever sold it.

"Queen's" has three beautiful '57 Chevys, a nice "hot rodded" '56 and the most gorgeous Corvair Monza I have ever seen. (I curse Ralph Nader to this day); 11/12/20, 5:46 PM
Leora said...: In my little town growing up the women who had that hair color in 1958 were not respectable. Explains the lack of a ring. My mother had a secretary with that hair color who was a divorcee. We also had a babysitter with that color hair who was pregnant out of wedlock. Also the woman had too many clothes. Closet space was limited in the fifties.; 11/12/20, 6:08 PM
J. Farmer said...: @Francisco D:

In my day, polo shirts were all cotton with roll collars and ribbed sleeves. They were usually made by Polo or Izod - overpriced status symbols. If I recall correctly, LLBean got into the game a little later.

You forgot the granddaddy of them all. The preferred brand of the "smart set" was Lacoste. That little crocodile was a preppy totem.; 11/12/20, 6:22 PM
todd galle said...: As for polo's, there was a time, say 1982 or so, where some of my high school Beau Brummel's would wear two polo shirts, both with the collars up. Couldn't understand it myself, plus the adoration of the 'members only' jackets, again lost on me. This was just north of Philly, so your mileage might vary.; 11/12/20, 6:37 PM
mockturtle said...: Farmer asserts: You forgot the granddaddy of them all. The preferred brand of the "smart set" was Lacoste. That little crocodile was a preppy totem.

Actually, Izod is LaCoste.; 11/12/20, 6:55 PM
J. Farmer said...: @todd galle

As for polo's, there was a time, say 1982 or so,

When I was in college in the early 2000's, the popped collar look started experiencing a resurgence. Popped and layered polos were everywhere, but the trend petered out in the second half of the decade. Ironically, Lacoste originally designed it to be worn turned up to prevent the back of the neck from sunburning.; 11/12/20, 6:56 PM
Narr said...: My Opa and Oma owned the exclusive beauty shop at the Peabody. They had a pretty toney clientele, lots of social register and plantation ladies from all over. They colored, permed, cut, set, and made wigs and falls. Employed two or three Black ladies at the shop and/or at the house as nannies or cleaners at one time, since Oma put in 5+ days a week at the shop herself.

He had trained as a friseur in Hamburg, and come to this country as a hairdresser, makeup man, and wigmaker with an Italian opera company on tour. She came over fresh off the farm to work for her uncle Stablein in the hair goods business.

Opa made sure his wife eventually had minks and diamonds to show off when the Met or one of the big orchestras came to town, the nice house and a new Buick every few years, and that his son and daughter went to college. He just liked to hang out with his ducks and chickens behind the garage, smoking and drinking beer.

Narr
Everybody smoked except Oma; 11/12/20, 6:59 PM
J. Farmer said...: @mockturtle:

Actually, Izod is LaCoste.

That's right! I remember someone telling me before that Izod distributed for the US, but I wonder when they separated because as far back as I can remember they were separate brands with different logos.; 11/12/20, 7:03 PM
fizzymagic said...: I don't believe women talked with that much vocal fry in the 1950s.; 11/12/20, 7:29 PM
Narr said...: I can tell a long sleeve shirt from a short sleeve, a collar or no, and some patterns and colors. Neither styles nor brands have penetrated far into my brain at any time; I'm more inclined not to buy a product that seems to me too much liked or branded.

Some of my friends spend a lot of time and money trying to be stylish dressers. It mystifies me.

Narr
Popped collar? What dat?; 11/12/20, 8:08 PM
todd galle said...: J. Farmer,
Then I shall thank the gods that I was well out of school, working, and raising my family with my wife for the fashion resurgence. I don't think I could have taken the pink and lavender layered polos again. I don't quite understand why that style might have ever had made a comeback, but then I'm not in the fashion business. I've just a funeral suit, one casual sport coat, and usually switch between three or four ties to mix it up for the Kirk folks.

Fun story though, I recently gave away my 1970's leisure suit, bought at a dime store on a lark with another frat guy, it was absolutely hideous (but not as bad as his choice), with not a stich of natural fiber. Somebody must have dropped dead Uncle whoever's closet at the store. I naturally grew out of it (meaning I went from a 32 to a 36 waist), but a co-worker fit it perfectly, though the white belt might need adjustment. He's of the sartorialist type, so a wonderful ending.; 11/12/20, 8:16 PM
Iman said...: I do find the bright red lipstick to be somewhat scary.

Don’t be ascared, Howard, you can stick with your usual hot pink, **on account of** how it looks on you.

**h/t and in honor of Jerry Mathers, as teh Beaver; 11/12/20, 8:40 PM
Narr said...: IMO it took a brave man to wear a leisure suit then, and it takes a brave man to own to it now. Todd galle I salute you.

I had one pair of Earthshoes that I wore once, and some stacked heels ditto--to a Bowie concert IIRC. Wavy chestnut ringlets to my shoulders, parted in the middle, and a cracker vandyke, air force surplus tunic coat over flowery hippy shirt (the classic roses in rows) . . . I'm pretty sure all photos have been destroyed.

Narr
Strange Changes; 11/12/20, 9:42 PM
J. Farmer said...: @Narr:

Some of my friends spend a lot of time and money trying to be stylish dressers. It mystifies me.

Clean shirt, new shoes
And I don't know where I am goin' to
Silk suit, black tie,
I don't need a reason why
They come runnin' just as fast as they can
'Cause every girl crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man; 11/12/20, 10:40 PM
J. Farmer said...: Some of my friends spend a lot of time and money trying to be stylish dressers. It mystifies me.

p.s. Honestly, though, I think there is a benefit to dressing well. You tend to feel more confident when you are dressed well, and you tend to get positive attention from others, including strangers.

Looking stylish doesn't require following trends or having lots of money. It just requires being a more thoughtful consumer and a bit more discriminating about what you put on your body. The single most important thing is fit, that sweet spot between too tight and too loose. A cheap suit that you have tailored will look ten times better than an expensive suit that is ill-fitting. Quality is way more important than quantity.; 11/12/20, 10:53 PM
Joe Smith said...: "Honestly, though, I think there is a benefit to dressing well."

There is when you are working. But I worked in Silicon Valley, where nobody cares.

When I lived in Japan (in my mid-50s) I dressed like I did at home; jeans, shorts, golf shirts, T-shirts.

Kind of unheard of there, where every man my age wore a suit and tie every day.

But I was semi-retired and had FU money by Japanese standards : )

I never got any dirty looks...; 11/12/20, 11:09 PM
J. Farmer said...: @Joe Smith:

When I lived in Japan (in my mid-50s) I dressed like I did at home; jeans, shorts, golf shirts, T-shirts.

Stylish doesn't have to be formal. A white t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans is a classic American look. A crisp, clean white t-shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans both that fit you well with a pair of white canvas shoes instead of a clunky athletic sneaker would look a lot more stylish than a frumpy wrinkled suit.; 11/13/20, 1:14 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: “ Stylish doesn't have to be formal. A white t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans is a classic American look. A crisp, clean white t-shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans both that fit you well with a pair of white canvas shoes instead of a clunky athletic sneaker would look a lot more stylish than a frumpy wrinkled suit.”

Jeans and white T-shirt really meant hoodlum back in the 1950s. Definitely when I was in HS in the mid 1960s. We wore jeans to school throughout the 1960s growing up. But that was because we thought of ourselves as descendants of the Old West, living west of Denver, and our grandparents having a ranch of sorts (a girl’s camp). Some of my earliest pictures are at the ranch, dressed in boots, jeans, cowboy shirt and sometimes hat. Then, in the early 1960s, when I started junior high, jeans were banned for those three years. My mother, who had grown up in Chicago, never really got the jeans thing, and was ecstatic. She was able to dress us in button down shirts and cords. Hit high school, and the school dress code mostly went out the window, and we were back in jeans and button down shirts again, but could wear cowboy boots to school too. And that is basically where I have been since 1965 - but with the boots coming and going. Wore them some in college, not on the east coast between 1975 and 1982, wore them again in Fort Collins, CO, throughout the rest of the 1980s, until they started doing a number on my feet. And started wearing them again in the early 2010s, living half the year in rural MT.

Just over 20 years ago, I was living in Austin, and wearing boots with my jeans as casual wear. My GF at the time bought me some polo shirts. Having grown up in W TX, she didn’t understand why stripes, etc were out for me. Solid colors only. But that finally got me to switch them in to replace the button down collar look in the summer. Part of my antipathy for polo shirts dated from college, where my brother’s fraternity was the preppy house, and ours mostly went to public school. He and a couple other Coloradoans in his house, started this Izod LaCoste polo shirt with jeans and boots look. Yes, usually with the upturned collars. I wouldn't go there for almost 40 years, but that is now my summer look. I dress it up with a sports coat (usually Navy, but just got a leather one I really like) and nicer pair of boots. Polo shirt under sports coat does look a bit strange and a T-shirt would probably be better. But the uncollared shirt and sports coat look was what I dealt with with companies like Apple during the latter 1980s. We would have AIM alliance meetings, and everyone would show their teams by their dress - Apple with their collarless shirts and sports coats, IBM in kakis and polo shirts, and us in conservative suits. Got rid of my kakis after that too. Never did like that collarless shirt and sports coat look. Too California. And going back to high school, in CO, there was always this anti-CA type vibe. Fashion wise, we could only go so far - mimicking their hair was fine. Surfer long and blond highlighted was cool. Beatles long was not. Looked too British faggy. But not their surf attire. They had their surfing, and we had our skiing.; 11/13/20, 8:24 AM
MacMacConnell said...: When I was at university in the early seventies in Kansas, a man dress in a lime green polyester leisure suit, white patent leather belt and loafers was called "a full Topekan".

I grew up in the South, Panama City, Greenville Miss. and San Antonio, yes mil brat. I spent most of my very young years in jeans, shorts, striped tees and US Keds. For my First communion my father took me to a men's clothing store in Oxford Miss. they had a small boys dept. were he bought me a white oxford button down, a worsted Navy blazer, worsted charcoal pants with cuffs, a burgundy & navy striped tie and my first pair of Weejuns. I'm 69, I have dressed the same way since then. Growing up the look was called "Collegiate" or "Ivy", in the late 70s you would know it as "preppy". Preppy is actually sort of a junior high school version of Ivy.

Buy cheap and sleep in the street. I'm at the office today wearing a Gitman blue oxford button down I bought in 1980, a Polo doeskin navy blazer bought in 1990, O'Connell's british tan wool gabardine pants bought in 2005, real cordovan Alden tassels bought in 1985 never resoled and burgundy silk club tie with pheasants. It was 21 degrees here in KC this morning, so I also wore a Gloverall duffle coat I purchased the fall of 1969, my freshman year at university.

As for my three older sisters in the 50s and 60s you wouldn't find more "preppy" girls. My younger two sisters were never hippies, but they did dress sort of Mod in the 70s.My mother was usually in shirt dresses except for sunday Mass, in which case it was two piece cotton or wool suits.

I really didn't start wearing western boots till school in Kansas. Although when I was very young I wore them, also had a Roy Rogers sweater. I still wear western boots, Naconas, with 501s, button downs and tweed sports coat or blazer.

Ivy style clothing which actually is an American version of British clothing is about as American a man can dress.; 11/13/20, 9:59 AM
MacMacConnell said...: "Some of my friends spend a lot of time and money trying to be stylish dressers. It mystifies me."

I agree with J Farmer. If you chase fashion, you're like a greyhound that chases a fake rabbit which you will never catch. Buy basic classics and in the classics find your own style. Shop sales and know what fits your own taste. I can dress any young man cheaply at any department store, even Brooks Brothers at sale time. Stuff never goes out of fashion. Christ, William F. Buckley was known to occasionally buy suits at JCpenney, as well as J. Press and Brooks.; 11/13/20, 10:20 AM
Narr said...: Academics, especially librarians or historians, aren't really expected to dress well, though I have met or worked with a lot who do.

In my working life, outside the blue collar stuff when I was young, I wore pretty much the same thing whether I was selling ladies shoes or houses, running a small AUSP library, running a special collections and local-regional history archive while serving as de facto community outreach librarian (public speaking to a yuge diversity of audiences, often "after work"), adjuncting in the history department, or being interviewed by local or outside media.

Brown or black shoes, plain. Dark, neutral or khaki pants or slacks, to whatever the standard is when I look (cuffs, cut, pleats etc). White or striped button-down collar shirt, long sleeved. With tie, which was the only flash of individuality.

Dark or khaki coat or blazer, but more often just a plain flannel-lined overshirt . . .when I had to. Most of the year it's too damn hot here for more than a shirt and tie.

I did notice of course that those who rose highest in the campus administration tended--there were some prominent exceptions--to give a lot of care to their dress. High-end suits, hair styling, and a few of them got pedicures! Wankers.

Narr
Ur-schlub; 11/13/20, 10:32 AM
PM said...: Trippy hipsters.
I, for one, don't miss having to get up to change the channel.; 11/13/20, 10:58 AM
Narr said...: The computer glitched "pedicure" when I typed "manicure."

On Putin's orders.

Narr
Actually I was just testing y'all.; 11/13/20, 1:35 PM
KellyM said...: @Known Unknown: "I would love someone to explain the difference between Capris, Pedal-Pushers, Clam-diggers, Toreador Pants, or Cigarette Pants."

Watch “Grease” over the weekend. Almost every one of these styles is represented.

Capris hit about mid-calf and tend to be close fitting. (Rizzo favored these, when not wearing pencil skirts); Pedal Pushers have a wider leg opening and fall about 2” below capris; Clam-diggers would be straight legged and hit about cropped/ankle length; (Jan and Frenchy wore these, I think) Toreador pants are slim fitting and cinch below the knee (in the 80s they were called ‘knickers’) and Cigarette Pants were tight, form fitting pants that stopped at the ankles. (Think, Cha-Cha DiGregorio at the drag race or Olivia Newton-John’s Sandy in the final big dance scene)

I love the dedication to a specific time period in clothing. I’ve wandered through fashion styles from the 1930s to the early 1960s (Mad Men era) and have scoured eBay for vintage patterns. For me, as an amateur costumer, I use these opportunities to create interesting reproductions, but try to utilize more modern sewing techniques where I can. For instance, the zipper was not common in home-made clothing until late 40s, early 50s. Alternate options were snaps, or hooks and eyes, depending. But to make these garments look right you need all the underpinnings, too. That does mean girdles, historically accurate brassieres, and stockings. I recall an interview with one of the actresses from the Mad Men series saying that the toughest thing to get used to were the foundation garments. The costumers for the show were very diligent in either sourcing the real thing or getting good reproductions made. It makes all the difference. People walk, stand, and act differently, when in these sorts of clothes.; 11/13/20, 6:39 PM
gpm said...: OMG. This discussion makes me feel like I'm a young'un here, when I'm just shy of three years younger than Althouse.

I knew the commenters here these days (not sure about the earlier years) skew on the older side but, for better or worse, we really need to hang on to Farmer. Who else is under 40???

The Fifties are a bit too young for me but, FWIW, while I could perhaps try to dig up some photos, I have no particular recollection of how my mother dressed when I was growing up in the 60s. But nothing like this while, in either the 50s or 60s, dealing with me and my older eight siblings then two younger siblings.

--gpm; 11/13/20, 6:47 PM