His and Her Fashions: Groovy Baby!!

 How did couples in the 70s show their relationship status????

With His 'n Hers sweaters from Wards!!  And with matching psychedelic shirts too!!

Speaking of matching shirts.....

It's all smiles here!!  I guess the couple that dresses together stays happy together???

Need more proof???

Here it is!!  This looks liek a heck of alot more fun than updating your Facebook status!!

Fashion as Couples Therapy: The Call of the Wild!!

Straight from Aldens and just in time for winter season closeout, classic His 'n Hers winter fashions from Aldens.....

Fake fur coats? Check!, denim leisure jacket?, Check! plaid-like bell bottoms? Check!, Turtleneck sweater? Check!,  Two hot babes? Check, check, check, and CHECK!!  This guy has the 70s covered in Aldens cool style!! (1)

Now, wait just one cotton-pickin minute!!  This guy might have him beat!!  I mean with a velvet suit and bow tie, I say that he has teh previoous dude, checkmated!! (2)

Hey, what is that blurb about plaids?!?!?! I don't see....any......plaids....here, oh wait a minute!!!

Oh.My.Goodness!!!  The 70s plaid craziness is back with a vengeance!!!!  This guy may be pouring on the 70s style just a wee bit much (but those patent leather white shoes tho!!!)

So what to say about this one???  The double-breasted jacket with matching cuffed pants??? Or the oh, so cool hat????  Hard to say.

But what I can say about all of these cool cats is "That's Sooo 70s!!!"

footnotes:

(1) Maybe i should have saved this pic for one the "What Sort of Man...." posts, oh well.

(2)Yep, you read it right.  The lady is wearing a full length, mink coat.......fro Aldens no less.

Christmas Time is Couples Time!!

And what better time for couples to dress alike???  That's right, there is no better time of the year!!

And with knit sweaters no less!!

Speaking of Christmas sweaters................................

 The His 'n Her Huggables with all the zaniness of the season!!  What are Kathy and her partner trying to do?? Win the matching ugly Christmas sweater contest?!?!?

Yep, apparently so!!

Fashion as Couples Therapy: Summer Sweaters!!

Two couples with fashionable acrylic sweaters.  Er, make that three couples?!?!

Yeah, well, better not go there!!  Pic is from the '70 Penny's Spring Summer Big Book catalog!!

Every Girl Goes Crazy....

For a Sharp Dressed Man....

And what can be sharper than matching white tie, patent leather shoes, and kerchief!!  Kathy certainly seems mesmerized.

Or on second thought maybe she's in shock that a guy would actually wear that out in public.  Either way, she had to pause to look so maybe it worked!!

NOTE: Pics are courtesy of Blue Senshi.  Thanks!!

Christmas Time is Couples Time is Sweater Time!

The sweater tsunami continues!  Must be close to Christmas! Let's check out how are catalog couples are doing.....

Hmmmm, I'm not sure these couples are getting into the holiday spirit.  The guy with Kay has a case of the "hover hand".  And both gals don't seem too thrilled about their pairings.

Can we help these guys out?

Yep, this is how it's done!  No "hover hand" here.  The guy with Kay is probably about to play "Baby it's cold outside" on the stereo with a mischievous jerk boy smirk on his face, no doubt!

Christmas Time is Couples Time!!

And when you say Christmas couples wear, there is only one word that comes to mind.....

Sweaters!!  Well that and big collars (That's Sooooo 70s!!)  Kathy and Greg are here, but where's the rest of the gang??

There they are!!  Sweaters and big collars galore.  That's so Christmas time back in the 70s!!

Christmas Time is Couples Time - Part 10!!

Sure the kiddos of the 70s tore through those Christmas catalogs with gusto lining up all the toys that they wanted form "Santa."  But what about the adults?  Were they left out of the festive holiday fun? No, no, no.  Those Wishbook catalogs had something for them too - his 'n her coordinated fashions!!

If there is one word for timeless Christmas fashions it's "sweaters."  And here not only do we have the classic V neck style, but with mod pointy collar shirts to boot!  Hmmmm, the guy in the lower left seems a bit lonely. maybe it is because that sweater style just doesn't get the girl (even back in the 70s.)

Yep sweaters with hoodies and matching plaid shirts - that will turn heads this holiday season!

Okay, okay I get it.  Not only is  Christmas Time is Couples Time must mean it's Sweater Time as well!!

A closeup of Kathy sans guy.  Yeah I cut him out of the closeup.

Can anything break the sweater death grip of Christmas time on his 'n her coordinates?

Well this is a start.  We have a mix of the classic pullovers.  And Colleen livens things up with turtle accented jean bell bottoms.  Hmmm, looks like the guy's jeans are a wee bit on the short side if you ask me!

The sweaters finally give way to the Plushy pile velour (complete with sip up front) and velvet corduroy shirts.  maybe that's just a little TOO much 70s!!

Yes Christmas time is where couples dress up alike and share ...........Uh, wait a minute here!  Looks like our gal is getting more than a little jealous over the attention that "her" man is giving to his new, ahem, friend.  And if I were her, I'd be worried too with fashions named "The Hot Firefighter" and "The Unique Longhorn"

We can't end on that note!!

Back to Kathy and the His 'n Her Christmas Sweaters.  Unfortunately, it is in black and white.  Why, oh why did Aldens have to ruin such a great pic like that?!?!?

Still I'm not going to let that dampen MY Christmas spirit.  In fact I'm inspired to pull out some of my sweaters from Christmases Past (on second thought, maybe not.)

Merry Christmas to all my readers!

Summertime Fun is Couples Time Fun (Part 9)

Ahhh, summer.  The word conjures up long, hot, lazy days of fun in the sun.  And what better way to enjoy with that special someone.

Yep, tennis, golf, or just hanging out at the beach..... Wait, this has been the summer of the shark! On SyFy they've been running all of their classics for Shark Week.  Classics like Sharktopus, Gint Shark, Swamp Shark, Ghost Shark, Mega Shark, Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus, Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus, Mega Shark vs Mecha Shark....you get the idea (1).

And if I've learned anything by watching hours of these flicks, is that they always start out with a group of unruly teenagers playing around at the beach.  It gets ugly from there - fast.  In fact, it appears that the guy has already been victimized by a flying shark attack to the head! (2)

Down on the boardwalk, out by the sea.....What a perfect way to end a day of fun by the beach than by a visit to the boardwalk.  And in those funky clothes no less.  No way the sharks will find you here.  Well, except that those sharks can fly.....

Okay, enough of the sharks, I promise.  Really, I do.

After a tough day at the beach or the boardwalk, what better way to relax than with a fruity cocktail. And in this case, it's really fruity - like all fruit, which kinda goes with the guy's shirt somehow.  Still he's doing something right.  Because once you get the girl laughing, well, you got the girl.

Looks like Karen attracted a crowd.  And, hey, isn't that guy on the left the same one that was smoozing Kay?

Okay, this is getting ridiculous.  Now he's with Colleen?  Man he gets around.  I think we found the REAL shark of this story.  Changing into his motor cross muscle shirt, he also bats both ways... lets not go there! (3)

Now with Kathy! What's that guy's secret?  He's stolen the thunder of Shark Week and made it his own (even in flannel shirts.)

What kind of man reads JCPenney's Summer catalog?  His coy grin perfectly matches his fashionable tunic shirt conveying a laid back 'tude that belies the girl-crushing predator beneath.  He is the Shark and the Nado of summer -  circling the open water and rounding up all the lovely fishes of the sea!


footnotes:

(1) Yes, those are the titles of actual movies.  And I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I've seen them all!

(2) Pic is courtesy of Blue Senshi.  Thanks!

(3) Be sure to check out the small pic of Kathy in the upper right.  Now, how many times in those shark movies did things take a horrible turn for the worse when all the teenagers board the party boat?  Usually right after this, a lot of fake blood ends up in the water. The horror, the horror.

Spring Break Ski Memories! (1)

"Hey son, next week is Spring Break.  What are your plans?"

"I dunno Grandpa, probably just chill at the beach with some friends.

"Well, that seems pretty tame.  Of course, I remember all the Spring Breaks from my college days."

"Uhhh, you went to all those rowdy places like Panama City and South Padre?  Grandpa, I can't really picture you doing that"

"Hey kid, I was young once.  And yes, most of my classmates went off to those warm weather ports for a week of drunken, baccalaurean debauchery.  However, a small, albeit hardy, minority of us cool kids would trek off in the opposite direction towards the ski slopes!"

"And you never had to wonder where to turn to get the grooviest His 'n Her coordinated ski fashions!"

"Where Grandpa?"

"Why the Big Book catalogs from Sears and JCPenney of course. Son, what are you doing on that on that smartphone?"

"I'm looking up ski fashions on the internet.  See Grandpa, no need to lug around those big catalogs anymore."

"Well, son, that may be true.  Still I miss all those Big Book catalogs.  There's something about having everything in one book that was special.  You could find everything you needed to outfit your big ski trip."

"Still, Grandpa, why go skiing on Spring Break?  I mean how did you stay warm?"

"Oh we managed, especially in groovy, goose down liners from JCPenney!

"You could even outfit the entire family for fun on the slopes."

"I don't know Grandpa.  You're telling me that you'd rather miss out on all the 'sizzlin' by the shore' bikini action at the beaches in order to go skiing?"

"Well, son, the beach scene is great, but there were plenty of cute gals on the slopes as well."

Back at the chalet, all is well.  Very, very, well.....

A sampling of the, ahem, wildlife inhabiting the upper reaches of the Mid-Rocky Mountain region of the USA (eat your hearts out beach bums!) (2)

Hey, is that Kathy on the left?!?!?!  Wow! (3)

"I see what you mean Grandpa.  But skiing is such hard work.  Wouldn't you rather just lay out in the sun?"

"Yes son, skiing involves, well how do I delicately put this, actually physical exertion.  I know that concept is almost anathema to your generation. Basically we skied our behinds off the first day.  That reduced our muscles to a quivering, lumpen mass of jello.  We'd then spend the rest of week trying to recover."

"And that is supposed to be fun?  yeah right."

"Well, we cheated sometimes.  A snowmobile ride was a great way to rest the body and have a blast, especially with that special someone."

"Grandpa, why are you smiling?  GRANDPA!"

"Oh sorry, I sorta wandered off there.  I was just reminiscing about the 'apres ski.'"

"Apricot what?"

"No, no, 'apres ski'.  That was sorta the whole point about going skiing in the first place!  The slopes were great, but it was what was waiting for you back at the lodge that mattered."

"Ohhh, I think I understand now Grandpa.  I do believe that I'll try skiing next Spring Break!" (4)


footnotes:

(1)  This post started out as a "Fashion as Couples Therapy" post, but it sort took on a life of its own.

(2)  Re-blogged from styleandthestartup.com

(3)  If anyone can confirm whether this is, indeed, Kathy or not, please let me know.  The year is right (1972) and it sure looks like her!  The pic is from a Conde Nast magazine.  Re-blogged form poppygall.com

(4)  Re-blogged from fourties-fifties-sixties-love.com

Fashion as Couples Therapy (Part 5) What the Heck Let's Have Fun!

Sometimes I have a tendency to over think what I'm going to post.  So this week, after deep soul-searching and contemplation of the historical influence of Platonic philosophy on modern life, I threw up my hands and said "What-the-heck.  Let's have some fun!"   And what is more fun than His 'n Her coordinates from the 70s!! (okay, the 70s swimsuits are pretty freaky awesome too, but it's not quite the season for that yet).

So where are all the "cool" kids going to get their groovy coordinates?  Well they they boogie on down to "The Inn Shop" at Penney's naturally!  Platform shoes, wide collars, uni-color pants and shirts, and extra wide belts with just a hint of bell-bottoms - sooooo 70s!

We're still in "The Inn Shop".  Now with wheels and totally awesomely matched 70s sweaters.  Perfect for a Spring day of cycling with your lady!!

Yeah baby!, the "Inn Shop" is the most groovin', happen' spot in the JCP catalog!!  Forget those nerds with the bicycles!  Now we've got sports cars to impress the gals!

Leaving the Inn Shop, now we must be with the "out" crowd.  And stepping out in style they are.  You may have noticed that the fashions 70s had this thing about uniformity.  Perhaps it was a reaction against the hyper-individuality of the 60s or maybe because it was just so much groovy fun!

So where are the Kathy pics you ask?

Great shot of Kathy, but compared to the previous pics, these His 'n Her coordinates seem a little less flamboyant.

Well, we can change that!  High rise, blindingly yellow pants with disco-crazy shirts - that'll get us back on track.  Wait.  The belts are not matching!! The horror, the horror!!  (1)

This is an old scan that I decided to throw in at the last minute.  What the heck is going on here?  Obviously, the young lady is sweet on the dude on the right, but dufus on the left still thinks he's got a chance in the game.  Oh well.  Sorry, but I don't see it happening man, time to "let it go" and move on.....

Let's end on a pic with Kathy.  I don't know about those matching shirts, but the brown suede pants with the platform shoes are perfect for an afternoon out at the park!

footnotes:

(1) For all you younger viewers, the little pics running down the side are supposed to be like a roll of film.      That was when you had to put actual film in a camera, take the pictures, and then have them developed.  The entire process would take several days.  That was long before the age of instant selfie gratification.  I wonder what Plato would say about that?