Assisted Living

The Move-In Coordinator parading around the Dining Room in a black Flapper Dress trimmed with gold braiding.

The Director of Maintenance coolly playing a Greaser,

The Administrator dressed as June Cleaver, offering up freshly baked cookies.

When it came to fashion, women were beginning to think more of comfort than fashion, although many quickly fell for the “hobble skirt,” which was so tight around the ankles that moving quickly was impossible.

Fabrics became lighter, colors were brighter and styles were looser. Lowered necklines became popular, and sales of cold cream and lemon extract escalated. The Tea Gown was worn at home, and the sack, sheath oriental costumes, harem trousers and the Hellenic tunic were all introduced. Head gear was worn and was very costumary.

When World War 1 – the first war to end all wars – began, fashion design came to a standstill and “Made in America” was in style.

Also during the decade, new materials and technologies made colors more available. The suffragettes focused on more comfortable fashion, with lots of pockets. And, hemlines began to inch up – to show the ankles.

The Flapper dress is the most iconic outfit of the Roaring 20s.

Marked by its tight fit and knee-high length, the Flapper Dress was emblematic of the entire Jazz Age. A woman showing the skin of her legs in public would have been a case for scandal in prior decades, but in the 1920s society was changing and fashion changed along with it.

The narrow and straight style of the Flapper Dress gave women an adolescent look. The term Flapper, however, is open to debate. Some folks say that it was used to describe a young woman (bird) just learning to fly while others used the term to describe a woman of the night.

When it comes to fashion, two distinctly different television characters come to mind.

June Cleaver was a principal character in the sitcom Leave It to Beaver. June was very ladylike and slightly formal in appearance. She was notorious for consistently being dressed as a part hostess, even when doing her housework or relaxing around the house. She wore a pearl necklace in almost every scene, even when gardening.

The sitcom Happy Days featured Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli. The Fonz portrayed the Greaser, an iconic symbol of rebellion and pure coolness.

The Greaser sported a plain white cotton t-shirt and a pair of tight blue jeans. The shirt was never ducked in daddy-o. A leather jacket with the collar flipped up said “your crusin for a brusin” if you mess with this cat.

Having a comb in hand to slick back a heavily greased up head of hair was essential as was a bandanna to mop up any extra grease.

Smooth black shoes accented the rolled up pair of blue jeans, and a pair of black mirrored shades was the final accent to help convey the coolness of the Greaser.

Both the fashions and music of the 1960s reflected the counter-cultural revolution that was underway.

In the early 1960s, women wore mini-skirts and leather boots and men wore Paisley shirts and velvet trousers.

In 1966, the age of the Hippie was born and Psychedelic clothes featuring bright colors for both men and women were introduced. Men started to wear their hair longer, and women identified with the Hippie look by wearing longer skirts and dresses known as Maxies. Anything and everything had color, including the body.

In the 1970s, the influence of the Hippies was mainstreamed into fashions. Men sported shoulder-length hair. Bellbottom pants, hip huggers, colorful patches, hot pants, platform shoes, earth shoes, clogs, t-shirts and gypsy dresses were some of the non-traditional clothing that became the rage.

Women were wearing everything from ankle-length dresses to hot pants and micro-miniskirts while men were donning leisure suits.

Fashions also were impacted by Woody Allen’s movie “Annie Hall,” which was released in the spring of 1977. The clothing worn by Diane Keaton in the movie started a fashion trend of women wearing traditional men’s clothing. In particular, derby hats, tweed jackets, neckties, and baggy pants or skirts were the rage.

The “In Things” in the 1980s included big hair, bright color patterns, mismatched clothing and stone-washed jeans.

Aquanet hairspray helped women keep their ratted up big hair in place for days, and some men joined the big hair trend by sporting a Mullet.

MC Hammer brought us parachute pants, which seemed to come in any color or pattern one could dream up, and Madonna brought us the look of lace, black leather, long pearls and a big hair bow.