Columbia Minerva Awesomeness! Part 4!!

They're baaack.  Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the 70s, along comes the grooviest, snazziest, most hip fashions from that font of do-it-yourself 70s styles called Columbia Minerva.

Karen and Kathy in 70s style homemade sweaters and hot pants and stockings and elephant belts and, well, this is actually kinda groovy - in that special 70s kinda way.!! (1)

And nothing is more 70s groovy baby than "Gals in Nantuk Ombre."  I have no idea what that means but it is really groovy!!

Hmmm, a newspaper and a tennis racket - interesting combination.  I'm sure Jayne Modean and friend could explain the strange juxtaposition.

Smartie pants are pretty groovy if you ask me!!

Karen seemed to be a regular in these CM things.  However, in this case the smile seems a bit forced. Perhaps she was thinking "My agent is really going to hear about this!"

What I love about Columbia Minerva is that didn't have the pretense of high fashion.  They were all about campy, 70s style fun and that's what made them awesome!!  Like here, CM had you covered from head to toe!!

Allow me, your humble historical blogger, to explain one of my great dilemmas.  You see, there are TONS of groove-tastic Columbia Minerva pics out there.  That's not a problem.  However,  there are only a handful that include Kathy.  Soooo I have to ration them judiciously.

Columbia Minerva was always pretty awesome, but none so more than this!!  To all my readers: you're welcome!

footnotes:

(1) I got this from somewhere on the internet, not sure where, may have been My-Retrospace.  In may early days, I wasn't very good at documenting where I got material.  If this isn't correct, my apologies.

Big Book Catalog Series (Part 11) Environment '70

The year - 1970.  In many ways America was at the apogee of its power and influence worldwide.  We had landed a man on the moon and the sky was literally no limit on what we could achieve (1),  American manufacturing reigned supreme, and our culture was being exported to every corner of the world.

So what was the big issue from the Wards 1970 FW catalog?  Well it was something called Environment '70.  Environment '70 is a fascinating look at the transition from the 60s with its loud psychedelic styles and futuristic bright colors, to the 70s with its earth tone colors and a more subdued look.

First up is a living room scene that could have come straight out of The Jetsons with its futuristic vibe.

Contrast that look with the styles that dominated the early 70s....

Like here! Ear tone overload for sure.  Check out the outfit on the left: a earth tone jumpsuit with a matching poncho.  All I can say is "That's Soooooo 70s!"

But the mod styles of the 60s weren't quite done with yet............

Groovy Baby!!  We have us a regular high tech "love pad" which included a room sculpture (complete with babe on top!), and as a bonus in the lower left, a laptop.  WHAT a laptop?!?! Were they that ahead of their time?  Nah, it's just a screen that says LOVE in a goovetastic font.  Still it's eerily prescient of things to come!!

But back to the 70 with more earth tones and ponchos.  This time complete with Native American themed stitching (oh no, am I going to get in trouble with the PC internet police?  "No, no I didn't mean any harm.  I'll even sign a petition for the Washington Redskins to change their name.  Please don't block my site.  NOOOOoooooooo!!!")

Whew!! I was worried there for a moment.  People are so touchy these days!!  Where was I??  Oh yeah, back to the futuristic 60s style love pad, complete with babe in repose this time!!

Well let's wrap up the is Environment '70 special before I get into any more trouble!  I can't tell if this belongs on the 60s or 70s.  Hmmm, on the right it says "Slink you can swing in."  Yep, must be the 70s for sure!!

So what about our favorite 70s models?

Well, Kathy and Kay could make wither style work great!  One thing that unified the eras was the mini.  Ahhh!  

Yep, the minis were great!!

Need I say more??  That's the type of Environment '70 that we can all agree on!!

So the ladies are looking fine. What about the guys??

Oh my!! Not sure the "Environment '70" movement was very kind to them!!

footnotes:

(1) Well there was that little thing called the Vietnam War, But let's not bring that up here...

Sizzlin' Summertime Sleepwear - Part 7!

Back again by popular demand are the 70s sleepwear fashions.  And with Summer heating up so are the nighttime fashions!

And by heating up, I mean heating up to sizzlin' levels!!  So a warning to all my loyal readers, it's about to get boiling hot in here!!

Kathy, Kay, and Barbara show us how to stay cool this summer.  They may be cool, but I'm definitely feeling the heat !

Yep, 'nuff said!

Hmmm, it seems like we've established a theme here - sleepwear on the light side!  Yeah, I don't think I'll hear any complaints about that!

Let's face it, there is a fine line between sleep wear and, well, more risque fashions.  Like here "Look what a shirt can do for your nightlife."  Yeah, I'm looking.

Okay, okay, by "risque", I mean lingerie.  Can Colleen look any cuter here?  Nah.  After all bedtime isn't all about sleeping! "More fun this summer"  Wonder what they mean by that????

Some of my longtime readers are probably thinking "I thought that this was a PG blog.  What's up with all the lingerie."  Well, it's a PG blog, not a G blog.  Besides, it's summer and it's hot.  And speaking of hot, so is Rande Hague here.

....And here. Gulp! This post is about to go full boil hot!!.

So, there's sleep wear, shirts that double as sleep wear, and lingerie, what will I throw at my readership next??

Well, uh, well, uh, yeah, this is a form of sleep wear I suppose?!? (1)

Uh, well, uh, yes it is!!

We started off this post with some sizzlin' nighttime heat from Kathy, and that's how we'll end.  Don't say that I didn't warn you!!   Sweet dreams everyone!! (1)

footnotes:

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

K Club Special Part 26 - Kay Campbell Part 4!

Has it been a year already?  I looked up and realized that it's time for another round of K Club Specials of the Big Four.

When I started this blog I never imagined that we'd at this point four years later!  So let's take another look at Kay!

And why not start where we left off with another pic of Kay as a Jantzen Smile Girls (1)).  Yeah, about a week after my post on Kay's Smile Girl career, I found another photo of their trip to London.  I've had to wait an entire year to post it! (Kay is third from the left)

Of course, we know Kay best as "The Queen of the Catalogs."  To say she was a mainstay of the late 60s and 70s Big Books, is an understatement.  Every catalog, every section had her big smile and wide eyes made all the groovy fashions irresistible. (2)

Like here!  Gotta love the matching purse and shoes!

Let's check out some other pics of Kay's early catalog career...

Not all the 70s fashions made Kay smile however.....

That pants outfit is one "groovy" 70s style that didn't take off!

Now for a couple of my favorite Kay pics of all time....

Wow!

....and double Wow!!  I think that we can all agree that Kay deserved the title "Queen of the Catalogs!"


footnotes:

(1) This pic has rights reserved.  Please contact me if you wish to use.  Thanks!

(2) Pic is courtesy of LL's Playhouse. Thanks!

That's So 70s: Great Expectations - Part 5!

"Ah ha" I'm sure you're saying to yourself. "How very clever of you to followup a post about 70s wedding fashions with 70s maternity fashions".  Yes, yes very clever of me indeed!  Because as we all know, one FIRST gets married and THEN has the baby.

Or is it the other way around? no matter, let's check out how ladies managed maternity in the 70s!

I guess they had maternity formals?? It sure looks like it here as Kathy is dress to the nines in this maternity dress from Spiegel.  She even has pearls!  (1)

From formal to causal maternity wear, the Big Book catalogs had you covered in the snazziest 70s styles. (2)  You have to love the caption: Order your normal size, we allow for expansion. (2)

As we saw last week, young people of the 70s loved to consult manuals for everything.  This was, after all, before the internet so info on such matters was harder to come by.  Let's check out some instructions that a 70s mom received from her doctor......

Actually these are the rules for husbands.  Note that they used the term husbands, not fathers. (3)

Page 2 is where it gets interesting.  Here we find out that husbands will be required to leave at various times.  He should be prepared to do so "promptly."  Also he is not allowed to bring food into the room (can't disagree with that one.)

Again, in point 11, he is reminded to leave the room "promptly" if ordered.  And the again okay, okay, I get the message already.  This doc wasn't a big fan of the fathers, err, I meant husbands

But the kicker is point 12: Smoking is strictly forbidden.  Good, agree.  Except for the qualifier: "This is due to the presence of Explosive Gases."

"Hmmm, my manual doesn't mention anything about explosive gases." (4)

So much for manuals, back to the maternity wear.....

"For those busy, fashionable days"  Yes of course, fashion is the most important thing during this time.  From the giant collars on Kathy's outfit to the giant ties on the two outfits on the right, these fashions certainly scream: That's Sooooo 70s....

You thought Kathy was cute in the previous pic, check this one out!!  Man, these maternity outfits are groovy!!

I have no idea why I included this pic.

...or this one.  Am I running out of witty commentary to add??!?

Nah, I just I need to consult the manual for a few more ideas like this model is doing!!  "Hmmm, still nothing in here about explosive gases."

footnotes:

(1) Some of my curious readers may wonder which models are in the top part that got their heads cut off.  Well, those have already been used in previous post!

(2) yes I checked.  All the gals are wearing wedding rings......or deftly hiding their left hand!!

(3) These pics are  re-blogged from BubHub.

(4) Yeah, I have a problem with my scanner (white line down the side.) I've been researching how oto fix it to no avail.