Fashion Rules of the Past

[ShoreRoadLady]

I never followed the "no white after Labor Day" rule. Mainly because white + me = horribly stained. [huh]

 

[cherry lips]

I love this thread! Keep posting, please.
Thanks for the link, GwenLake.
A friend has lent me a swedish book from the fifties called "Eternal Beauty". I'll try to translate the fashion advice. Swedes feel free to help me out:

A.M.: Casual clothes - in the summer strong silk, linen and blends; in the winter flanel, jersey and similar materials. It's classic to wear a sport skirt and a turtleneck; in rainy weather with a nice raincoat. When it's sunny, a sporty/casual/leisure jacket and suit. Small hats, low heels, simple leather gloves. Even accessories- purse, scarf and jewelry -should be simple and discreet.

P.M.: Here you can allow more variation. Bolder cut/ design, colors chosen with greater liberty, softer and lighter materials. The afternoon hat can be more imaginative, gloves are soft "gants de Suède", the purse can be more elegant (but not too elegant!), the shoes more graceful. Nowadays there is a special dress called the cocktail dress. It is elegant but short and of a simple cut. Very often one wears a black suit made of a certain silk "sidenrips" or "ottoman", that is appreciated due to it's versatility. An elegant evening hat is worn with these clothes. At cocktail parties you wear a hat, gloves and purse.

Evening: Besides the afore mentioned short cocktail dress, that nowadays replaces the long dress, one can wear a little, medium or full dress, depending on the circumstances. These toilets (dresses) must always match the gentleman's clothing. To dark informal/ lounge suit one wears a little evening dress, to tuxedo a medium-sized dress, to dress suit (tail coat) a full dress. As for hair accessories, let your dreams come true: flowers, feathers, jewels... As well as elegant gloves (gants de Suède or glacé), evening purse and evening shoes.

 

[Lillemor]

Women wearing men's style hats need to follow men's hatiquette (sp?)

 

[PS]

Emily Post:







The chapter on Dress by Emily Post

However these days, I'd say it's better to be over-dressed. It doesn't take much anymore. Even wearing a simple dress must mean you have somewhere important to go.

 

[sixsexsix]

"This etiquette is comparable to the Canadian fashion rule against wearing green after Remembrance Day."

I am Canadian and have never heard of this rule!

 

[MissMissy]

A lady need not remove her glove to shake hands. Unless she is wearing gardening gloves, those of course should come off.

I believe a man is expected to remove his glove to shake hands with a lady. I have no idea the protocol for him to shake hands with another man.

 

[KittyT]

Always match your shoes, purse and nail polish.

Wait, so you're saying if I wear black shoes and carry a black purse, that I should have black nailpolish?

I believe the rule is shoes and purse, nailpolish and lipstick.

 

[jayem]

Wait, so you're saying if I wear black shoes and carry a black purse, that I should have black nailpolish?

I believe the rule is shoes and purse, nailpolish and lipstick.

There might be two different rules, because I remember reading that the nail polish color Mustard Yellow and Powder Blue were very popular in the 40s due to the fact that the color was also popular with shoes and purses, and ladies loved to match those.

 

[desi_de_lu_lu]

Wear foundation garments! Especially under slim skirts or any type of fitted dress. Trust me, it ALWAYS looks better!

I wish the entirety of women would read this! It is amazing what a change it would do....

 

[desi_de_lu_lu]

Wait, so you're saying if I wear black shoes and carry a black purse, that I should have black nailpolish?

I believe the rule is shoes and purse, nailpolish and lipstick.

Come on KittyT...you know you want to go Goth. LOL KIDDING...don't throw a skate at me..

 

[Miss 1929]

No beach clothes in town!

"As for sunbacks, untanned stockingless legs, shorts, and their ilk, we deplore them on the street, even in the tiniest village. And we're not being evil minded. It simply looks as though you could not possibly belong to even one country club or beach club. Else you'd never condescend to do you tanning on Main Street (you can always throw on a beach coat). "
Designing Woman - The Art Techique and Cost of Being Beautiful, by Margaret Byers, copyright 1938.

I love this book, it's almost 300 pages of fascination.

 

[LizzieMaine]

"As for sunbacks, untanned stockingless legs, shorts, and their ilk, we deplore them on the street, even in the tiniest village. And we're not being evil minded. It simply looks as though you could not possibly belong to even one country club or beach club. Else you'd never condescend to do you tanning on Main Street (you can always throw on a beach coat). "
Designing Woman - The Art Techique and Cost of Being Beautiful, by Margaret Byers, copyright 1938.

I love this book, it's almost 300 pages of fascination.

This is one of those rules I desperately wish was still in fashion today -- not so much for the whole upper-middle-class toffee-nosedness of the above quoted text, but simply for the fact that around here, bare pasty-white tourist legs all lumpy and raw with blackfly and mosquito bites are a blot on the landscape. The California Beach Look is all well and good in California, but I do wish people would realize it tends to lose its luster north of the 44th Parallel.

 

[Nashoba]

I really want to say that it was Coco Chanel; not positive, though.

It was Chanel.

 

[Idledame]

I apparently was raised by wolves (according to my sister-in-law, though those same wolves raised her husband). Anyway, one of the many things she has pointed out to me is that one does not wear a felt hat in summer. Felt is for winter and straw is for summer. I was planning to wear a 1930's felt hat to the L.A. ladies' tea next week. What do you think? I do have straw hats but the felt seems more 1930s.

 

[miss_elise]

I apparently was raised by wolves (according to my sister-in-law, though those same wolves raised her husband). Anyway, one of the many things she has pointed out to me is that one does not wear a felt hat in summer. Felt is for winter and straw is for summer. I was planning to wear a 1930's felt hat to the L.A. ladies' tea next week. What do you think? I do have straw hats but the felt seems more 1930s.

i tend to agree with this one, although i think it also depends on the weather... nothing more funny than going out and seeing people inappropriately dressed for the weather because they are following "the rules"

 

[Laura Chase]

About the no white after labor day rule, does the rule apply only to all white outfits, or does "no white after labor day" mean no white at all, not even a shirt or scarf?

 

[Smuterella]

something about this thread really gets my hackles up - i hate propriety in most of its forms

I do have a few personal grips though they aren't past related - more to do with what i think looks good than what is right or wrong for vintage accuracy

my two main bugbears for men are:

slightly too short trousers - why god why can they never get it right. trouser hem about half way down the heel

and - t-shirts tucked into jeans. so so wrong it almost makes me weep.

 

[Joie DeVive]

About the no white after labor day rule, does the rule apply only to all white outfits, or does "no white after labor day" mean no white at all, not even a shirt or scarf?

My understanding was that it only referred to shoes and bags. Does anyone know if that's right??

 

[KittyT]

slightly too short trousers - why god why can they never get it right. trouser hem about half way down the heel

Oh yes. Or too long trousers. I see that more often. Trousers should not be dragging on the ground. For ladies wearing heels, the bottom of the trouser hem should fall to the line where the heel of your shoe meets the main part of the shoe.

and - t-shirts tucked into jeans. so so wrong it almost makes me weep.

I think this depends. I have very lightweight, girly, gathered sleeve tees that I wear tucked into high-waisted jeans all the time, and it's a great look.

 

[Paisley]

My understanding was that it only referred to shoes and bags. Does anyone know if that's right??

I thought it was just shoes. Long ago, they probably got muddy and stained from being worn in mud or snow.

As for a white bag, if I go anyplace where I'd have to set it on the floor or ground or other dusty place, it stays home.