Kathy and Karen Mystery Pic

I'm posting early this week as I will be out of pocket for the rest of the week.  So this will be my last post of 2012.

I know from the blogger stats that this site has a steady following which is not huge but growing.  I also know that a lot of the material I've used so far is available on the internet from other sources for those willing to mine through all that.  However, I can promise this audience that I have been acquiring new material which I will begin to work into postings in 2013. 

Also I would like to begin to expand the blog's focus to include more pics from the other K Club members (Kathy Loghry, Kay Campbell, Karen Bruun, and Colleen Colby) and include other unusual items from the early to mid 70s.  You've probably seen me start to do that some already.  Don't worry though, the focus will still be on Kathy and her career.  I don't want to make this a general nostalgia site - there are plenty of those already.  I just want to include more of the other K Club girls in the future.  Let me know what you guys think.

We've had some fun and crazy posts in 2012.  And while I wish every pic was able to produce laughs, not every one can.  Below is a pic that I have in my archive of Kathy and Karen.  It is a really nice shot of both of them; however, I don't know where it is from.  Like an idiot I didn't attach any notes when I found it.  Any ideas out there?

I love the button-up-to-the-top shirts with the pointy, guy style collars.  That is sooo 70s.  Also Kathy's expression is a bit unique for her.  It is less posed and more spontaneous -  like someone snapped her picture at a party or something.  And it kinda looks like she is carrying a bit if a 'tude at the moment.

I believe shot is from some sort of catalog (you can see the A and B by each of them).  But I don't know which one.  Most catalogs didn't use a lot of background in their shots, so that is rather unique about this one too.  Any thoughts on where this is from could be welcome. 

Otherwise, I look forward to 2013 as this blog continues to grow!

'Twas the Night Before a Wishbook Christmas

'Twas the night before a Wishbook Christmas, when all through the house
not a creature was stirring, not even a windup toy mouse
The acrylic stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
in hopes that St Nick soon would be there

The children were nestled all snug n there bed
while visions of Wishbook toys danced in their heads
And Kathy in her Wincama fleece sleepthing from Sears without a cool knit cap
had just settled down for a long winter's nap

Kathy radiates a warm Christmas night glow in her super-soft sleepthing - just the outfit to settle down and have sweet dreams of Christmas!

When out on the roof there rose such a clatter
Kathy sprang from her bed to see what was the matter
Away to the window Kathy flew like a flash
tore open the shutter and threw up the sash

The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow
gave the lustre of midday to the objects below
when what to Kathy's wondering eyes should appear
but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer

Kathy seems surprised to see Santa delivering the presents, but she is well rested in her Color-Happy Knit Sleepclothes!  They are the newest rage and sure to wake up Santa in her bright canary yellow!

Kay seems to be channeling Princess Leia in that bun style hairdo.  I bet that makes sleeping on your side difficult!

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work
and filled all the stockings , then turned with a jerk
And laying his finger aside of his nose
and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight

"Happy Wishbook Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

Kathy is ready to lounge and have a cup of coffee while the family opens presents on Christmas morning in her "perma-prest" robe.  This pic is from 1970 and Kathy has a slightly darker hair color, which I think looks great on her.  The brunette on the left doesn't look very happy.  Perhaps Santa left her a lump of coal for wearing that crazy print robe!

Merry Christmas from this blog to all of our fans and their families.  The Christmas catalogs were a tradition in our house when I grew up.  It was one of those things that everyone in the US had in common.  Everyone watched the same TV shows on the same three channels.  Everyone watched the same movies at the same time in the movie theaters.  And kids from every social and economic background wore out their Wishbooks while eyeing all the same toys.

Christmas seems different to me now.  Maybe it is me or maybe it is that we have lost some of that sense of community that we had back then.  I admit that I miss the Christmases of that era with every store and street decked out in campy Christmas decorations.  For a child it seemed wonderful and comforting.  And I admit that I have nothing but fond memories of those seasons.

Once again, Merry Christmas!

Kathy Loghry - Centennial Princess

This week we're going all the way back to 1968, which was around the beginning of Kathy's career.  That year she participated in something call the College Football Centennial Queen competition to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the sport. 

Of course 1968 was absolutely tumultuous year with the TET offensive in Vietnam, the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and MLK, the riots at the Democratic national convention just to name a few.  However, in the midst of this chaotic time, Kathy launched her career and did so as the quintessential all American girl. 

In this competition, there were fourteen coeds chosen from the nine major conferences as well as four regions and independents.  Kathy represented the Pac 8 (yea I know, it is amazing how the conferences have changed.  Several such as the Southwest and Missouri Valley don't even exist now!).  I don't have pictures but below is a link to a PDF file for the NCAA newsletter that talks about the finalists.  Kathy is on page 6.

http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/NCAANewsArchive/1968/19681201.pdf


I know the picture quality isn't good.  In fact when I first saw this I wasn't sure it was our Kathy.  However, the bio checks out so it must be her.  And what do we learn?  Well in addition to being in the Rally Squad, she was in something called Beaver Belles(Must.Resist.Urge.To.Make.Inappropriate.Comment.) (1)  We also learn that she was also model of the year in Oregon so she must have already done some local modeling.  It says here that she was majoring in elementary education.  Not too sure about that GPA, but perhaps we can give her a break on that.  After all, she was probably VERY busy.

Also note the editorial on page 2.  It is a riot.  Little did he know that all those "hippies, yippies, protesters, and trouble-makers" would be running things now, which may not be such a good thing.  Come to think of it, a competition such as this could never be held today with all the PC nonsense we have on college campuses now.

So how did it turn out?  Well, unbelievably Kathy DIDN'T win?!?!?  What?  Are you freaking kidding me?  Were the people that voted blind or something?  I'm sure the winner, Barbara Specht, was decent looking and all, but come on man!  This is Kathy Loghry we're talking about. 
Well Kathy did place however.  Apparently in addition to the queen, two runner up gals were awarded the title of Centennial Princess.  Kathy snagged one of those which isn't too shabby.  Remember that she beat out alot of California beach blonds to represent teh Pac 8.  I was able to locate the following PDF that has some pictures of the three gals at the convention...

http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/NCAANewsArchive/1969/19690201.pdf

Once again the pics are grainy and not that great.  Kathy is flashing that million megawatt smile of hers, so she doesn't appear too disappointed.  From other sources we know that she has already landed a major modeling contract by this time, so that should have soothed the pain.  Not sure if Kathy finished college or not.  It would have been very difficult because her career was hitting on all cylinders at this point!


Footnotes (those again!)

(1) I meant no disrespect to the Mighty Beavers of Oregon State by that little comment.  I have known several people that went there.  From the stories they told me, they had as much fun with the name of their mascot as anyone!  So it is all in good natured fun.   In fact, I am scheduled to watch the Beavers play in the Alamo Bowl this year and will be pulling for them to come out on top (so to speak)!   Of course the match up we all want to see is Oregon State versus South Carolina.   For those of you unfamiliar with American college football, you'll just have to look up the mascot names to figure it out!

What to Expect to Wear when You're Expectng

So what does a young lady who is in that "motherly way" expect to wear when she's expecting?  Well back in early to mid-70s, social conventions were quite clear on this point.  You had to wear the maternity "uniform" which consisted of certain standard features, along with a few acceptable options. 

The goal of the "uniform" was two fold:  one was to send a clear, unmistakable signal that the women is indeed pregnant, and the other was to do so in a modest and reserved manner (or at least as modest as possible under the circumstance).  So basically the uniform said in effect "Yes, I am pregnant and no, you can't put your hand on my belly".   Of course, now women don't worry about it too much.  They just flaunt their "baby bump" (I hate that term, so impersonal) for all the world to see.  You see models and celebrities posing nude, for Christ's sake, proudly displaying their "bump" - kind of like a rancher showing off a prize heifer or something.

So where did a young, expectant mother in those times go to find the socially acceptable options for the maternity "uniform"?  Well, naturally, the Big Book catalogs! After all, they had products for almost every aspect of life.  In fact they served a kind of pre-electronic internet shopping service.  They displayed what could be bought at the big city stores (browsing) and, more importantly, they provided a way for people in small towns and rural areas to have access to those same products (mail order).  Many a small town had a small Sears store that served as a place to place orders and pick them up.  Those little stores have, of course, long since vanished from the landscape of Middle America. 

Let's take the representable example of the "uniform" below....

We have all the basic features of the standard issue maternity uniform: smock style shirt with lots of room to politely shield the growing baby from view - check, the polyester stretch pants for comfort during the ordeal - check, the "pretty" detail feature on the smock (optional feature) - check, the vertical striping to help the woman appear slimmer (optional feature) - check.   

Let's check out another photo from the JCP maternity shop.....

Once again we have all of the standard features of the maternity uniform on display.  However, here the models in this shot don't look all that thrilled at being pregnant (or pretending to be pregnant).  Not sure why except perhaps a woman is supposed to be more subdued and introspective during this time - kind of like a monk pondering the meaning of life or something. 

I love that this shot is outdoors in a park setting and that Kathy is holding some flowers.  Oh yea, that is such a common thing for pregnant women to do.  Maybe they were trying to re-create that special "glow" that everyone talks about.  Yea, I remember that "glow" like when my wife threw up constantly, or when she made me cook dinner and eat outside, or the wild hormonal swings.  Yea THAT must be the "glow" people talk about.

Or maybe they were going for a more artistic shot with tension created by the juxtaposition of the light and airy springtime setting against the somber, rather grey mood of the models.  Okay, maybe that is just me reading too much into it.  

Let's move on....

Yes, I know.  Kathy is not in this shot.  However it does feature other members of the "K Club" as I like to call it.  In this pic, Kay and Colleen are featured.  Also, I had this pic in my achieve and probably won't be able to use it in any other post so why not? 

And after the little tykster is hatched, the Big Book catalogs were there to provide you with all your baby care needs.  Check these out!

 

Safety first!  It's a wonder any of us survived childhood with these around!

 

Sometimes even the most loving parents need to able to lock 'em up and take a break!

Some how the pulse of life survived the early 70s. And thank goodness it did.  After all the disco era awaited all!

Random Weirdness Part 1 - Giant Watches

This is the first post of what I hope will be a recurring theme from time to time: Random Weirdness.  These are photos from Kathy's modeling career that have some kind of bizarre and utterly random - as only 70s fashion can be bizarre and random - feature about them.  And what better way to start than with a very brief, but very intense fashion item from the early 70s called "Giant Watches".

What? you say. What do watches have to do with fashion?  Well these are not just any watches, oh no no no.  These are giant over sized pocket watches meant to be worn outside in full view - obviously to make some kind of statement.  What kind of statement, you ask?  I have no idea.  That's what makes these both random and weird and quite 70s.  Let's start with an example, shall we....

Yea, now you see what I'm talking about.  Kay's weirdly over sized watch (facing the viewer no less) lets us know it's always the right time for fun, funky fashion!  Perhaps, she wore it to draw attention away form how cute Kathy looks in her strawberry accented short shorts (didn't work!).   Perhaps Kathy's massive smile is from NOT having to wear the watch.  Also we are told "to join forces with coordinated pullovers".  Coordinated with what? the giant watch?  And I'm not sure I want to join forces with ANYTHING made of Acrilian Acrylic (whatever that is, sounds like a varnish or something).   Lest you think this pic was just one odd blip in Sears catalog history, let's move on.....

Two photos do make a trend, don't they!  Here Colleen's "panne velvet" shirtdress is perfectly set off with another goofy giant watch.  Huh?  What the heck?  Once again Kathy is kicking up her heels in joy at NOT being selected to wear the watch.  Oh surely there can't be more.  Oh yes there can!

Okay, okay, this pic doesn't have Kathy in it, but it fits the theme.  Here we have TWO giant watches in the same pic to accessorize the corduroy jeans!  One worn by Colleen and another by an unknown model.  And the one worn by Colleen is on a, a, a, what is that?   It isn't a necklace exactly - more like a chain worn by a pimp or something.  Double random and double weird.   I love the chorus girl style lineup of the models.  It is sooooooo natural, especially the middle model staring randomly off into space. 

And then as quickly as the era of the giant watches blossomed, it met its demise.  Perhaps like the dinosaurs, they grew too big and wieldly eventually succumbing to excess of the very thing that made them unique.  Or perhaps they just didn't sell so Sears quickly moved on to something else.
 
Of course this brings up the BIG, unanswered question: were they functioning watches or just decorative pieces?  I haven't been able to find a pic with a description of these watches so this is an open question.  Anyone out there have any ideas on this?

Ironically, this fashion accessory would make no sense to kids today because many of them can't even tell time using a dial watch or clock (you can thank cell phones and digital clocks for that).  So wearing a giant watch would make about as much sense to them as wearing an abacus.  I know, I know, makes you kind of pine for the silliness of the 70s.  Of course, MY kids can tell time using a dial timepiece.  They can also use a slide rule, write in cursive, and start a fire using flint (no kidding, except for the slide rule, but they have at least SEEN a slide rule and how it is used).

So perhaps we should all channel our inner 70s and don our giant, goofy, pocket watches to freak out the kids, or maybe not.  They just won't see how cool and groovy fashion statements like that can be!

Denimy Daze at JCPenneys

Last week's post on Glad Rags got me curious about what else was out there in the early 70s world of denim fashion and oh boy did get I blindsided.  It seems that Glad Rags wasn't the outlier but instead it was right in step with the times!  Of course, I shouldn't have been too surprised.  After all denim is about the most American of fashion statements there is.  Naturally JCPenneys was all over this as these pics demonstrate.

The first pic is titled "Bold Tartan Plaid and Deminy Blue".  Isn't all tartan both bold and plaid?  I can't say I've ever seen "subtle" tartan.  Also, what does the adjective "denimy" mean?  It's either denim or its not.  Oh I get it.  It's the mood the outfits set - like dreamy only, in this case, denimy.

Kathy is a fine lookin' young filly in a overall style dress seems to say "Yee haw ya'll.  Meet me down at the JCP corral for a boot-scootin' night of two steppin, line dancin', and if it really gets wild - square dancin'!".   Her expression seems to say "Yea, I'm sexy and I know it".  Otherwise it looks like Hee Haw collided with Braveheart.   Note that the boots are 14.5 inches and made of leather! No pleather here in this pre-peta age!   Not sure why one would wear work boots to a square dance, but they definitely give the outfit a casual, working-on-the-farm feel.

Meanwhile Karen's outfit looks like Braveheart goes corporate with a combination tartan vest, pants, and a three button denim jacket (with tartan trim) and a red scarf.  Hmmm, let's see, she is wearing a shirt, a vest, AND a jacket - seems a bit much.  Also this ensemble seems to violate the denim-on-denim rule (1).   And both ensembles seem to violate the tartan-on-tartan rule (2).  You know a little tartan goes a long way, no need to overdo it.

As a bonus, there is something about both photos in this post that is unusal for catalog shots in this era.  Can you spot it?  The answer appears at the end (no peaking!).

Next up is another pic of Kathy and Karen wearing more denim, this time tartan-less.

Karen's sweater seems to scream "Hey over here, notice me!" with the 60s rainbow colors on the sweater AND the sleeves.  You see this kind of reach back to the 60s every once in a while in these pics.  Meanwhile, Kathy's outfit definitely looks like it came out a modern Cabela's catalog with the western style look, except for the massive gaucho pants!  Good thing she is sitting down in these because those things are not kind to any girl's figure (sorry, ladies but guys don't find these at all attractive on girls).  Maybe she DEMANDED to sit down for the shot "No, if you're going to make me wear these gawd awful things, I'm going to pose where they don't make me look fat.  And we'll be talking to my agent later!"  And again Kathy spotlights knee high leather boots, but in this case they look a bit more dressy and come in high heels!

Once again can you spot what is unusual about these two pics?

Footnotes: (Second post with footnotes!)

(1) The denim-on-denim rule is that you are not allowed to wear more than one piece of denim apparel at a time.  The only exceptions are: you are a real cowboy doing actual cowboy work (such as roping a calf), a member of a motorcycle gang (who is going to tell them no?), or John Wayne. 

(2) I just made up the tartan-on-tartan rule for this post, but it is like the denim-on-denim rule except there is only one acceptable exception: you are playing bagpipes and wearing a kilt.

Answer to the quiz. 

When I first pulled these pics I got the strangest feeling that something was different about them compared to the usual catalog pics of the era.  Then it hit me.  Look at the eyes.  That's right!  Both models in both shots are looking directly at the camera instead of staring blankly off at some odd, unexplainable angle like a human mannequin on narcotics.  They are posing for the pics like, well, a normal person would.  Both of these photos are from 1976, so perhaps the style of modeling was changing. 

Print Ads 2 - Glad Rags Hooliganism

The fashion world is always in flux, always searching for that "next big thing".  For as soon as one trend takes off, it becomes mainstreamed and then looses interest with the avant garde group of fashion leaders, so they move on to something else.  And on and on it goes.  Of course, if this wasn't the case, we would still be wearing deerskin clothes and coonskin hats like Davey Crockett, which would actually be kinda cool...

Naturally the industry wants to spot these emerging trends and capitalize on them first.  In the early 70s this was the case as the 60s era hippie look had been mainstreamed, so the search was on for the next big trend.

Into that fray entered something called Glad Rags.  And no, this is not a brand of kitchen towels like I first thought, but a line of clothing carefully positioned to be the "next big thing" or at least they hoped it would.  We can see from the ad that they tried to borrow elements from the hippie look (check out the rainbow belt) and morph that into something else which looks like one part flower power, one part prep school, and one part migrant farm worker. 

They also wanted to give it that "edgy", avant garde feel.  Form the ad we learn that Glad Rags are cool "on campus or playing hooky".  Ah ha, that's the catch that gives these rags that "just outside the boundaries of acceptable society" feel that this company hoped would propel sales.  Just take a look below at the corruption of America's youth by this questionable fashion trend....

 

And what do these budding juvenile delinquents do on their Ferris Buller Day Off?  How do they flaunt the conventions of proper society?  Why they head to a park and play on children's playground equipment!  The horror of it all!  These young hoodlums are on the path to perdition for sure.  If they don't change their ways soon, the next thing you know they'll be dropping acid and holding up liquor stores!  This hooliganism must be stopped in its tracks!

And notice that Kathy is STANDING, STANDING I say, on the swing!  More thumbing their noses at the rules!  Where are the police, the truancy officers for heaven's sake?!?!

The flare pants with the cuffs were an item back then.  I love the red and white checker pattern which gives the outfit a down-home-ya'll feel.  Once again Kathy pulls off an amazing shot by manging to stand on the swing, twist her body at an odd angle, and stick one foot out to show off the awesome clogs.  I wonder how many takes they had to do to get that shot!

The poor guy has been led astray by a pretty girl.  Not only is he playing hooky, he is forced to push the girl on the swing set (and, let's face it, he has NO chance with Kathy)!  Such is the power of  fashion.  With the right outfit, a girl can make a poor schmuck do anything she pleases!

Not sure what became of Glad Rags.  They did do one thing right.  They put Kathy front and center in their ad!

Sizzlin at the Shore in Sears Swimsuits

Attention Loyal Blog Followers:

As you may have noticed, I have been posting regularly each Friday.  However, next week I may be a couple of days late.  After all, I do have a regular job to pay the bills you know and that sometimes requires me to be out of pocket for awhile.  But don't worry, I will post, just late.  And now on to this week's post......

Since autumn is almost over and everyone has the upcoming winter season with the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays on their mind, I thought that it would be the perfect time to look back at - Swimsuits!  Okay, not too seasonally oriented, but, hey, that is the beauty of your own blog.  You can post whatever the heck you feel like at the moment.

In addition to the two Big Book catalogs and the Christmas catalogs that retailers like Sears and JCPenney offered, they would also publish a little summer catalog between the Spring / Summer and Fall / Winter tomes.  Although small in size, these guys packed quite a punch for not only did they feature summer fashions, they especially featured swimsuits.  It was like having a second edition of the SI Swimsuit issue delivered right to your door - and featuring all your favorite models to boot! (1)

The first photo is titled "Great Moments in Sportswear" with the added tougne-in-check phrase "and proving that the most fascinating sea life isn't always under the sea".  They must be referring to the lobster prop (oh, you thought it referred to the models?).  This is somewhat unusual because normally there aren't any props in these catalog photos, or even much of a background.  This makes sense.  They didn't want to divert attention from the clothes they were trying to sell.  Actually the lobster, and the scene has a fakey look - like it was done in a studio and the lobster was photoshopped in later.  It would be interesting if anyone knows this to be the case.

The best explanation for the origins of this photo is that it was late in the day of a long, hard photo shoot and everyone on the set got a little crazy.  Then one of the stage hands had an idea: "Hey, Bob let's take Larry the Lobster from the lunch buffet and scare the girls with it, hee, hee.  No wait, they aren't scared, they're excited.  I forgot, they're half starved models.  Larry is in mortal danger! Run away Larry, ruuunnnn!!!".  Kathy definitely has the inside position for the upcoming scrum over this tasty morsel.  Colleen is totally out of position and her expression reflects her concern.  I would LOVE to see an after photo.  I guess "Great Moments in Sportswear" means moments when a poor lobster is ripped to shreds by a gang of hungry models who haven't eaten anything but celery for two weeks prior to a photo shoot!

Yes, I know "Why a lobster?"  After all, lobsters don't come out of the water to attack people onshore, except maybe in a really bad SyFy movie (hey that's an idea - This Saturday, A SyFy Original Movie: Mega Lobster vs. Crocosarus).  That's why I think this was a spur of the moment shot without alot of forethought put into it (kinda like your average SyFy movie).   

Next up is a typical swimsuit photo from the Sears catalogs of that era.  You'll notice from the descriptions that they are made with something called Arnel Triacetrate.  Not sure what that is - sounds like a preservative used in processed meats or something.  They must have thought it was a selling point because they kept mentioning it.

Kathy scans the horizon waiting for her ship to come in.  I think that it definitively has already!  The suits that she and Karen are wearing don't look at of date at all.  The plastic flower on Kathy's suit serves no functional purpose whatsoever except to come off after the second washing.

Meanwhile the suits that Colleen is wearing seem to say "Ahoy mates, come aboard" for they include handy, easy-to-follow directional arro.... Oh wait, those are ANCHORS!  I meant to say ANCHORS!  Yes, those are ANCHORS for sure!  What was I thinking?

Oh, come on, give me a break!  Did you REALLY think I wouldn't comment on something like that?  I bet every kid back then got it but half the moms didn't.  Imagine their shock when they found out: "Don't you think my little Suzy looks great in this new swimsuit?" "Uhhh, Irene, you do realize what those anchors look like?"  "No, what?" "Whisper, whisper"  "Oh dear! I'm sure my little Suzy doesn't know that" "Uhh, yea, right, sure, whatever you say". 

I threw in the next photo to complete the set.  It features three members of the K Club in a typical pic from a Sears Catalog of the era. 

Once again, the suits are not totally out of date.  In fact the one-piece with the cutouts (modeled here by Colleen, sans anchors) is back in style.  Maybe there is hope that other early 70s styles will be back soon.  That would be so groovey!


Footnotes: (A blog with footnotes, how cool is that!)

(1) As an historical note to loyal Kathy fans, Kathy made an appearance in the 1970 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.  It was only one photo, but noteworthy.  It could be the subject of a future post, but I'm a little hesitant.  SI could be one of those outfits that gets all "touchy, feelly" over the copyright thing. 

Hot Pants - Kicky!

Of all the zany, wild fashions of the 70s, some actually bring back fond memories - memories that is of my wasted youth.  The Hot Pants were one such fashion trend that is remembered fondly.  Oh how I would have done better in school if it wasn't for those hot girls in their hot pants!  Here are several pics of that most appreciated 70s fashion style.

Hot Pants - Kicky!  The adjective Kicky is code for "Buy these and you'll induce tongue wagging lust in men and green-eyed envy in women while staying just inside the boundaries of current socially accepted fashion norms". The title of this page from Aldens Catalog in the early 70s is perfect for a blog page today.  It is like the author was a blogger in the pre-internet era writing the title of a blog in the future which then finishes the blog of the past!  Sort of like the time travel paradox, but with mail order catalogs!  Yes you read it here first: fashion is like time travel with the past and the future co-existing simultaneously. 

Ohh my head hurts from these metaphysical ponderings.  But wait, look, Hot Pants, Yipppe! I feel better now!

You'll notice that Kathy is wearing a wig, at least I hope it is a wig because, to be honest, I don't find it a good look for her. You see her in this wig in a few shots from this era.  Perhaps she is trying for a more sophisticated look, or perhaps she is trying to go incognito to hide the fact from the other members of the K Club (Kathy, Kay, Karen, and Colleen) that she is getting extra work at Aldens. In fact I almost missed her in this shot when I was scanning old photos.

You'll also note the strange dress coats that are shown over the Hot Pants with bottom buttons left strategically undone.  So the message here is "Wear Hot Pants to be Kicky, but if you need to be a little more modest, wear this dress coats over them, but then if you still want to tease a little, leave the buttons undone".  So it's another paradox: show leg, don't show leg, show leg. Time travel is almost easy to understand by comparison.

Ohh, another paradox, I'm feeling ill, like I'm back in some college Physics class about Quantum Mechanics.  But wait, look, more Hot Pants, Yippeee!

Kickeroo!  Who says you can't turn heads while being a child of the Age of Aquarius?  This page from Simpsons Sears says, yes, you can have it all baby. Once again we have the Hot Pants with the strange dress coats - kinda like The Matrix meets Rowan and Martin's Laugh In.  Simpsons Sears was the Canadian version of Sears.  However, they must have used the same modeling agency because we have Kathy and Karen here too.  

The expression on the girl on the right is great for this shot.  It is like she dropped acid during a John Lennon concert and never came back.  She's been humming "My Sweet Lord" ever since.  Maybe that is why they had her wear the groovy indian headband with a heart!  She's so stoned, she didn't even notice.  I love the descriptions under the clothes.  Kickeroo?!? What, are we in Australia or something?!?  What does that mean exactly, and why the fixation of the word "kick" with Hot Pants.  Maybe the same guy wrote both the Aldens and Simpsons Sears pages.

Yea, I know, another knit hat on Kathy that looks totally out of place with the outfit - except maybe for the 70s. And the footwear.  Eke gads, those are hideous.  Why wear Hot Pants to show leg and then cover them up with bizarro stockings and cloddy shoes and boots that must have taken 30 minutes to lace up? Oh I know, another paradox.

Ohhh, I'm fading again.  But wait, look, Short Shorts! Double Yippeee!!  I'm saved now!

Who wears Short Shorts?  Kathy wears short shorts and looks amazing doing so in this shot from the 1976 JCPenney's Spring/Summer catalog.  Short Shorts were the ultimate evolutionary expression of the Hot Pants lineage. And when they arrived, blamo! They were everywhere for a fleeting, glorious golden highlight of mid-70s fashion.  Being banned from High Schools accross the land only made them more popular.  Also 1970s anthropologists have noticed that the test scores of teenage boys plunged dramatically during this time.  Coincidence or paradox? 

Then it was all over.  Hot Pants, Short Shorts, the Mini, they all seemed to vanish overnight into a 70s drug induced mist.  Were they real or only imaginary?  Perhaps fashion really is like the Time Travel paradox, where what we call the "past" and the "future" are only constructs of our own minds so that those terms have no meaning apart from our own existence.  Or perhaps we do live in The Matrix (fashion version) where everything is an illusion and the images in the catalogs programmed our minds to accept that illusion .  Say it ain't so!  The Hot Pants HAD to be real! THEY HAD TO BE!!

Just Too Cute for a Wishbook Christmas!

After last week's crazy outfits, I thought we would take a break and go back to just some ordinary fashions from the early 70s. 

These pics are from the Sears 1972 Wishbook.   The Wishbook was a Christmas mail order catalog that came out in time for parents to place their orders for all the in demand toys for the season.  They were not as big as the big book catalogs for the spring and fall, but they were still pretty substantial. 
The arrival of the Wishbook (and their counterparts from other department stores) always caused great excitement in households across the land for they signaled kids that the Christmas season was in full swing.  It was almost like Santa had fired a flare across the sky letting everyone know that, yep, he was coming this year.

The Wishbook was mostly toys of course.  However, they had seasonal clothing offerings also.   Moms could always be counted on to order some clothes.  The kids wanted toys while moms were more interested in making sure they had school clothes.  Grandmas too could be counted on to always get clothes for the grand kids.  You can still hear the echos across the land from those Christmas mornings "No, you WILL put on that sweater with the reindeer pattern that Grandma Casey got you and we WILL take a photo of it and you WILL send her a thank you card, young man". 

All of these pics are form Sears Junior Bazaar.  Sears really was the marketing leader in this category.  The others never could quite come up with as catchy a name for their juniors section.

Otherwise these are just really nice pics of Kathy.  She was just too cute.

Not much to say here.  Except for the pointy collars, these shirts would not be out of place today.  Karen has a wig on (obviously).  They did that with the models sometimes.  Maybe they got bored or something during the shoots.  Not really a good look.  Kathy is absolutely radiant here.

Not sure who the third model is.  There were a posse of models that were always in these catalogs, and there were others that kinda popped in and out.  The extra wide white belt on Kathy is a nice touch.

Ahh, here we go - sweaters.  Nothing says Christmas quite like a comfy, cozy pull over sweater with acyclic bell bottom pants.  Note the price on the pants.  Gee, that is not much less than the equivalent would go for today.  And this was in 1972!  Those foreign workers making stuff for Walmart have really had an impact on clothing prices. Otherwise acrylic was about the most uncomfortable fabric to wear as I remember. 

Kathy looks absolutely adorable here, really steals the scene. No wonder she was a popular model for this kind of work.  You can picture grandmas looking at this and going  "Ohh my little Suzy would look adorable in that.  I'm not sure about the bell bottoms, seems a bit hippie, but if that is what the young folks are wearing these days, I'll get it for her".  Perhaps that is why Sears toned down the clothing for the season - they were going after the grandma sales.  They could save the edgier stuff for Spring.

Columbia Minerva Awesomeness

Blogging at times can be difficult.  It can be tough to find good material to comment on - especially if your log has a very narrow focus.

Then there are the rare moments like this when blogging mana seems to fall from the Internet heavens.  Such is the post today.  This one pic richly deserves to have a post all of its own for it is truly blogging gold uncovered from the world of Internet mining, preserved here for all posterity.

I strongly suggest that you do not look directly at the pic all at once.  There is simply too much and it will overload your senses.  Instead start at the left and SLOWLY work your way to the right - for each outfit needs to be fully appreciated on its own merits before moving on.

I am not personally familiar with Columbia Minerva.  Apparently it was a rag that showed you how to sew your own totally rad 70s style clothes.  People did that alot back then to save money, That is before we had our clothes made in overseas sweatshops for nearly free.

And yes this is real.  This is not photo shopped.  This is 70s fashion at its finest.

If you are not laughing hysterically now you are either: a) a heartless, soulless cyborg, b) comatose, or c) someone who actually wore one of these outfits to school and was socially scarred for life. Where, oh where, do we begin. 

Let's start at the left.  And yes, that is Shelley Hack in pre Charlie's Angels days boldly modeling something called "El Gaucho" (shouldn't it be "la gaucha" or maybe "gotcha" as in "gotcha to wear something ridiculous"?).  I am from the rural plains states, and I have known actual cowboys and cowgirls and I have NEVER seen any of them in any outfit REMOTELY like this.  It looks gay even on a good looking girl. 

I'm not sure what the point of the just-past-the-knees pants are but I doubt seriously that they would hold up in actual brush country.  And what does any aspiring vaquero (vaquera?) needs to match her blindingly white cowboy hat?  That would be equally blindingly white, plastic, sorta-kinda cowboy boots!

Next up is our favorite 70s model Kathy in "Peasantry".  Hmmm, I always thought that girls wanted to be princesses, not peasants.  Perhaps it was worn to PLAY peasant like Marie Antoinette did.

Kathy actually pulls this off and looks pretty hot.  You can almost picture her on a covered wagon heading our west in late 1800s.  "Katherine, we'll homestead here on this godforsaken, windswept 40 acre plot.  You plow the fields, clean the sod house, raise the young 'ens, while I stand here guarding for injuns and admiring your figure in that smoking hot peasant dress!".  Also, apparently peasants wore the same white, plastic go-go boots that cowboys do in this alternative universe of fashion.

And that brings us to the Pièce de résistance, the "medieval".  What can I say more than what the picture says about itself.  What poor, demented creature would wear this in public?  Maybe to a Dungeons and Dragons role playing session, but even in that world you would probably get the crap beat out of you for showing up as Friar Tuck in crochet!  Once again, apparently white, plastic go-go boots were as popular in the 1100s as they were in the 1800s and 1970s!

Look again and laugh again for this is the pic that keeps on giving and giving!

Sear Catalog Fall / Winter 1972

The year 1972 was a turbulent one.  Tricky Dick was elected to his second term in office.  The Watergate scandal hadn't broken out as big news yet.  Negotiations were underway in Paris to end the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.  The news of that day was dominated by every twist, turn and rumor of the goings on in Paris.  The treaty would be signed in just a few months in January 1973 to get us out of that tar pit.  Nixon had just closed the gold window the year before, and for the first time in human history, the world economy ran on 100% pure fiat money - the final verdict of that experiment is still out.

In the midst of all this chaos the big book catalogs (weighing in at over 5 pounds each!) could be counted on to arrive in the mail twice a year from the major retailers bringing perfect fashions on perfect bodies with perfect poses  - tranquility in the midst of storm.  And on top of the list was Sears.  While some companies targeted the upper or lower ends of the economic spectrum, Sears targeted the big middle.  So everyone got the Sears catalogs - rich, poor, urban, rural, etc.  It truly represented the fashions of the day.

And the year 1972 was in the peak of Kathy's career as a catalog model.  Here are some classic picks from the Sears Fall / Winter catalog of that year.

Yes Sweater Knits do give you that "young and lively" look  perfect for a night out rocking the club scene!  The sweater cap (hat?) on Karen is classic.  What girl would actually wear that and mess up her hair?  Of course perhaps you put it on to cover up the fact that you hadn't done your hair.  Kathy's pose is pretty odd.  I guess they are trying to show off those awesome clog shoes.  And why is her hand behind her head?  Perhaps it is to show prospective buyers that the sweater doesn't show underarm stains?!?

I love the girl on the left.  Is she running at the same time she has her arm under Kathy's arm?  Those photographers must of had something on their minds there.  Another sweater cap on Karen - they must have been trying to push those.

One thing they did a lot in these shots is to have on model look at the another while that model is looking away.  In this case Kathy is looking at the girl to her left (and laughing) while that girl is looking down laughing.  What are they laughing at?  I guess the idea is to create a shot so that the buyer can fill in the details.  So the message is buy these wildly colorful dresses and life will be all happy and full of laughs - clothes will make all your anxiety and problems go away! 

Other than the colors, these dresses seem pretty conventional.  Oh wait, I almost missed the weird collars on the dress on the right.  Are those supposed to be seagull wings?  More awesome clog shoes on Colleen.

Kathy Loghry JCPenney Catalog Photos

Well this post is back to catalog pics!  Kathy was a mainstay model in the JCPenney catalogs during the early to mid-seventies.  Here are several that span that time frame.  Plenty more photos from JCP in the future.

JCP and Sears published two big book catalogs every year.  One in the spring and the other in the fall.  Getting these was always a big deal.  There was no internet then and these catalogs represented a connection to what was happening in fashion for the average household. 

The first photo is from the JCP fall winter catalog in 1971.  This is about as early a catalog photo of Kathy as I have been able to find. 

Kay Campbell is to Kathy's left.  The other model is unknown.  I'm not sure why you would want a leotard with a turtleneck.  Seems to me that it would be pretty hot but I guess the idea is that you wear a skirt over it (from the insert pic).  That way you can go to the gym straight away from work, rip off the skirt and jump into the aerobics class.  Also that combo doesn't seem real practical to me to wear all day (how do you go to the bathroom)?

The next two pics are from 1976

 

You'll notice the tiny pic of Kay showing the reverse view.  This was common in these catalogs, but why?  I think we know basically what it would look like from the front view.  After all neither of these outfits is too flattering on the figure.  It must have helped to move the goods because it is very common.  I don't understand why Kathy has her arms out.  It is like they wanted to highlight the massive sleeves on the weird tunic with the cool rope belt she is wearing.  Huh?  I don't get it.  Massive sleeves do not look good on any girl, even Kathy.

 

Another set of funky, fun outfits modeled by Kay and Kathy.  1976 was after the flower power era and just before the disco (ugghh) craze.  These outfits show the fashion confusion well.  They borrow from the hippie look - check out that cool hat that Kay wears - but they seem to be pointing to something beyond the hippie look, but what nobody will ever know because both outfits are a clear miss (even by the standards then).  The uber-long, featureless dress look didn't catch on.  Kathy seems to not be terribly comfortable in the long tunic with pants combo, perhaps she knows the outfit is hideous!

 

This last pic is from 1977.  This is about the end of Kathy's catalog model career.  I haven't been able to locate any photos past then.  Once again we have the awful, uber-long pants with bizarrely unflattering tops.  However Kathy's dress seems more conventional.  She is even holding a purse!  You'll notice how she poses as if she is walking forward.  Very common type of shot.  It must have taken real skill to hold that pose and make it appear that you are actually moving.  Who said modelling was easy!

Kathy Loghry in Print Ads Part 1 - Hair Products

I thought we'd take a break from the catalog photos of Kathy for a while (don't worry, there are plenty of those posts in the future) and do a post on some of the print ads that Kathy appeared in during the early 70s.   The first of these posts focuses on hair products which is interesting to look back on and compare to today.  I'll have posts of other types of print ads from that era in the future.

Kathy appeared in a number of these ads and it seemed that she often was shown from the side.  Apparently she was one of the prominent "side shot" models of that era.   

The first pic is for something called "Mini-Mist" from 1972.  It was advertised as "instant shampoo in a can".  For those that are old enough to remember, back then people generally did not wash their hair everyday.  With the advent of aerosols there appeared a number of products that claimed to produce that just shampooed effect for your hair out of a can!  Not sure if Mini-Mist is still available.

Here Kathy is shown from the side as she is so often in these types of ads.  You'll notice there is quite a bit of written verbiage on the ad.  I guess the advertisers expected people to read it?  What a concept that the ad actually tried to explain the virtues of the product as opposed to just trying to shock people.  Seems kinda dowdy by today's standards.  However, that was common for that era as we'll see in future posted ads.

The second photo is one of my favorites of Kathy.  It is a Breck ad from 1972.  The Breck girls were an iconic part of Americana back then.  Many well known models were Breck girls.  Among them were Jackln Smith, Christie Brinkley, Cheryl Tiegs, and Cybil Shepard to name a few.  Ads in those days couldn't rely had to be more creative and subtle.  Sometimes this produces ads that bordered on fine art

One of the unique things about this ad is that Kathy isn't flashing her million dollar smile.  Instead her expression is more subtle and introspective.  Overall the ad is quite sensual and beautiful - almost Mon Lisa like.  Unfortunately, I only have a small photo and have been unable to locate a decent larger version.  If someone has one, let me know and we'll post it. 

In the future I'll have more posts of Kathy in print ads.  Those old ads are always fun to look back on.  Some of them are quite weird and some are just down right hilarious!

Kathy Loghry Sundresses!

Some of my fondest memories from this era was the Sundress!  Oh what a devastating weapon used by young women on men.  Many were the days walking across the college campus in springtime only to be completely undone by the young ladies in their sundresses!

What has happened to this style in fashion?  Here are several pics of Kathy in sundresses. 

 

 

 

 

First Post

This blog is dedicated to one of the iconic fashion models of the 1970's - Kathy Loghy.  For a period starting in the late 60's through the late 70's she was a fixture in catalogs and advertisemnets everywhere.  Unfortunatly there isn't a whole lot on her on the internet, which is why this blog was started. 

Please remmeber to be respectful and keep it clean!  This blog is intended to not only showcase Kathy and her friends, but also to capture that period of American history. 

Please send your photos, comments etc. 

I plan on posting about once a week.  To start here are a couple of pictures of Kathy from some vintage Sears catalogs.  She was everywhere in those catalogs.  For those that don't remember, the big Sears and JCPenneys catalogs would come twice a year and they were a big deal!  These were the days before the internet and cell phones.  So these catalogs represented a connection to teh world at large.  For many middle Americans these catalogs were their primary connection to the world of fashion. 

In teh first pic Kathy is on the right.  Next to her is Karen Bruun who was everywhere in these catalogs also.  Colleen Corby is on the left.  She was not only a frequent model in Sears and JCPenneys, but also was in Seventeen alot.  Enjoy!