Thursday, January 26, 2012

26 January 1933 “Hairstyles, Shoes, & Conveyor Belt Lives.”

myhaircut2  I really didn’t get a very good picture of how I have been wearing my hair curled, but the one I did manage to get, I messed about with to give it an antiquated look. It is hardly flattering but I wanted to show the general shape and style of my hair now curled. I have still not done the finger waves, but shall. I want to get some proper metal clips, which seems to be a better bet than bobby pins.

Overall, I love my shorter hair. As my curl was fading the other day, I realized it was basically the shorter 1950’s cut I had wanted as well. 50sbob And I really saw a similarity between the short close cut and style of the mid 50’s and mid 30’s, fashion does repeat itself.

victoryrolls  The 1940’s sported much longer hair and this was due not only to the usual change we women look to in our styles, but also the war years left little time or money to mess about with hair. Longer hair was easier to roll into “victory rolls” or tie up out of the way with scarves and kerchiefs. A few twists and bobby pins gave a busy war working gal a lift and style on the go.

This wonderful color film shows fashions from this year, 1933, and you can see there is still quite a bit of the 1920’s still here in the clothing. The waist has returned, but the cloche hat is still prevalent and occasionally a dropped waist shows up. We must remember, as well, that clothes styles finally hitting the average women by the end of the 1920’s would of course continue a bit. I always find the beginning of a decade fascinating in fashion as it always has the flavor of the previous decade but then you see hints of the trends that will become the ‘look’ of the later decade.

I know I have shared this video before, but I think it very fitting here. What we imagined the future to be from the 20’s to the 40’s outlook of the future 21st century. I have to say some things had an eerie image of reality. Though the gentleman's tool belt looks old and cumbersome, the fact that he has a phone and other items with him is very telling. And the view of the city in 2000 has a very real feel of the dense traffic and large scale freeways that we certainly have today.

One joy of vintage dressing or living in a particular decade is that one can grow a wardrobe and feel it can last forever. Therefore, with my travel back to the 1930’s I didn’t want to just toss out my 50’s wardrobe (especially as I may end up there again at the years end!) But, I found that some of my straighter skirts are very fitting for the 1930’s particularly the longer versions. Skirts became their shortest in 1925 and then gradually went longer again. By the early to mid 1930’s skirts were more mid calf, much like the length of the New Look in the late 40s' early 50’s that caused such a stir. Again, fashion repeats itself quite often.

Living in the Depression, one wants to make sure to conserve their pin money, but I did splurge on a pair of vintage styled shoes. I have already two pair of lace up heeled oxfords I showed before, but I wanted to add one Mary-Jane style heeled shoe that could be dressed up or down. What I have found is that the heel width is quite comfortable and would also be appropriate for early 1950’s dressing. What do you think of these.shoes1 shoes2 I think they look quite lovely with the darker opaque stockings of the 20’s early 30’s. And my 50’s wool skirt becomes rather 30’s I think. The color was also very 1930’s to me and though ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ doesn’t have the same meaning it will come to have in the 1950’s when Elvis sings about them, a gal can still feel happy with a bright shoe and cutaway class in her step.

Some may think it silly to so immerse onself into a decade. But, I have always loved history, all aspects of it. And so there is a certain joy, perhaps only experienced by the true historyophile, to reading a vintage magazine or novel while one is adorned in the clothe and hairstyles of the day, with the proper underpinnings. Perhaps it is merely self-indulgence, but I do feel more akin to things and as if I am somehow giving my proper respect to the past, when I try to, quite literally, walk in their shoes.

But, I think a healthy dose of curiosity and a questioning mind are all is really needed for one to become a happy and contented arm-chair time traveler. Either way, I do like to mix my serious findings of politics and laws of the day with fun meals, interesting desserts and hairstyles and shoes to enjoy them all the more.

One cannot be only happy or sad. The complexity of life simply makes it more interesting and also makes one a more complete person. I believe the main aspect of the modern age which often irks me is the hyper-specific groups one feels the need to belong to: Oh, I am a nerd, A techno-geek, a preppy, a fashionista, Green, hippy, conservative. 

Even in the university system with so much focus on single educational goals that we become, much like Ford had thought of with his automobile production, an assembly line of people. In production, sure it makes for a faster and more equally created mass produced product if every person simply learns that one special part and does it over and over again.  However,  the individual never sees above their part in that line. They cannot make or understand the whole item produced and therefore their focus becomes narrow.  I think that a very good view of modern man. We have allowed our education and culture to become one great conveyer belt mass produced life. We need to peek our heads about our little specialties and see what else is going on. The more we learn and try to understand the more we see we don’t and that leads us to understanding and better education. Mass production might be fine for our products, but shouldn’t be the pattern for our lives.

Well, I shall step down from my soap box now, gingerly mind, with my lovely blue suede shoes and head off to my day. There are so many recipes and news articles to get to. I hope all have a lovely day and Happy Homemaking.

16 comments:

  1. I like your hairstyle. It is very nice.

    As to the videos I was most profoundly hit by the sincere comment that skirts would not totally disappear in AD 2000. Well how funny as they have. I know women that refused to wear a wedding dress.

    I love going back a bit in time where being a woman was something ok to be, instead of the fierce competition and life where we must be all that we can be~i.e. men.

    I am enjoying my window to the past. Have a lovely day
    Jennifer

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think your hair looks wonderful! I've yet to get mine to curl at all.

    The shoes are definitely lovely. I'm envious!
    I think wearing teh clothing and hair styles of eth era really do help with a more total understanding of the ladies who lived through these times.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Suddenly, after viewing your 1950-1930 shift think I am beginning to understand why there has been such a backlash to your time change. I think think that people are really more upset by your class change - from low class 1950s, to middle class 1930s - than your time change. When most people think of the 1930s they think of the poor and depressed. However, many people were not effected by the economic crash and actually cashed-in on the low price of stocks. Many families like the Kennedys used this time to invest in the stock market while it was depressed and made a fortune. i think that many thought that you were going to play a member of the low class as you idd in the 1950s and were surprise that you are living a middle class lifestyle for e great depression. I think that it is great that you are doing your hair, cooking from cookbooks and reading glossy magazines. It is a nice change to see other faces of the 1930s rather than those simply of the poor that most media sources like to portray.


    and deco
    zinanyoadiossy ma.

    ReplyDelete
  4. that might be true, but in many ways I really felt I WAS living a middle class life in the 1950's. In fact, being a stay at home in the 1950's was very much a sign of one's middle-class-ness, as many working class families, even in the 1950's would sometimes have the wife work part-time. I allowed myself my dishwasher and my washing machine as well as MANY glossy magazines of the time, including home and garden and other high end publications. When I did things like canning and having chickens I felt it was my middle class prerogative to keep those things from the war years that I enjoyed, but knowing full well there were grocery stores popping up with more and more products. Yes, I would say I definitely saw, and often spoke specifically to, the middle class way of living in the 1950's. SO, I can't really see a change in that class level. In fact, my not having a maid in 1930's puts me down a rung to lower middle class, really, here in the pre WWII days. So, I appreciate your idea of the disparagement but feel rather opposite about the class structure.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Love the hair! Also I love the phrase "mass produced life." You have given me extreme food for thought today. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good afternoon!

    I am so glad I can now post!
    I think that your hair curled is very pretty, as are your shoes. I am excited for the new recipes, as well as the look into health and well being. I have been thinking so much about our gym/supplement culture lately. Since reading your blog I do so much more in my home, on my own. I am constantly moving about, finding things to do at home, and when I finish I feel spent..in a good way!

    I have found easy exercises to do at home, and I walk alot more and probably dont need the gym/ supplements anymore. What a fool I have been!
    Have a wonderful day!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love the hair! Like it better than your 50s hairstyle

    ReplyDelete
  8. Where did you find the shoes???

    ReplyDelete
  9. I almost have to fast forward to Elvis in the 50s with those Blue suede shoes! Go girl! Cute hair - mine is about that length now and I haven't had it cut in almost 12 months. What was I thinking?! Luckily here in QLD Aus its summer and wet and hair goes curly - I like to think mine is Liz Taylor cool! Currently watching Pearl Harbour - don't think I can get my hair 40s gorgeous long, like you said - & have your seen it - love the red lipstick but surely nurses had their hair tied back ALL the time?!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love those shoes, I must know where you got them! Your hair is adorable! I find that sleeping in soft curlers is a somewhat less-painful way to wake up with curls. I am a big fan of sleep so I don't like to mess with my hair in the morning!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I found the shoes on ebay. I simply looked under my shoe size ladies and 1930's.
    For my vintage look lace up oxfords I simply looked for my size and "heeled lace up oxford ladies". It is hard for me to find shoes as I have rather large feet. So, when I saw these, I did splurge. But, now with two pair lace ups and one pair heels I am all set. I might, if I can find it, buy one pair of metallic leather shoes similar to the blue ones, as those are often seen with evening gowns. Being middle class, I might have evening's out, but being tight with my purse strings, my satin evening dress will most likely be a homesew, thank goodness for learning to sew in 1955!
    Today, while doing my marketing, I found some old clips that I can now use to try my finger waves. I am excited to see how they turn out.

    ReplyDelete
  12. New to posting here, but I've been following your blog for awhile. I find it very interesting and thought-provoking. It has inspired me in my search for a life that lines up with my priorities, and to declutter and detach from a lot of the modern stuff that gets in the way of a real life. Thank you for sharing with us.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi! I have several 1930's sewing patterns and also embroidery patterns I would love to give you if you are interested. A small thank you for such a wonderful blog! Embroidery was very popular in the 1930's as it was a cheap needlecraft. My grandma told me of using the string that came on grocery store packages to crochet doilies! Dee
    homesteadprimitives at juno dot com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Your astute and timely comment truly resonated with me. "One cannot be only happy or sad. The complexity of life simply makes it more interesting and also makes one a more complete person. I believe the main aspect of the modern age which often irks me is the hyper-specific groups one feels the need to belong to: Oh, I am a nerd, A techno-geek, a preppy, a fashionista, Green, hippy, conservative."

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi Donna, my e-mail address is samati [at] tdcadsl.dk
    sincerely,
    Sanne

    ReplyDelete

 Search The Apron Revolution