Help me date this photo?

[FedoraFan112390]

This photo is a screenshot from a home movie which was taken sometime between 1966 and 1968. My mother is somewhere between 12 and 14 years old here. She's the one on the left with the short hair. Based on her hairstyle and what she is wearing, when do you think it was between '66 and '68?

 

[scotrace]

Lets see.... Between 1966, and 1968... This is tricky. I'm going to go out on a limb here and take a wild stab at.... Can it be... 1967???

 

[Shangas]

Surely the middle of June of that year. You couldn't get more in-between than that.

 

[Sloan1874]

Surely we should be guestimating the lapel-width and then cross-checking with the appropriate Jacket Wearer's Almanac to ascertain the correct year! Seemples!

 

[LizzieMaine]

Check the edge of the film itself for date coding. If it's Kodak film stock, you will see a triangle and a circle for 1966, a square and a triangle for 1967, or two crosses for 1968. Unless someone in the footage holds up a copy of a daily paper, that's as precise as it's possible to get.

 

[FedoraFan112390]

Check the edge of the film itself for date coding. If it's Kodak film stock, you will see a triangle and a circle for 1966, a square and a triangle for 1967, or two crosses for 1968. Unless someone in the footage holds up a copy of a daily paper, that's as precise as it's possible to get.

I don't have the original films anymore. My uncle took them on the premise that he was going to have them restored and then return them...That was about 4 years ago.

 

[FedoraFan112390]

This is an actual still photo taken the same day. The place was Connecticut, I believe.

 

[Bebe*Gunn]

My mother was born in 1950 and hit her mod heyday in 1964 when she left school at 14 and started work in a lampshade factory - as she was still living with my nan she had more expendable income between 1964 and 1966 than any other point in her life, so that was the period when she spent most on fashion and music. In 1967 she got engaged to my father and started saving for her 'bottom drawer'.

So anyway, going purely by my own photos of my family and my mother's hairstyle at that time and their similar ages, I'm plumping for the second half of your date range - my mum had a long plait until she was 14, when her mum finally allowed her a more grown up style. The plait was cut off in one and my grandma still had it in 2001 when we finally convinced her to bin the thing!

Your mum's*hair is less structured than my mother's bob with backcombed crown at 14 (2 years earlier) but it's too sophisticated for 12 year old. Her curvy collar is also less angular than the outfits my mother was wearing in 66.*

Of course dating via fashion is subjective and geography/income/class. My mum was a working class girl living 20 miles north of London, she followed fashion very carefully but was limited by her income.

Any stills that show your mother's skirt length?*

I'm busy today but I can probably dig out and upload pics of my ma at 12, 14, 16 and 18 (62-68).

A side point, my ma still had her bob in her mid 50's when she passed away, her mother was still sporting set waves and red lipstick at 85!

 

[FedoraFan112390]

Any stills that show your mother's skirt length?*

From the same home movie, my mom is second from left.

For contrast, here is her [female] cousin (first from left) and her sister (second from left). My cousin would've been between 17 and 19 depending whether it's 66-68, my aunt would've been 15 and 17. Note all three girls have short hair, and short-ish skirts, especially considering the occasion was relatively formal (they were visiting my aunt in her Nunnery in Connecticut). Even though it's a murky film you can get an idea of what they were wearing, the cuts of the clothes etc

My mom second from left again, you can see her skirt length here

And again, second from left, with her cousin on the right.

Another view, my mom in the center, and her cousin at right. Note her cousin's very short hair and rather masculine waist coat and thick glasses. She wasn't a lesbian; just sort of a hipster (we have an earlier film of her from 1963 or 1964 where she's wearing a fedora and a trench coat and showing it off cause she was cool lol)

Another closeup of my mom, and her cousin. Here you get a better view of her cousin's hair, glasses and wardrobe, which might hope dating it.

For contrast, here is my mom (with the ponytail) and my aunt and her friend from around June 1965. Just to show change in face, also the other girl's hair and ffashion:

For further contrast, here is my mom, my grandma, my uncle (who was born in 1963), visiting my aunt later, between 1968-1970:

 

[FedoraFan112390]

From that visit between '68 and '70, family and friends to illustrate the fashions.

 

[Idledame]

As I recall, bouffant flips were the big style (like in the photo from June 65) until about mid 1966 when Twiggy made short, flatter hair the in look. In the first photo she has on a dress that looks very "mod" with the little, high neck, white collar. 1967 was getting to be a more hippy look. My guess would be mid 1966 to mid 1967.

 

[FedoraFan112390]

How old did you have to be to be a Nun back then? That would solve what year it was.

 

[HadleyH]

May be 1965 even.... that Mary Quant hairstyle...

 

[FedoraFan112390]

May be 1965 even.... that Mary Quant hairstyle...

1965 can be ruled out--compare my mom's face with the June '65 home movie photos. In 1965 my mom would've only been 11 anyway.

 

[HadleyH]

1965 can be ruled out--compare my mom's face with the June '65 home movie photos. In 1965 my mom would've only been 11 anyway.

66 then...

 

[FedoraFan112390]

My aunt--the Nun in those photos--was born in 1949. She graduated from High School in 1967. Now I don't know much about being a Nun; is it possible she'd be wearing something akin to a habit and be up there while still in high school? I don't know if she was living up there at that convent at that time--it could've been her very first visit; I don't know when they began putting the outfit on them, how long you have to be involved with them for.

All I know is she presented my grandparents with a permission slip around the time she was 17, though she could've been younger. At that time apparently you needed your parent's permission to become a Nun if you were under 18. My grandfather disagreed with her decision feeling she could do more with her life, but came to a deal with her, that if she had a job for a year, he'd sign. Both kept their ends of the bargain.

I'd ask my aunt about it but she stopped being a Nun under bitter circumstances and I'd feel awkward asking what age she became a nun at, even if it is to put some family history in better context.

 

[Capesofwrath]

It's impossible to date a style like this since it depends where the person was living and how tuned in to the fashions of the times they were.

 

[fashion frank]

Look's like Lizzie Maine was helping out with the war effort.

http://www.shorpy.com/node/18687?size=_original#caption

All the Best ,Fashion Frank

 

[LizzieMaine]

"They better not have taken the last salami sandwich, or I'm gonna be wicked upset."

 

[fashion frank]

"They better not have taken the last salami sandwich, or I'm gonna be wicked upset."

Hey thats pretty funny Lizzie !

I know that your from my neck of the woods just by the use of the word " wicked " although that is most commonly used by Massholes .
By any chance have you seen or heard of that t.v. show called " Down East Dickering " about people in Maine who survive just by bartering with other people .
They use a weekly trade and swap magizine kinda like a "Yankee Trader " called "Uncle Henry's " it's really a good show but how realistic it is I dont know which is why I ask you.

All the Best ,Fashion Frank