Tag Archives: 60s

Valley of the Paper Dolls // 1960s style

Vintage Toys + Fun Stuff, , , ,

Yup, today we’re talking’ vintage paper dolls! When I was a kiddo, I loved my paper dolls. I think they were one of the first things that got me interested in fashion! I thought my paper dolls were totally stylin’ but I have to say that they paled in comparison to these dollies. Plucked from the 60s (1967 and 1969 to be exact!) their fashions are bold, colorful and soooo cool. Let’s have a little look-see:

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Did you notice the front of the box of those last two? “OUTFITS STICK BY MAGIC!” Hee. No pesky tabs here, our mods love the magic!

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Ahhhh! how cute is mod missy with her Mod Mag?? Also, is it wrong to covet a doll’s wardrobe? Seriously, I think I would wear any one of those outfits myself. Did you play with paper dolls when you were a kid?

Vintage Road Trip:: Station Wagons.

Best of Dottie, Vintage Childhood, , , , , , ,


Image via: Lennoxnehar

Before there was the mini-van, there was the station wagon. And all was right in the world.

For many people, summer brings back memories of family vacations, which for most people in America usually involved some time spent in a car and that car was usually a station wagon.

I remember trips to Cape Cod in the family station wagon.  Towing a fishing boat no less. All of the boys crammed into the middle seat and me all the way in the back seat with the cat and the cooler and my Raggedy Anne. I mean, really. If you looked at your family photo albums, I bet you probably have a photo somewhere in there that looks like this:


Images via: Station Wagon Forums and Lah Rah.

But before the station wagon became the family car that millions of teenagers learned to drive in and make out in the back of, it was more of a transportation vehicle for people traveling on trains in the thirties.  The modified back ends that made them “depot hacks” were necessary to carry large amounts of luggage – everyone traveled by train then, remember, and you needed a car that could comfortably carry people and large amounts of luggage from the train station to home–as opposed to a truck.


Image via: Traveling mamas.


Image via: Flickr user gem66

One of the most popular early station wagons pre-WW II was the Woodie. They were made with real wood–hence the name and harkened back to when people used wooden coaches to transport large groups of people. And they are gorgeous aren’t they?


Image: Akeem’s blog.


Image: Curbside Classic.


Image: Nihat’s blog.

But the real golden age of the station wagon was during the 1950s, when baby boomers’ parents needed something to travel on all those new highways in style! I love the ads the most! Every family had one! And the wood was replaced with steel although of course faux wood paneling was still popular for many years.


Image: 55 Classic Chevy


Image: Adclassix


Image: Forum.love-fords.org


Image via: Paulmanon

 

The sixties, we started to see more European versions, like this sweet Volvo.


Image via: Fontaine Maury.


Image via Flickr.

But the “wood paneling” stayed .. And the station wagons started to get smaller (think Pinto) but still were loved.


Image via: carsdirect.com

But the 80s were tough on the iconic gas guzzling station wagon and the mini-van pretty much signaled the death knell for these gorgeous cars, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still love them.  Vintage station wagons are still available and you can’t help but smile when you see one on the road and perhaps think back to your own childhood.


Image via: Striderv

But before I go, I must admit, I’m not just a fan of vintage station wagons, I’m a co-owner too!

We bought this sweet car the first year of our marriage with dreams of fixing it up and filling it with our kiddos for our own road trips.  And it is pink. How can you not love that? Right now it is getting more of a work out as the Peach’s playhouse, but we have dreams of future cross country trips in that beauty.

Here’s to future road trips!

PS: Speaking of road trips—our girl Jenny at Frecklewonder is having a blast of one. I highly recommend you check out the pix in progress on her Instagram (“frecklewonder”)!

 

 

 

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Come Fly With Me! Pan Am + Vintage Airlines

Best of Alix, Vintage Photos, Vintage Pop Culture, , , , , , ,


image: DannDC

I’m obsessed with vintage travel. I love every thing about it—old suitcases, vintage travel posters, retro airports and I love love love old stewardess uniforms (yeah yeah, I know…“flight attendants”). The other night Miss Dottie and I were out for dinner with The Dames (our retro supper club) and she mentioned that there was a new TV show on the books called Pan Am—all about a group of stewardesses in the 1960s. While I know this show is clearly pandering to the Mad Men craze, I can’t help but say, lawdy I’m excited!


I’ll post the trailer for the show at the end of this post, but first I wanted to share with you some of my favorite old skool airlines!

Back in the day flying was much more glamorous. Taking a trip was an event. People were genuinely impressed with the miracle of flight (“Holy smokes! We’re FLYING through the air in a metal ship!”) Everyone got dressed up and wore “traveling outfits” when they went on vacation. You ate food on real china with real silverware. You didn’t have to pay for drinks. You were a jetsetter! And stewardesses were like super models, tall, chic in stylish uniforms. Becoming a “stew” was considered quite prestigeous…and dating one? Well it was the ultimate status symbol.


Of course I know it wasn’t all sunshine and roses. The ladies had to maintain strict weight requirements and “grooming standards” in order to fly—not to mention leering drunkards pinching their pert lil booties. But at its most basic, it was a pretty glamorous lifestyle. My favorite “vintage” airlines were Braniff, Pan Am and PSA. Lemme show you why.

BRANIFF

First up, Braniff. These guys had it going on. In 1965 they famously hired graphic designer Alexander Girard to revamp their brand. He launched a campaign called “The End of the Plain Plane,” which introduced  a bold color scheme that was applied to everything from the lounges and ticket counters to the aircrafts themselves. Check out the fleet of “Jellybean 707s” in their brilliant candy colors!

Of course the other reason I love them is that Girard convinced top execs to hire Italian designer Emilio Pucci to redesign all the Air Hostess uniforms. Pucci, as we all know, is the master of the colorful, crazy print. He revamped their uniforms in his iconic patterns, adding a flair to air travel that had never been seen before.

One of his most infamous creations was the space bubble helmet (officially called a “rain dome” by Braniff) which protected your coiffure in windy/rainy weather. He also came up with a multi layered, inter-changeable wardrobe, which was dubbed the “air strip” because flight attendants would peel off various parts of the uniform (jackets, scarves etc) during flight to mix it up. Oooh lala!


images: BRANIFF

In the 70s they even had Alexander Calder paint a design on the planes to make them even more whimsical and fun. Oh Braniff, how we miss you!

PAN AM


Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) might not have had the space bubble (although that turban up there is prettttty darn close) they DID have what I think is quite possibly the best logo in aviation. This iconic airline was known a pioneer in transocean and intercontinental flying—they travelled to every continent except Antarctica. They are also credited with numerous innovations including the Jumbo Jet.

I have many happy memories of flying via Pan Am to Europe with my parents in the 70s. For some reason it always represented the ultimate in classy travel to me. It’s no wonder that they are the topic of this new TV series!


image: pollymcmillan


images: PAN AM

Back in the 90s I scored a Pan Am flight bag at the thrift store and its always been one of my prized possessions.I went through a phase where I tried to dress in a “60s stewardess” inspired way—neck scarves and tailored little dressies. Ahhh, those were the days!

PSA (or Pacific Southwest Airline)

Let’s face it folks, PSA was the total swingin’ 60s/70s airline. I discovered their crazy, colorful stewardess uniforms many years ago and was forever hooked. Mini skirts with hot pants and sassy go-go boots?? Sign me up! From 1970-1976 the ladies wore these amazing orange and pink or red and pink ensembles:



images: PSA

 


And one bonus shot, from a vintage Southwest Airlines crew. WOW. Look at those lace up go-go boots! A far cry form the khaki shorts and polo shirts flight attendants wear these days, eh?

I know we’re all about “being comfortable” these days. Most travelers wear sweats and sneaks or (shudder) shorts and  flip flops. We charged for everything from peanuts to water. We bemoan the delays and try to cram colossal rolling suitcases into the tiny overhead bins. But every now and then I’ll spy an older couple on a flight, beautifully dressed, sitting serenely. And I know they remember. To them, air travel is still a miracle of modern science. An exciting adventure. I always try to catch their eye and smile, as if to say “Hey! I remember too.”


image: julia davila
*ding*
You are now free to move around the cabin. Or watch the trailer for Pan Am. Hee.


Our Pretty Fairytale City :: Vintage San Francisco

Vintage Photos,


image: Keith Jackson

I love posting vintage photos for you guys, but this fine Monday I have something a little extra special. My parents are in town visiting and we spent the weekend driving around San Francisco and went to Golden Gate Park. I have to say I love seeing San Francisco through the eyes of visitors. Our city is like no other!

Greg showed me this a while ago, and I was completely entranced. Vintage footage of San Francisco, shot on Super 8, with a dreamy modern soundtrack by Air. Ahhhh! You’ll see it all, the iconic cable cars, Coit Tower, Chinatown, the Bay Bridge, Lombard Street and of course the lovely Golden Gate bridge. This is my city as it was in 1958. Happy Monday!

San Francisco 1958 from Jeff Altman on Vimeo.

The Top 10 Best Dressed Kids of Classic TV

Best of Alix, Best of Dottie, Vintage Childhood, Vintage Pop Culture, , , , , , , ,

I can’t lie. Miss Dottie and I are straight up pop culture junkies. And nothing makes us happier than reminiscing about our favorite TV shows we watched as kids. The other day we were talking and we realized how much of our vintage clothing sensibilities were influenced by some of the cool kids we saw on 70s television. Sooooo, we thought it would be fun to take a cruise down Nostalgia Lane and take a peek at some of the most stylish vintage kiddos out there! These handsomely clad children were chosen by a very scientific process known as the Modern Kiddo Retro Diagnostic. It’s a unique three step process, which I am happy to share with you for the very first time. It goes something like this.

STEP ONE: Research

ALIX: Oh my god, do you remember that kid from Sigmund the Sea Monster?

STEP TWO: Analysis

DOTTIE: OH MY GOD I LOVED THAT KID! He had those crazy plaid pants!!

STEP THREE: Implimentation

ALIX: Dude! Let’s totally put him on the list!!!!

See? A verrrrry scientific process.

Well let’s get to it, friends! Presenting, The First Annual Modern Kiddo Best Dressed Kids of Classic Television.

1. THE ADAM’S FAMILY // WEDNESDAY ADAMS

ALIX: Long before Emily the Strange was a glimmer in yer eyeliner-rimmed goth eye, there was Wednesday Adams. She might have lived in a musty Gray Gardens-fab mansion, but man did this girl know the power of the Little Black Dress early on. Of course, she did have a fabulous fashion muse of a mama, Morticia!

DOTTIE: Absolutely! Where would all of those young goth girls crib their style from, if it weren’t for little Miss Wednesday? I do love that she softens it with a peter pan collar and crisp white cuffs. Now if only she could find a more charming accessory than a headless doll…

ALIX: Let’s not forget about Pugsley, either. He usually wore the requisite stripy shirt, but I am loving his Gomez Lite look—complete with ‘stash!

2. THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW // OPIE

ALIX: Awwww, OPIE! Honestly, this little feller is thee quintessential vintage boy. From his awesome plaid button up shirts and cutie tees to his little cuffed jeans, this freckle-faced cutie is tops! Wolfie is very “Opie-inspired” in his dress.

DOTTIE: I couldn’t agree more. And of course, he was the original purveyor of the stripey shirt…a look we’re gonna see a few more times today. Who knew that Ron Howard would be such a trend setter?? Oh, and you’re so right. Look at him working that cuffed jean! Go on with your bad self, Opie!

3. THE ANDY WILLIAM’S SHOW // THE OSMOND BROTHERS

ALIX: Helllo….helllo….helllllllo…..HELLLLLO! [that’s me typing in four part harmony] OK, I admit it. I was OBSESSED with The Donny & Marie Show. I loved the outfits, the music and I thought Marie and her big ol shiny teeth were amazing!! Alas, they are too old to make the list. So we turn to their snappy brothers! Technically their big brothers, these little gents wore some mighty dapper duds when they were little ones!

DOTTIE: I must say that my obsession with my Marie doll was twice that of Barbie or Blythe. What can I say! I’m a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll. But true—the original Osmond boys were charming and well dressed enough.

ALIX: Total aside, I am with ya on the doll business. I wanted a Donny & Marie doll SO badly but my mom would only let me get one. I convinced my cousin that she really wanted the Donny doll, and then I would get Marie. Of course my poor cousin had no interest in a boy doll in a purple jump suit, so I was more than happy to relieve her of him so he could sing in blissful harmony with my Marieeeeeee! I still have them.

4. FAMILY AFFAIR // BUFFY & JODY


DOTTIE: Family Affair was a totally great show that ran in the late 60s. Rich Uncle Bill somehow ended up raising his brother’s kids—Cissy and twins Buffy & Jody—in his luxurious New York apartment. I think I can trace my love of redheads to that charmer Jody. Look at him up there, giving Mrs. Beasley the stink-eye! What a well dressed scamp! And that little Buffy, what a doll!

ALIX: Speaking of dolls (hyuck, hyuck) Buffy had a creepily fabulous, polka dot wearing “granny doll” named Mrs. Beasley. It was so awesomely random. The kicker, however, was Mr. French, the bearded “traditional English gentleman” who was inexplicably living with them. He’s the gent on the right with the umbrella. And a bowler hat that I kind of cut out. Sorry—I had to choose between the bowler or Buffy’s shoes. Everyone on the show had fab style, but today we’re talkin’ Buffy and Jody.

DOTTIE: Where oh where to begin? The perfect patent leather mary janes or the genius dress?

ALIX: I personally love that she’s workin’ the pocket square! This young girl was ahead of her time. So unusual to see on a little lady! Almost as unusual as that wrought iron thing-a-majiggy she’s standing in. What the heck is that anyway??

DOTTIE: I have no clue. But did here’s a cool tidbit. Supposedly Cindy from the Brady Bunch based her hair on Buffy fab ‘do—like you could blame her—those ringlets are fantastic!

ALIX: I have to say as a little girl I was really confused by a little boy named Jody. BUT he’s got some crazy style—cribbed, I’m sure, from the fantastic Mr. French. Oh! And don’t forget that Jody would go on to rock our world with his casual, “I’m just chillin’ with a walking/talking seaweed guy” attitude on Sigmund the Seamonster:

 

5. THE BRADY BUNCH // BOBBY & CINDY BRADY

ALIX: “It’s a story….of a stylish family!” From 1969 -1974, these six rockin’ kiddos made us smile. But today we’ve got our spotlight on the two youngest Brady’s: Bobby and Cindy. Look at Bobby rockin’ the plaid pants!

DOTTIE: And with a patterned shirt, to boot!

ALIX: The Brady Boy’s wardrobe was such a great era in fashion. SO colorful and cool. But lets be honest. It was all about the girls. And not just Marcia, Marcia, Marcia. Little Cindy had the best outfits.

DOTTIE: I must admit, I was OBSESSED with Cindy growing up. In fact I made my mother refer to me as Cindy. There was this one episode when she showed up in lace up white boots and I nearly dropped my rocket popsicle, I was so in awe of her!

ALIX: For me it was all about THE HAIR. “The youngest one in curls……” I so coveted those pigtails!!


6. H.R. PUFNSTUF // JIMMY

DOTTIE: I think we can sum this one up in two words….PUFFY SHIRT.

ALIX: I think I would say this guy is Vest Dressed!

DOTTIE: Oh ho! And doesn’t he kinda look a bit like a young Christina Ricci in this next shot?? Also, is it just me or does he seems pretty handy with that flute?? Errr… ok. Let’s just say Freud would have a field day with this one.

ALIX: Cindy, I’m speechless.

 

7. THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY // DANNY, TRACY and CHRIS

ALIX: OK. Nothing says FUN like a full on, family band! Sure they wore matching get ups (in velveteen no less!) when performing, but off duty? They were incredibly stylish. Little Tracy and her mary janes? I think I looooove you!

DOTTIE: Could we talk about the awesomeness of the big yarn hair bows? That look needs to come back STAT! And I kinda want that yellow tights/turtleneck denim jumper combo for myself.

ALIX: Shout out to manager Ruben Kincaid in his velveteen artist smock!

Alix: I love that Tracy wasn’t just girlie girl. She’s got the little sneaks and jeans combo down!

DOTTIE: Um, I’m sorry, is Mrs. Partridge wearing granny boots?? I die!

Alix: Focus, Miss Dottie! This is about the kiddos! Quick, take a look below at Tracy’s red, white and blue SKORT to center yourself!

DOTTIE: Right, right….OK, whew. I’m back on track!

8. LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE // LAURA INGALLS & NELLIE OLSEN

DOTTIE: Oooh this was one of my all time favorites! Calico goodness! Aprons! A legion of girls were sportin’ their Gunne Sax prairie dresses and granny boots in a stylish homage to this brilliant show! I know you agree with me on this one, right??

ALIX: Um. So I have a confession. I never really watched this show much.

DOTTIE: [GASP!]

ALIX: I know, I know! BUT the one person who I DO remember? Nellie Olsen.


DOTTIE: Pardon me while I get back into the chair I just fell out of. OK. You are somewhat redeemed. I totally liked Nellie so much more just for her fabulous wardrobe!

ALIX: Yeah, why do all the mean girls get the best clothes? Nellie was always stylin’.

DOTTIE: I think I can summarize her fabulousness in two words: HAIR BOWS. Note to self: go as Nellie for Halloween…

 

9. PBS  ZOOM// THE ZOOM KIDS


ALIX: We’re gonna Zoom Zoom Zooma ZOOM! Please tell me you used to do that cool hand trick that Bernadette did!

DOTTIE: Please tell me you know how to say “that striped rugby shirt is brilliant” in hubbi dubbi talk!!

ALIX & DOTTIE: “Write ZOOM, Z-Double-O-M, Box 3-5-0, Boston, Mass 0-2-1-3-4: send it to ZOOM!”

10. SONNY & CHER SHOW // CHASTITY BONO


ALIX: Last but not least….one of my all time childhood favorites. Chastity Bono. I remember watching the Sonny & Cher Variety show with awe. Cher’s glittering costumes and flowing silky hair had me wide-eyed. At the end of every show she and Sonny would sing, “I Got You Babe,” which was one of my favorite songs. And little Chastity would come tottering out—usually in a really cool outfit that coordinated with her mom. I thought she was the most glamorous kid EVER.

DOTTIE: Wow. So much fashion fabulousness.

ALIX: Are we really going to ignore that clown back there?

DOTTIE: I think we must.

ALIX: Oh ho ho! Someone is workin’ the Nelly Olsen here!

DOTTIE: Don’t even try and name drop Prairie just to get back in my good graces, you sly thing!

ALIX: Hee. OK, well can I just say I’m partial to this sassy houndstooth goodness with the red accents? I love it!

DOTTIE: Of course we all know how this story ends. I’m not really sure what Chaz thinks of these funky ensembles, but I kinda hope he has fond memories of them! We sure do.

 

ALIX: So that’s it folks. That was too much fun, huh!

DOTTIE: Agreed! I think we had some smashing picks in the mix. But is there anyone we forgot? Hmmm.

ALIX: I can see it now…..Best Dressed TV Kiddos Goes 80s! Oh, and special welcome to our friends who found us via Daily Candy Kids! We were thrilled to be the very first “Editor Fave” on their new “WHAT WE’RE READING” list! Go Daily Candy! We luv you too!

PS: Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know! I have a feeling we’ll be writing about this again…