Question about the late 1960s-mid 1970s

[Haversack]

In one of Herb Caen's columns written in the 1970s, he describes the moment that he decided to shave his sideburns and return to a more traditional wardrobe after about tens years of indulging in contemporary men’s’ fashions. It juxtaposes nicely with a column he had written about ten years earlier about ditching his sharp 1939-1940’s suits and accessories. I’ll see if I can dig them out of the books at home. In both columns, he is fairly introspective about the times and fashion.


Haversack.

 

[Josephine]

In one of Herb Caen's columns... I’ll see if I can dig them out of the books at home. In both columns, he is fairly introspective about the times and fashion.

If you could find them, that would be great. It sounds like they would be an interesting read.

 

[JohnnyGringo]

My Grandparents-all born between 1892 and 1915- dressed conservatively until they passed, the last being one of my Granmothers in 2003. Both of my Grandfathers wore Suits and Hats when appropriate, and both of my Grandmothers wore Dresses -and Hats- as well. The only denim I ever saw on any of them would have been overalls worn by my Grandfathers for work purposes. No sideburns, no hair coloring, no attempt to dress in a trendy fashion. Oddly enough, I have found myself as an adult returning to many of the same ideas regarding dress that I saw in them-classic style is, well, always classic after all...

 

[pgoat]

Those would be cool to read

There's a great scene in "Sabrina" where H Bogart pulls out his old college duds - Boola Boola, etc. Looks like he stepped out of an Archie comic. It's even worse of course, because he is far too old for such undignified wear. Jackie Gleason did something similar on The Honeymooners ("23 Skidoo").

These days, it's normal to see 50 year olds wearing the silliest college age things. I myself have been guilty of this on many occasions. I'm trying to get away from that but old habits die hard.

You see young guys like Metro PD or Jovan, et al on this site and it does one's heart good - these guys can pull out their college age clothing in 30 years and they'll still look as sharp as they do today!:eusa_clap

 

[LizzieMaine]

Regarding hair and clothes from this era - do you ever wonder whether some of this was not by choice? I mean, how do you stay looking '40s and '50s in the '70s if all they're selling in department stores and barber shops are '70s clothes and haircuts? Probably not too many middle-class people wanted to shop thrift stores in the '70s.

I think "middle class" might very well be an operative phrase in this whole issue -- I've always had the sense that trendiness is primarily a middle-class pursuit: working class people, such as those that made up most of the population where I grew up, tended to be much less preoccupied with keeping up with the Joneses, since the Joneses were usually in the same boat they were. The pressure to keep current was far less in such a social context.

On the other end of the scale, the upper classes, the folks who don't have anything left to prove, are also somewhat insulated from the need to follow trends -- hence the enduring popularity of "classic WASP style" which has changed little over the past fifty or sixty years.

 

[FedoraFan112390]

Well, I'll give you my step grandfather--
He was born in 1917 and he met my grandmother around 1970. He was a skinny, balding man with a head full of white and light blond hair. He had long sideburns (past his ears) but dressed very conversatively (Pendelton shirts, slacks). He wore some funny stuff, too like a blue dress shirt with leaves on it, and another shirt with dots, and a pink tie, but other than he stuck to his old style. He often in his later years wore a baseball cap and rarely wore a hat, and also on a very rare occaison wore a leather jacket. And he still kept his sideburns to either mid ear or past his ear until about a year before he died, in the late '90s.

 

[The Reno Kid]

My father (b. 1916) wore jeans and long-sleeve work shirts pretty much for his entire life. He had one suit, which I believe he bought when he was discharged at the end of WWII. He never had sideburns or any other facial hair except for one time when he grew a mustache for some father-son competition when one of my brothers was in Cub Scouts. And certainly no long hair. Growing long hair would have been something like growing a third arm. It simply wasn't a possibility.

 

[Senator Jack]

Just watch any episode of Love American Style. Pretty much nailed the dawn of 'the cult of youth.'

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What's that beard on Jessie White?!

Seriiously, being Gothamites, I think what Doctor Strange and I witnessed during that time might have been different from what was going on in Smallville. You should keep in mind that post-66 wasn't just a style change, it was a sexual revolution. Women were getting pretty free with their sexuality, especially those in their twenties, and I think a lot of older men wanted to get in on that. Naturally, they adopted the wardrobe and style of the younger generation.

A good film to watch from this era is Save the Tiger starring Jack Lemmon. No, Jack's character isn't one of those guys in a leisure suit chasing young women, but he does get involved with a free spirit, and I've always thought the scene between them indicative of the time.

Regards,

Jack


Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[pgoat]

Jack thanks so much for that clip - killer!

I love the May Tag repairman as a beatnik - Grooovy!

 

[Flivver]

My dad, born 1918, was never a style follower, although my mom made sure he dressed well.

The one concession he made to style in this era was to stop wearing a fedora around 1965. Fortunately, he never threw anything out so I still have his collection of fedoras...all in mint condition and some in their original boxes. I treasure these.

I think he was always hoping they would come back in style!

 

[Foofoogal]

fftopic: Lesley Ann Warren was the best Cinderella ever. All others fail drastically in comparison. IMHO.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Foofoogal - Have you seen the kinescope of Julie Andrews in the original 1957 production? She is more self-possessed than Warren, but part of it is that Hammerstein's original book (which was thrown out and replaced with a much weaker version in the 1965 production) depicts Cinderella as a considerably stronger individual. And Julie Andrews is so perfectly regal, even in rags, that she comes across as stronger.

But I'm not arguing: I was 10 when I first saw Warren in the role when her version premiered, and I was totally smitten (and still am!) She's an outstanding Cinderella!

(Sorry for continuing off-topic, but I couldn't help it - I'm passionate about Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella.)

 

[matei]

The men and women of the 1910-1925 generation I knew for the most part still dressed and lived in a '40s/'50s time bubble. My grandmother, born in 1911, never changed her hairstyle or fashion sense from about 1939 up to her death in 1981, and my grandfather wore gas station work clothes most of the time, and a dark grey suit, circa 1950, on those few occasions he dressed up. It was still common to see middle-aged men in red-and-black plaid wool jackets and fedoras or shapeless flat caps, and women in housedresses and sensible shoes all thru my childhood.

Indeed - you just described my grandparents. They dressed the same for as long as I can remember.

The only change is that my grandmother now has a new hairstyle... better late than never.

 

[Paisley]

The poodle perm came into vogue in the early 40s and never died for a lot of women who were young then.

 

[pgoat]

fftopic: Lesley Ann Warren was the best Cinderella ever. All others fail drastically in comparison. IMHO.

I remember watching that on TV!

 

[Haversack]

Well, I found the two Herb Caen columns I mentioned above and they do record the thoughts of a fellow born in 1916 confronted with 1960s-1970s change in men’s fashion and his subsequent retreat from them. Appropriate to the topic of this thread. However, before I go and transcribe them here for all of us to read and remark on, I probably should ask whether this would fall under Fair Use or whether it would get the Lounge in trouble over copyright. MK? Fedora Gent?

Haversack.

 

[Lincsong]

Just watch any episode of Love American Style. Pretty much nailed the dawn of 'the cult of youth.'

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What's that beard on Jessie White?!

Seriiously, being Gothamites, I think what Doctor Strange and I witnessed during that time might have been different from what was going on in Smallville. You should keep in mind that post-66 wasn't just a style change, it was a sexual revolution. Women were getting pretty free with their sexuality, especially those in their twenties, and I think a lot of older men wanted to get in on that. Naturally, they adopted the wardrobe and style of the younger generation.

A good film to watch from this era is Save the Tiger starring Jack Lemmon. No, Jack's character isn't one of those guys in a leisure suit chasing young women, but he does get involved with a free spirit, and I've always thought the scene between them indicative of the time.

Regards,

Jack


Regards,

Senator Jack

Room 222. I haven't seen that one in at least 30 years. And Patridge Family; Susan Dey was a hottie.

 

[pgoat]

Room 222. I haven't seen that one in at least 30 years. And Patridge Family; Susan Dey was a hottie.

SD was one of my first crushes for sure!

 

[kokopelli]

How about that

Exactly my experience in the same year:eusa_clap Ron

"For myself, our HS graduating class was the first (1972) to be allowed hair over our collars and to wear jeans to school. Needless to say, the establishment was still pretty conservative back then. You have to remember, anybody at all hip was called a "freak"!"

This is a good one for me! My Dad was born in 1901 and my Mom in 1912. I've got a brother born in 1932 and a sister born in 1934! The answer is NO!

My Dad wore a crew cut til the day he died. My Mom loves polyester. My brother was spit and polish Army and my Sister was a suburban Mom. They all went into spasm's when I grew sideboards and grew my hair!

I think that people in the arts; TV, film, music, etc, were more inclined to be trendy. Middle-class people who had to go to a job every day couldn't afford to be trendy and buck the system. These were the days when a boss could still tell you your hair is too long and your sideburns to long; "What? Are you turnin' into a Beatle!?"

John Lennon once remarked that in 1970 newscasters had what were considered 'long' Beatle haircuts just five years earlier. But, again, these were media people, not work-a-day Joes.

When I look back at some of my families photos, people looked pretty dull. No worse I suppose than some of the family types we might see casually dressed (dressed down!?) today.

For myself, our HS graduating class was the first (1972) to be allowed hair over our collars and to wear jeans to school. Needless to say, the establishment was still pretty conservative back then. You have to remember, anybody at all hip was called a "freak"!

-dixon cannon

 

[Lincsong]

SD was one of my first crushes for sure!

She wasn't bad looking on LA Law in the 80's either.

How's this for a memory; my sister was watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding on DVD at her house when I came over and I told her; "hey the dad was the principal on Room 222. She tells me; "how do you remember that?" I told her; "don't you remember in the summer it would come on Channel 2 (Oakland) at 10:00 in the morning when you had to babysit me???" bnahahhahahahahaha and right after that at 10:30 they would show Patridge Family.