The Golden Era's *ugliest* clothes

[Amy Jeanne]

Nope, I agree with you Amy - it's hideous! What the heck is with the sleeveless blouse with a tie????

Oh, thank goodness! lol If I hear one of my friends say "oh, but it's so cute and boyish and flapper-y!" I'm going to gag. lol

Sleeveless = unporportionate body. The hips always look wider, the shoulders look narrower, and the upper arms always look heavier. Pair that with a pleated skirt (which makes your hips look even wider!) and you are wearing an unflattering outfit. lol She looks awful in this.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I remember seeing a picture in Photoplay or some such magazine (you'd probably be able to find this pretty quick, AJ -- 1929 or so) of Alice White wearing a very similar outfit to that, but with two very important differences: her blouse had short sleeves, and instead of a tie she had an open collar. That made all the difference in the world.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

A vague picture of Alice White in a similar outfit is coming to mind. I have every issue of Photoplay from 1929 (except AUGUST!! Grrr!) I need to "check" them -- maybe this is a sign. (I check them every so often to make sure they are being stored properly/don't have worms/aren't fading into oblivion.)

 

[kamikat]

Amy, I'm with you on that outfit. The sleeveless with a tie just looks stupid.

 

[Almost Vintage]

I *loathe* this outfit that Clara Bow wears in her movie The Wild Party (1929). It has all the elements for ugliness and unflatteringness:

-sleeveless
-buttoned-up collar
-pleated skirt

I dunno. I just think it's her worst movie outfit. So ugly.

Don't forget the suspenders! I think they are what is making the whole outfit "off" for me. Even without them I think the outfit wouldn't look good, but it might be a smidgen better!

 

[Miss Sis]

Personally, I am not a fan of suspenders for women anyway. For little girls, yes, but women, no. Just my opinion as I know some ladies here like them.

 

[crwritt]

OMG! The first garment I ever sewed was overalls very similar to the checkered pair, in green floral quilting cotton. UGH! I thought I was so cool. I wore it with a matching floppy hat, a la Blossom.

Really no less attractive than some of the casual wear I see these days. The writeup says they were popular and commonly worn. Probably because they were comfortable! My Grandmother, born in 1900, fondly kept her bloomer suit from Normal school. Is was similar to the one the girl on the upper right is wearing, but navy with white piping. She wore it for gym and athletic activities.
I made a few similar to these for my daughter to wear in the 80's. In a bright cotton print, they are adorable on little girls.

 

[Amy Jeanne]

I like suspenders, but I dislike ties on women. I don't like women's men's-styled clothing.

 

[Almost Vintage]

I don't mind suspenders...it's just paired with a sleeveless blouse it looks wrong somehow. And I totally agree about ties on women. I never did care for that look.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The only women who looked good in ties were WACs and WAVES.

 

[m_luvsartdeco]

fftopic:She's a slim gal with chunky arms like mine! *embraces her Clara Bow arms*

me too I'm not alone! hehe

 

[Lana]

Haha. That's a 1944 "after school" look, but I went to high school in the early 1990s and that was the typical "to school" look! She'd have fit in with the grunge gals lol They wore used men's jeans and the flannel coats/tops. Looked just like this gal, sans the smile! Weren't so "edgy" afterall lol

I agree Amy. Just add a pair of Doc Martins and this was me in junior high. Ooh bad fashion memory.

 

[crwritt]

Sorry gals, but.....

I think these post-war "blousettes" are the ugliest things ever created. I know rationing was still an issue and I'm sure the design had something to do with that, but I just see a pillowcase with holes cut out for the head and the arms and then belted at the waist. And there isn't a more unflattering blouse for women with a large bust (experience!) Talk about gaping. lol

hese are cut the same as the top of a walkaway dress. Do you think they ride up in front?
These blousettes "cover you completely", as opposed to blouses that don't? Would they wear dickeys or
halter tops instead?

 

[Amy Jeanne]

hese are cut the same as the top of a walkaway dress. Do you think they ride up in front?
These blousettes "cover you completely", as opposed to blouses that don't? Would they wear dickeys or
halter tops instead?

There are pages and pages of dickeys and alternate collars in the old Sears catalogs. So, yes, they would wear dickies with other types of blouses.

And "manly" clothing for women ONLY looks good to me if it's a vintage woman's military uniform!

 

[cherry lips]

^I'm taking it you ladies don't enjoy the girls in guy's garb thread haha
I think suspenders on a woman can be surprisingly sexy, but she has to have a small bust for it to work (a-cup). Two friends of mine sported suspenders last weekend: one wore black ones over a white feminine sleeveless blouse, and the other red ones over a pale blue short-sleeved shirt. I kept staring! Both are skinny girls though.

 

[HadleyH]

I *loathe* this outfit that Clara Bow wears in her movie The Wild Party (1929). It has all the elements for ugliness and unflatteringness:

-sleeveless
-buttoned-up collar
-pleated skirt

I dunno. I just think it's her worst movie outfit. So ugly.

Well Fredric March seems quite taken by her! ( I love her tie I love her suspenders needless to say! :eusa_clap)

But then, for me, Clara Bow can do no wrong. She is the 1920s "IT" girl ... she can wear anything she wants.


and here, looking adorable in uniform, the movie "Wings" (1927)

 

[Miss Sis]

See, now it the right context, I don't mind a woman wearing a tie, but it has to be with a long sleeved shirt. Anything else just looks daft.

And womens military uniforms are great. I love my British WAAF (Womens Auxillary Air Force) one, complete with shirt and tie. Infact, I really like shirtsleeves order - or worn without the jacket.

 

[Miss Tuppence]

See, now it the right context, I don't mind a woman wearing a tie, but it has to be with a long sleeved shirt. Anything else just looks daft.

And womens military uniforms are great. I love my British WAAF (Womens Auxillary Air Force) one, complete with shirt and tie. Infact, I really like shirtsleeves order - or worn without the jacket.

Me too, I love wearing ties, but I'm not sure about wearing a sleeveless blouse with a tie?! As to the question on whether it looks too masculine- well it all depends on the wearer and how you wear it- I think femininity comes from within! (for some reason this makes me giggle! Ha!)

 

[Amy Jeanne]

But then, for me, Clara Bow can do no wrong. She is the 1920s "IT" girl ... she can wear anything she wants.

I was gonna say something like "Well, she done this wrong!" but that's more of a Mae West joke lol

But yea -- I have a phobia of looking too manly. I was an ugly, masculine teenager. When I see photos from that time I cringe. I wasn't just horrific looking because I wore all boys' clothes, I was just horrific looking. Let's just say the boys clothes didn't HELP. And I need all the help I can get lol

Some gals pull it off. I'm not one of them!

 

[rene_writer]

I've always kept a number of over-sized men's clothes in my closet and used to pretty much only wear masculine clothes. Now that I've gone a more feminine route and decided to accept my curvaceous figure, when I show up to work in a huge men's button-up it starts gossip. LOL. Apparently they think I have the forsight to pack make-up and perfume but not clothes for these trysts.