Saturday, March 7

Do You Remember?


Do you remember saddle oxfords, poodle skirts, crinolines and white bucks? If so, you must be a Baby Boomer.

I remember the border print skirts like the one in the image at the beginning of this article. No, I didn't have one with kittens, but did have one with cocker spaniel puppies. Another favorite was one of a farm scene with a wagon wheel prominent in the foreground. Bobbie socks, white bucks or saddle shoes set off the skirt and blouse, which always matched one of the colors in the skirt.

Mom always made sure that I had nice clothes to wear, but they were always homemade. And that was fine by me. It never dawned on me that the other kids (at least the more well-to-do ones,) purchased their clothes ready-made. No one ever made fun of my clothes. I do remember one time my grandfather shaming me because my white bucks were dirty. But I had no plans to go anywhere, so what was the difference. Did the geese, chickens, cows and horses really care if my white bucks were polished?

I liked saddle shoes as well. Of course bobbie socks went with those too and the cuffs were always turned down. They had to be pure white and Mom always bleached them in boiling water to be sure they were just so.

I remember when my aunt, who would have been about 18 at the time, made a sheath dress in 4-H. When my grandfather saw her in it he almost had a conniption fit. He didn't think a lady should show her bare arms with a sleeveless dress.

I also remember wearing crinolines under my border print skirts. Goodness those things were itchy, but would love to have one today. Not to wear, but just for the memories.

What clothes do you remember from your youth. Do you have pleasant memories of the things you wore back then? I would love to hear about your memories in the comments.

Have a great weekend. We had lots of rain today, but yesterday was beautiful. We spent the afternoon in the park with Dakota. I do hope tomorrow is nice. I'd enjoy letting Dakota expend some of his energy outside the house. ~Blessings, Mary~

23 comments:

  1. I am more aware of such from movies etc than from memory. As a boomer, I came of age in the 60's, and they are more 50's fashions, I believe. In my elementary schools in the 50's, girls were wearing uniforms (tunics), so that might be why I have no personal memory.

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  2. My mom didn't sew. We worked in tobacco each summer to earn money for our store bought clothes. My grandmother and aunt sewed some things for us. I remember a skirt with a bib and criss-cross straps that was one of my favorites from my aunt.

    The only time we were allowed to wear pants to school was on the day our class went on a school picnic... then the gilr's jeans were rolled up to the same length our skirt would have come and we wore penny loafers with the rolled down socks.

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  4. This was a fun post, Mary...
    Well, I grew up mainly in the 70's and to be honest, I didn't care for most of the styles then that I was forced to wear to "fit in". I think the 70's was just plain crazy! :)
    My 3rd grade class picture is a hoot...all of us trying to dress like The Partridge Family with little boys wearing fringe vests and little girls wearing short dresses and go-go boots. And we were only 8 and 9 yrs old! LOL

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  5. I remember all of those items, Mary, thanks to cousins a few years older than me. For me, it was t-strap shoes, wrap-around skirts (and matching triangles worn around our hair), peter pan collars on our blouses.. We were never, ever allowed to wear slacks to school. Our biggest "whoa, you got to do that?" moment was the last day of our my senior year - we girls were allowed to wear culottes (!) if we wore knee socks & the guys were allowed to wear jeans & t-shirts. We were SUCH rebels! *lol*
    Thanks for the memories!

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  6. I was born in 1963 so most of the girls had moved on from poodle skirts and saddle shoes, but a few still wore them. I barely remember it, but I do remember some and even had a pair of saddle oxfords when I was small.

    Hope all is well with you, dear Mary. Have a blessed Sunday! :o)

    Love and hugs,

    Diane

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  7. I don't remember those clothes probably because i wasn't born then but I do like the fashions. sounds like you're all loving spring there - it's much cooler here and nice :-)

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  8. I was born in 1960 so I missed the saddle shoes and border skirts. I remember hip hugger pants and those extremely wide legged pants that were popular when I was in junior high.

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  9. Good Morning Mary,
    I don't remember wearing Poodle Skirts ut do remember seeing themin pictures. The saddles shoes are those the black and dwhite ones. If so, I called those Cheereleading Shoes and I think I had pair growin up and I did wear Boby sockz on occasion. I remember Bell bottoms mostly in my day. LOL. My MOm used to make me and my Siste's clothes when we were little girls also. It was motly dresses and shirts and maybe a few shorts. I was born in 1962 and my Sister 1963. I enjoyed this post. Take care my friend and have a Blessed Sunday. May GOD BLess you and yours.
    Love,
    Karen H.

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  10. That's funny....just the other day Bud and I were talking about 'poodle skirts' and the shoes that were "the" thing to have. My skirt was pink felt and had a white poodle...and the leash were rhinestones. I was hep!!!

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  11. Mary, you awaken such great memories. I too made a sheath dress in Home Economics.

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  12. I too am a boomer although the 60's fashions were more my speed...miniskirts and boots. I do remember crinolines, however, and how scratchy and annoying they were. I was so glad when they finally fell out of fashhion!

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  13. A little before my time but they look like they might have been fun to wear. :)

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  14. Wow a blast from the past. My big sis had those skirts and can can as we called them. I hated to wear can can as you said they scrathed and I was such a tom boy that they interferred with my life. I went bare footed more often than wore shoes and I was very hard on shoes since climbing trees etc did not go with polishing shoes. Big sis was the dainty one. Funny how that shirt made the memories tumble in. We would strach big sis's can cans and put them out on sheets to dry. They looked like giant dollies in the yard. oh, she would wear up to 3 at a time and I hated being forced to wear one. Peace

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  15. Hi Mary,
    What fun things to recall! I had a poodle skirt and saddle shoes too. (My Mom sewed almost all my clothes)
    Do your remember pedal pushers pants? I had plaid ones :) I also remember all those petticoats. The more the better!
    We always wore gloves and hats to church too..
    Thanks for reminding me of some fun memories.
    xo

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  16. I was born in 1939 and I do remember the clothes you mention. I had white bucks and a little powder puff thingy with chalky stuff that was used to cover the scuff marks. I also had saddle shoes and penny loafers but not all at the same time. Sox had to be rolled down.
    I never had a poodle skirt but after earning money in the strawberry fields one year I bought myself a pink, quilted, taffeta circular skirt. I also used to save babysitting money and buy fabric at 25 cents a yard and make cotton gathered skirts to wear with a white peasant blouce.
    Pleated Plaid skirts were the rage here and I had some of those too.
    My mom sewed too and made a lot of our clothes but we also got store bought things.

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  17. Since I am 67 I remember all those things. I wore every one of them and my sheath dress was one that got a lot of attention when my husband took me on a date when we first met in what was known then as the RCAF. You brought back many happy memories.
    Thank you.

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  18. Oh my, you took me back. I so remember poodles skirts , saddle shoes and scarves , tied jauntily around ones neck.
    Shirt waist dresses was one of my favs to wear. Hot pants in the sixties, bright colours.
    My Mom also made a lot of my clothes and I loved them.

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  19. I never had a poodle skirt but I remember them. I remember sweaters and the collars added to them. Scarves in the hair. I had crinolines. We starched them, didn't we?
    I remember those borders. It seems they had flour sacks like that. I had lots of clothes made from feed and flour sacks.
    Mama Bear

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  20. I'm a little too young to remember the poodle skirts. I'm not sure what you mean by a sheath dress unless it's what I call a shift. We made one in home economics class. I remember the knee socks, bell bottoms and mini skirts.

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  22. Oh, Mary, you brought back so many memories!!! I can remember all those things! I remember those white buck shoes that we cleaned with a little bag with white dust in it. I had a poodle skirt. I especially remember my Aunt Naomi giving me presents all the time....she had bought me the fullest crinoline one time for my birthday and had wrapped it!!! It was a huge ball all wrapped up in little girly gift paper! She always gave me the nicest gifts...pretty little robes with matching pajamas and slippers..just girly things. It will be 4 years next month that she passed on, but I will always carry my memories of her in my heart. She taught me how to knit after I was married and had children...we were very close.

    I really enjoyed this post!!!

    ((( HUGS )))

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