When Life Was Groovy: Mod Fashions for Summer!

It's the early 70s, technically still part of the 60s, so of course there has to be some of that vibe when stepping out during the summer....

Lots of pink on Wendy and you gotta love those groovy sunglasses!! (1)

And everyone step to the left.  Here we have Kathy, Wendy, and.....Kathy again???  Oh the magic of 70s photoshopping!  Those skirts are called "scooter" shorts.  I haven't heard that term before. (1)

And more photo shopping magic, this time with Colleen and everyone stepping forward.  And just in time for the 4th of July.

Yep, be a Yankee Doodle Dandy, in 70s groovy styling!! And Here the short skirt is calledd a pantskirt!!

And more early 70s grooviness in gay broadcloth and smoot poplin!

Looks like a great summer day for a bike ride in groovy late 60s flower patterns....

More mod prints, but I'm not so sure about that hat Colleen is wearing.  It definitely looks out of place for the late 60s!!!

(1) These pics are courtesy of Blue Senshi.  Thanks

When Life Was Groovy: Boots from Penneys!!

 Some groovy Fall fashions from Penneys including our favorite catalog models in boots!!

Gotta love Kathy's boots!!

Not sure what Kay is wearing here, but the boots are nice!!

Finally Karen with the boots!! Very groovy indeed!!

When Life Was Groovy: Aldens Fall Sale!!

And life was groovy with Aldens fall sale specials.....

 Suede look 'n plaid - can't get any groovier than that!!!

 Well stretch nylon maybe not so groovy, but these gals make it look great!!

So let's end with novelty knits!!.  I'm not sure what they are, but tehy must have been pretty groovy too!!

When Life Was Groovy: Summertime Separates!!

Summertime Separates for Mixing and...........

I guess that we'll never, ever know!!  Still life definitely looks groovy here!!!  I'm ready for summertime fun in the sun!!

Pic is courtesy of Blue Senshi, thanks!!

When Life Was Groovy: Chemistry Sets!!

Not only was life groovy, it was fun, exciting, and, well, downright dangerous!!

Yes, I'm talking about the chemistry sets that kids used to play with.  And these were the  real deal complete with Bunsen burners, glass test tubes and really, REALLY cool chemicals like sodium cyanide, lead acetate, potassium nitrate (also known as saltpeter, you know, for making gunpowder), and sulfuric acid, among others.

What you WON'T find is namby pamby stuff like gloves or safety goggles.  I mean, what could possibly go wrong????

Instead of safety equipment, one apparently had to wear a tie while creating a chemical reaction to liberate chlorine gas (yes you could do that with these sets!!)

Yep, not a safety goggle in sight.  Go ahead young chemist and hold that glass beaker full of explosive chemicals right in front of your eyes!!

Sorry, ladies, creating dangerous chemical reactions in your own home was exclusively the domain of boys.  No Girls Allowed!!

You'll just have to be content with a boring Lab Technician kit.  I mean it says that it's been "safety tested" right on the front.  How can that be any fun?!?!?!?

 They were even endorsed by Superman!! So of course they were cool!!

Okay, okay, I guess the girls were allowed to play with the chemistry sets too.  I can just imagine the conversation:

"Bobby, in the manual it says not to mix those two chemicals together like that."

"Nah, it'll be fine."

Ten minutes later: "Whatever you do, don't tell mom."

But as dangerous as the chemistry sets might have been, there was something even worse...

Yep, your very own atomic energy lab!!  I mean how neat-o cool is that!!  And yes, it had real uranium and radon samples!!!  I mean read the box: Exploding atoms?? check, Background radiation??, check, "Safe" radioactive materials??, check, check, and CHECK!!

And what's not included??? any sort of safety equipment of course!!

Somehow, I doubt that one could sell something like this today on the open market.  If you tried, you'd probably get a visit from the Dept. of Homeland Security!!

So what has become of these classic toys of our youth????

Oh good God NOOOOOO!!!  Plastic equipment??? PLASTIC????  No chemicals????? and worst of all it includes, gasp, safety goggles!!  No wonder kids prefer to sit around all day and look at their cell phones!!

When Life Was Groovy: Back to School Plaids

Yes dear children, it is true.  There once was a time way back in the 70s when back to school fashions included plaids.....

And here's the proof!!

Of course there other patterns besides plaid....

There were crazy flower patterns as well.  Note the cuffed pants in the background.  Who could that be????

Why it's Colleen along with Kathy!!  Plaids or no plaids the one consistent thing was the bell bottom pants... and the platform shoes...and eh extra large collars...and , well, you get the idea.  After all, Life Was Groovy back then!!

Many thanks to Blue Senshi for the pics!!

When Life Was Groovy: The Wedge

You're probably thinking "Huh, what's a Wedge??"

Well it was just the grooviest open toe shoe of the 70s as Colleen and Kathy are emphatically telling Karen!! 

This is such a great pic of those three from 1972.  Why can't we have groovy things like that now?????

When Life Was Groovy: Lovely Lounge Wear!!

Back when lounging was a fashionable thing for ladies to do, the Big Book catalogs had all the latest in lounge wear....

 Kathy, Dottie, and friend show us some groovy early 70s lounge wear.

Some how peasant styles go with lounging?!??!  We have some nice stitching on Kay, and a nice bow tie and ruffles on Pia.  But Kathy takes the prize here with the tie up bustier!!

We'll finish this post off with another look from Kathy.  You just gotta love that belt!! It looks like something that a boxing champ would wear!  Very peasanty and very loungey!!

All pics are courtesy of Blue Senshi, thanks!!

When Life was Groovy: Sears Loves Kathy Loghry

The Facebook page Popular Fashion Models of the 60s and 70s has name Kathy as teh model of teh month for July!!  Check it out!!

Popular Fashion Models of the 60s and 70s

And Sears especially loved Kathy and Colleen in cuffed jeans!

Keeping on pants theme, Kathy in a mod shirt with white collars, wide white belt and yellow platform shoes!!

Groovy patch pocket jeans worn by Colleen and Kathy!

And finally a classic, uber groovy pic of Colleen and Kathy.  Sears may have loved Kathy, but they really loved wide belts and big collars!!

Note: the first 3 pics are courtesy of Blue Senshi, thanks!

When Life Was Groovy: Knits!!

Groovy knits for school or casual wear from JCPenneys!!

 Lots of Kathys and lots of knits to choose from!!

Ahh mini skirts, knit or not were always in style in the 70s.

More knits from JCPenney!!  What a decade!!

When Life Was Groovy: Summer Tops and Shorts!!

Ahhh, summer.

The beach, the shorts and the the t-shirt tops!!  Summer is almost here again!!

Did I mention the tube tops.  Now that brings back a lot of memories!!

Like I said.  This proves that not everything in the 70s was disco related!!

Tops and Shorts says it all!!  And with that I say "bring on summer!"

When Life Was Groovy: Bodysuits and Pants!!

Bodysuits are great.  Pants are great, er, sort of.  Well when you put them together you get double greatness, double grooviness, and double 70s fun!!

 Karen and Kay in some groovy 70s pants, and check out the inset pic...

 Some lovely bodysuits also!!

 The famous high rise pants of the 70s and

Pink frilly bodysuits!!  How nice!!

When Life Was Groovy, Part 7 - The Midis!!

And thank goodness for the midis!!  I mean after all, who in their right mind would want to see attractive women in mini skirts?!?!?  Okay, okay, don't answer that.

And it was in the late 70s when the midis came into fashion style.  What can I say, but why, why, why??

To be classified as a midi, the skirt must be long enough to cover the knees but not much more.  So basically it's just a blah length.  Still there's nothing blah about these gals!  Barbara, Kathy, and Pam can make any length dress look great!

 Some may say that the midi is just a regular dress.  Well.......

 those people would be right....

 Yeah, basically the midi is just a regular dress.

So this post is basically going to be a bunch of pics of nice looking 70s models in dresses like here with Peggy.

 Hey, I see knee, so these aren't midis!! Oh well, close enough.

Okay here we have some midi skirts with some 70s flair thanks to Karen and Kay!!

Sorry, with models like Pam and Kathy, it's a waste to but them in plain Jane dresses like these.  Still it was part of the scene of the late 70s, so I, your humble historical blogger, must cover this phenomena (there'll be plenty of other posts for the minis!)

 Laura looking fine in a very stylish outfit!!

 Hey, how'd a pantsuit sneak into this post about midi skirts??

 And another!!

The beret style hat was also a thing in the late 70s - pretty cool if yo ask me!

Even in Italy they had the midis!! (Pic is courtesy of "Al")

And, of course, we have to check out the inset pic....

Wow!! With smiles like that, I almost don't miss the minis!! (almost that is...)