"... and evolved to become a sort of wearable yearbook for college and high school seniors in the state.
The students would use corduroy clothes — typically pants and skirts in cream or yellow — as canvases that were illustrated with favorite activities, sweethearts’ initials and other personal details. The practice continued for decades before it started to die out in the 1970s.
In 2018, about two years after Ms. Bode Aujla started her ready-to-wear brand Bode, which includes pieces made with antique materials and historical techniques like quilting, she started selling custom senior cords in an attempt to revive the tradition...."
"Last fall, the actor Jeff Goldblum appeared on the 'Today' show in a Bode senior cord suit that featured illustrations of a Pittsburgh Steelers pennant, pancakes and a 'Jurassic Park' logo. Earlier this year, Indiana University bought a senior cord jacket from the brand, and Bode sent along matching pants as well.... After [a] Vogue issue with [Harry] Styles, Ms. Bode Aujla said, her brand got requests to make other pieces with similar illustrations. But Bode avoids replicating drawings. Each piece, Ms. Bode Aujla said, 'is someone’s personal cord.'"
Erroll Garner was inspired to write "Misty" on a flight from San Francisco to Chicago which passed through a thunderstorm: as the plane descended into O'Hare, Garner looked through the window to see a rainbow glowing through a haze, and was moved to begin composing "Misty" on the spot, striking imaginary piano keys on his knees as he hummed the notes he imagined (causing his neighboring passenger to summon a flight attendant to assist the apparently ill Garner).
I guess in a temperate climate it's hard to show all your tattoos. Some of them may be only for a lover to see. So: personalize your clothing. I was at CHAZ in Seattle. No, I wasn't.
John Henry, would YOU ever let anyone know about senior cord clothing if you wore it? Didn't think so. My conclusion on the lack of publicity for the style is that lack of publicity is a good thing.
This was a great tradition when I was at Purdue in the late 60's, but I didn't participate as I didn't have an artistic bone in my body. http://collections.lib.purdue.edu/traditions/cordsAndPots.php?id=12
This is funny. My brother-in-law graduated from PU in 1955, and I remember his senior cords. At that time, they all made their own cords. For some reason, they had to be safely stored for a period before the unveiling at some point, i guess in the spring. I remember one of his friends had his cords sealed in a #10 time can, so no one could find and steal them.
It was a pretty big deal then. Remember, PU was about 85% male at the time - being an ag and engineering school. The girls went to IU (My sister studied Home Ec and spent her working years in the fashion industry.)
This is funny. My brother-in-law graduated from PU in 1955, and I remember his senior cords. At that time, they all made their own cords. For some reason, they had to be safely stored for a period before the unveiling at some point, i guess in the spring. I remember one of his friends had his cords sealed in a #10 time can, so no one could find and steal them.
It was a pretty big deal then. Remember, PU was about 85% male at the time - being an ag and engineering school. The girls went to IU (My sister studied Home Ec and spent her working years in the fashion industry.)
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17 comments:
That is the ugliest outfit I have ever seen.
Yes, Indiana is ground zero for fashion.
Short sleeve shirts start at $490.
Whenever I need to fly, I go out of my way to avoid O'Hare. I hate O'Hare. But now I know the song "Misty" is about landing at O'Hare.
I always thought it was more about "getting misty." That interpretation is supported by the lyrics, added later, by someone other than Garner.
The lyrics vaguely support the landing-at-O'Hare interpretation:
"Look at me, I'm as helpless as a kitten up a tree;
And I feel like I'm clinging to a cloud..."
Oooh, if we're going to talk about weird regional fashion, let's talk about Texas Homecoming Mums.
I guess in a temperate climate it's hard to show all your tattoos. Some of them may be only for a lover to see. So: personalize your clothing. I was at CHAZ in Seattle. No, I wasn't.
"Senior cords are a giant boress."
Maximum Hoosier content in one sentence.
Is this the first known instance of Indiana leaking into New York?
Searching the NY times for "Senior cords" since 1851 turns up 1 result,this article.
A search of the Indianapolis Star turned up 4 results.
Doesn't seem like a very well known phenomenon
John LGKTQ Henry
The article seems like a native ad to sell these things.
Wouldn't this traditionally have been the kind of thing to make oneself rather than buy? Like a memorial quilt.
But you can look right at home in aces Sunday book thread.
John LGKTQ Henry
Yeah, fine, at least for college students. Better than tattoos certainly. But why has "Look at me!" become such an obsession?
John Henry, would YOU ever let anyone know about senior cord clothing if you wore it? Didn't think so. My conclusion on the lack of publicity for the style is that lack of publicity is a good thing.
Guo Pei it ain't.
This was a great tradition when I was at Purdue in the late 60's, but I didn't participate as I didn't have an artistic bone in my body. http://collections.lib.purdue.edu/traditions/cordsAndPots.php?id=12
This is funny. My brother-in-law graduated from PU in 1955, and I remember his senior cords. At that time, they all made their own cords. For some reason, they had to be safely stored for a period before the unveiling at some point, i guess in the spring. I remember one of his friends had his cords sealed in a #10 time can, so no one could find and steal them.
It was a pretty big deal then. Remember, PU was about 85% male at the time - being an ag and engineering school. The girls went to IU (My sister studied Home Ec and spent her working years in the fashion industry.)
Ted
This is funny. My brother-in-law graduated from PU in 1955, and I remember his senior cords. At that time, they all made their own cords. For some reason, they had to be safely stored for a period before the unveiling at some point, i guess in the spring. I remember one of his friends had his cords sealed in a #10 time can, so no one could find and steal them.
It was a pretty big deal then. Remember, PU was about 85% male at the time - being an ag and engineering school. The girls went to IU (My sister studied Home Ec and spent her working years in the fashion industry.)
Ted
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