1964 World’s Fair Novelty Print Blouse

The 1964 World’s Fair which was held in New York was a very big deal.  I wasn’t lucky enough to attend the fair, but I did read all about it in Life magazine and other publications.  It was all about the future, and how in order to survive all the countries were going to have to declare peace.  If only…

My friend Mod Betty at RetroRoadmap.com sent this gem my way recently.  She was selling some things when her neighbor noticed that the flags looked like they read “World’s Fair.”  You can barely make it out, but once you know the words are there, you see them.

This part of the print rather confirms that this is supposed to depict the 1964 World’s Fair.  The big globe, or Unisphere,  was the centerpiece of the fair and still can be seen at the site of the fair in Flushing Meadows.

The giant clam shell structure is probably the General Electric exhibit, The Carousel of Progress.  I can remember seeing it at Disney World in the 1970s.

Correction:  This is the Traveler’s Insurance exhibit, as identified by Rebecca.

My guess is that this fabric was made by a fabric printer who was trying to capitalize off the popularity of the World’s Fair without having an actual connection to it.   There were a lot of corporate sponsors, and I imagine they had their own official fair products for sale.  This fabric was close enough to the images of the fair for everyone to make the connection, but not close enough to actually claim to portray the fair.

A big thanks to Mod Betty for the wonderful addition to my collection.

A Winter’s Tale Retold

If you are expecting a rehashing of the old Shakespearean tale, I’m happy to disappoint you.  No, this is A Winter’s Tale from 1964, published by Glen of Michigan.

You might already know that Glen of Michigan a maker of sportswear, and from 1950 through 1970 they made the designs of architect  Bill Atkinson.  Atkinson accidentally found he had a talent for fashion after he designed a square dance skirt for his wife.  Made from eight bandannas, the skirt was a big hit.  Atkinson decided to make them to sell, and found a firm willing to take on his order, Glen Manufacturing, which was a maker of women’s housedresses.  In 1951 he released his first full line of sportswear separates.

This is a promotional piece, probably sent to store buyers in anticipation of the up-coming season.  They rewrote the final scene of A Winter’s Tale, and used illustrations of the clothing line to illustrate it.  It was a very clever idea, and I can’t imagine that many of these little “catalogs” went into the trash.  I do bet that many of them ended up in the homes of buyers, especially those who had little girls.

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge

In the back of the booklet there is a listing of the garments in the collection, and swatches of the fabrics used.  Note how they named the pieces, in keeping with the theme of the story.  Such a charming idea!

And I found reference to another Bill Atkinson storybook catalog – A Tale of Two Collections, in 1955.  I’m betting there are even more.

Here is a close-up shot of the velveteens used.  And here is a link to the Lady Anne dress, model 536, on sale now at eBay:

The seller, MidMod14, has kindly given his permission to post a photo of the Lady Anne dress.

Anyone know something about the illustrator,  Juliet McKellen?

Ad Campaign – Oleg Cassini, 1962 – 1966

This 1962 ad for York cigarettes called Oleg Cassini “the grand-entry newcomer on the fashion scene” even though by that time he had been running his Seventh Avenue business for twelve years.  It is true that it took his association with Mrs. Kennedy to put him on the mainstream fashion radar.

Cassini lost no time in capitalizing on his new-found fame.  He had already been dabbling in licenses and product endorsements, but in the early 1960s he began endorsing everything from lingerie to cigarettes.  Interestingly, he was very often pictured in the ads.

In 1963 and 1964, the “New Oleg Cassini seamless stocking” featured a series of ads with Cassini shown giving fashion advice to various women celebrities.  In addition to Carroll Baker and Carol Channing, there were also ads with Arlene Dahl, Tina Louise, Elizabeth Ashley, Carol Lawrence and Suzy Parker.

One of Cassini’s licenses was with Peter Pan lingerie and swimsuits.  1964

And who wouldn’t want a pair of diamond shaped sunglasses! 1966

 

Vogue, April 15, 1964

In April of 1964 Youthquake was looming, but at Vogue chic still reigned supreme.  Note the white nails and the fake lashes.

Ad Campaign – Evening in Paris, 1946

I’ve got to wonder how a perfume can go from a having a full page color ad in Vogue in 1946, to being the brunt of jokes in 1966.   When I was a kid, Evening in Paris was sold in dime stores, in an old fashioned blue bottle with a tacky stick-on label.   It was the type of fragrance that we might reference if we trying to imply that someone stinks.  Three years later, the perfume was discontinued.

I did a little reading online, and it appears that women from the 40s and 40s have somewhat different memories of the perfume.  I found several blogs and such where women remember that it was their mother’s favorite fragrance, and they are looking to buy a vintage bottle or two.

Was this a classic case of a product just not keeping up with the times, rather like Members Only jackets and Gloria Vanderbilt jeans?

At any rate, it is a lovely ad, but one I have a really hard time reconciling with my own views of the product!

PS:  There is a perfume today called Evening in Paris, and it does come in a beautiful cobalt bottle.  People in the know say it does not have the same smell as the old Evening in Paris.

Wardrobe Magic from Bobbie Brooks, 1964

I recently got this great little promotional book from Bobbie Brooks.  You younger readers probably know Bobbie Brooks only as a Walmart brand, or maybe as just one of the many cheap lines that thrift stores are so full of.  But during the 1960s, Bobbie Brooks was big stuff.

The company was formed in 1957, and the owners took a scientific appproach to merchandising. They came up with an organized plan of choosing which garments to manufacture. This plan utilized a consumer board made up of 600 of  junior-sized teens and young women, their targeted consumers.  So in effect, the clothes were those chosen by the potential wearers.  By the time this booklet was published by the company in 1964, Bobbie Brooks was one of the largest clothing makers in the US.

So I suppose they felt qualified to give out wardrobe advice.  Actually, the advice in this booklet is quite good. There’s nothing earth shattering in it, but how can you argue with “Fit is everything” or “Look for the signs of quality.”

Most of all I love the diagrams I’ve included here that explain some clothing terms.  I do love an Italian roll collar, but honestly the Peter Pan and the Bermuda were more in the Bobbie Brooks style.  And I guess that’s why the company went into decline by the end of the 1960s.  These were good girl clothes, and we all know what way she went.

The company was eventually bought by Garan, who signed a deal with Walmart to sell Bobbie Brooks.  No longer was it a mid-priced junior line.  And most recently, the label was spotted at the Dollar General Store.  Looks like the end of the line for another great American brand.

Trivia:  What 1982 rock song references Bobbie Brooks?

Comments:

Posted by KeLLy Ann:

“dribble off those bobbie brooks let me do what i please….” ahhahahaa! That brings me back. Its a shame that people seem to just settle for the crap they call clothes today. sigh.

Wednesday, February 3rd 2010 @ 7:01 PM

Posted by Sherie:

“Little ditty about Jack and Diane…” It’s a crime what has happened to some of these great old brands.

Thursday, February 4th 2010 @ 4:44 PM

Posted by Lizzie:

Yep! That’s the song. I’ve always loved that line.

And yes, it is a real shame to think of what has happened to our clothing industry.

Friday, February 5th 2010 @ 8:35 AM

Posted by Becca:

“Life Goes On” which I knew before I read the comments! But–1982? Really! I love the pointers in here too–helps me describe the clothes I list. Thanks for your wonderful blog!:)

Friday, February 5th 2010 @ 7:04 PM

Posted by tom tuttle from tacoma:

i know “life goes on” but really nothing about bobbie brooks… love these but do you have them larger?

Friday, February 5th 2010 @ 8:53 PM

Posted by Mod Betty / Retro Roadmap:

I love your corrolation between the demise of “good girl clothes” and the late 60’s- totally makes sense! Sad in a way though too. Thanks for sharing this!

Saturday, February 6th 2010 @ 2:53 PM

Posted by Lizzie:

ttft, I have some of them on flickr and will try to get the rest of them added tomorrrow.

Yes, Mod-B, not many of us were going for the Bobbie Brooks look in the early 70s!

Saturday, February 6th 2010 @ 4:18 PM