Showing posts with label Brooke Shields. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brooke Shields. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

What's A Girl To Wear (60's Style)

I noticed 2 adolescent girls walking home from school today, casually dressed in jeans and whatever, the way most kids dress today. It got me thinking about my high school days and what we wore to school. Waaaaay back then, girls were not allowed to wear pants, let alone jeans.
Based on what you wore, you would fall into one of three categories: collegian, Newark or mod. I suppose there was one other category, no style at all which, much like today, would be considered nerd-y.
The collegian style would probably be considered what we know as preppy today. There were no designer names; the closest thing to designer wear was probably Bobbie Brooks. Now, Bobbie Brooks clothing was a little bit on the pricey side then, so it was worn mostly by the girls who "came from money." Throughout my high school years, I had ONE Bobbie Brooks outfit, a yellow skirt with matching sweater. I loved it and was heartbroken when my mother WASHED the sweater and put it IN THE DRYER, which shrunk it to the point it wouldn't fit a 5 year old. She bought me another yellow sweater, but it wasn't a BB, so the outfit was never quite the same.
Another item all collegian's had to have was a tennis sweater. The stripes on the sweater HAD to be blue and burgundy. I had one, but it was some no name brand, not an IZOD.
The two other items in a collegian's closet were desert boots and at least one CPO jacket. Now, the site I've linked for the desert boots says they were part of the mod style, but not where I grew up. It was part of a collegian's wardrobe.
I see, from searching the web, that a form of CPO jackets are still around, but they mostly seem to be plaids and wear more like a heavy shirt. My generation's version was either cranberry or navy blue, that's it and was heavier, much more a jacket than a shirt. My jacket was navy blue.
It seems every generation, starting in the 50's, has worn jeans. Again, there were no designer jeans then. I believe that started in the late 70's (remember Sergio Valentes or Brooke Shields' commercials for Calvin Klein?) For us, it was Wranglers or nothing at all.

TO BE CONTINUED.......................