Deminy Daze 2 - Sew Your Own

Don't forget to check out the poll.  Last week, Pic 4 - Winning Ticket was the winner.
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Maybe it just me, but back in the early 70s, modeling seemed a little different.  You could find the top models of the day on just about everything - nothing seemed to be off limits.  Check out this little publication for example....



Who the heck is Malina and how in the world did they manage to land both Kathy and Shelley to show off their groovy shawls and scarfs on their little leaflet?  I doubt an outfit like that could get a model of similar stature today.  I can see wearing the scarf on a cold winter's day perhaps, but not those shawls (at least not in public).  Come to think about it, Malina's almost invented the "Snuggie" here.  They were oh-so-close to making a fortune!

Kathy makes crocheting look fun!  The knit caps must have been all the rage back then.  Somehow, Kathy makes them look hot and hip at the same time (the shawl not so much, sorry even Kathy can't save that look). 

The shawls are getting even more bizarro.  I can't really comment on the thing Shelley is wearing without getting in a lot of trouble, so I'll move on.  Kathy has to be the absolutely cutest crochet model of all time!  How can she top that look?

By turning on the flower power, that's how!  On second look, I'm not sure what that green thing is on the hat and mittens - a cactus perhaps.  That really doesn't make much sense for a winter garment.  Still she almost makes me want to put down 35 cents (1) for this rag and take up knitting, well, almost.  On second thought, I'll stick to golf, thank you!


Footnotes: (yea, yea, can't do a a post without them)

(1)  For our younger set, the "c" with a slash through it next to the price is NOT a mangled euro symbol.  Believe it or not, that is what us old timers know as a "cents" sign, and it is the price in terms of pennies.  I know, I know, impossible you say.  Still keyboards used to have that that as an option, but no more.  First, not very many things could be priced at less than a dollar today.  Second, everything is done by bar code now.  My, my, how times have changed!

Spiegel Catalog Valentine's Day Special

Note: Please see the poll on the right side of the blog.  You can vote for your favorite pic of this week's post.  I plan on doing this every week.  This will give me feedback on what you guys want to see more of, and at the end of the year we can have contest to see which was the favorite pic of the year!

Last Week, Pic 1 - Peasant Cuties won.
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In a previous post a made a comment that the Big Book mail order catalogs often didn't use a lot of props in their photos.  Then I came across an old Spiegel catalog, and boy was I ever wrong! They put on full fledged productions for their photo shoots.  And a good thing too (for me).  I selected a few that fit in with a Valentine's Day theme (sort of).  Here we go......

I Think I Love You, but isn't that what life is made of..... Kathy and Karen channel their inner Partridge Family (1) at the True Love Letter Post Office.  Check out those classic ruffled blouses - perfect for all those Partridge Family fans (or for pirate costumes).  Karen has got a whole lot of tartan going on (a Scottish pirate perhaps?).  If you look closely at the prop, you'll see a little wedding chapel and a message from Cupid.  Ahhh, how sweet, perfect for Valentine's Day!

Here Kathy and Karen dazzle in front of some kind of prop that says "I Dare You".  Kind of weird if you ask me.   Dare us to do what exactly?  Kathy and Karen certainly don't appear to be too threatening.  Not many gals can pull off wearing a man's style tie, but Kathy can and does here.

Karen and Kathy try out a love note machine that gives you a saying on a card (kind of like you used to find at old traveling carnivals).  Kathy apparently isn't too thrilled with what her card said, but being a good sport, she still flashes her big smile. Meanwhile Karen does the triple tartan trick with tartan skirt, belt and collars.  Whoops, make that a quadruple tartan runaway with the tartan sleeves!

Okay, Kathy tried again and now seems to be much happier with her result (I guess you can keep trying until you get what you want, kind of like a horoscope!)  Karen is kicking up her heels with joy as she pushes the heart button.  She apparently traded in the quadruple tartan outfit for an American red, white, and blue motif.

Finally, I had to throw in this pic in as a bonus.  Kathy isn't in it, and it has nothing to do with Valentine's Day.

Yep it's a goat.  Why put a goat in a catalog, I have no idea.  Perhaps this is to evoke an image of the Trapp family crossing the Swiss Alps or something.  I can just hear the production crew "Clean up on Set 3.  It's the goat again".  And no, the goat picture is not an option in the poll. 


Footnotes: (here we go again with those!)

(1) Susan Dey of The Partridge Family fame did appear in some of the old mail order catalogs of the late 60s and early 70s.  Perhaps I'll do a post in the future. 

JCPenney Catalog Pics - Part 2

The mid-70s were a brief time of fashion tranquility in which the fashion hurricane of the late 60s had finally run its course and before the hedonistic flood  of disco fashions of the late 70s.  You can see that in the following pics from JCP in 1974
.  The fashions are almost bland - almost.

Let's check out some really, really fine pics of Kathy and the gang.

"Get in the Peasant Mood" because "It's the Natural choice".  Well, I'm not sure how much of a "choice" being a peasant is.  Nevertheless, Kathy absolutely sparkles in this romanticized image of that life.  If this what the peasant life looks like, sign me up!

Okay, okay, I know I'm getting a little philosophical there.  Let's change the tone to something a little more lighthearted shall we?  What about Kathy in a short dress?  Ah, yes that will do the trick.

Kathy simply looks amazing!  She has that unique ability to look totally at ease while at the same time just killing the scene.

Notice that here in one pic we have an snapshot of the fashion in-betweeness of the mid 70s.  You have a dress that is not quite the mini of the late 60s and the flared pants (with cuffs no less, remember those!) that are not quite the bell bottoms of the late 70s.  However, despite the transitional state, you can almost hear the disco music firing up in the background!  After all Saturday Night Fever is just around the corner!

Finally........

I know women should be put on a pedestal, but this is a little ridiculous.  I thought that was meant to be taken figuratively, not literally!  Here Kathy and Karen are actually, physically ON A PEDESTAL!   I guess that is to accentuate the length of the dresses.  Kathy really takes advantage of the situation by striking a statuesque pose that is almost swan-like in its elegance.  Also swan-like are the collars which are the almost the size of swan wings!  They almost distract one from her classic "side shot" pose.   Once again we have a collection of flared pants.  Yep, the disco styles of the late 70s are just about ready to explode onto the scene.

We even have a glass slipper featured.  Perhaps one of the peasant girls lost it on her way to the discotheque!  In just a few short years, that glass slipper will be transformed into platform shoes!