Great Expectations - Part 5: Put a Ring On It!!

In our last visit to that little traversed section of the Big Book Catalog - that being the Maternity Section - a reader commented that the young models were always wearing a wedding ring.  This is a great observation, which is made a little strange considering that these were models after all, and they weren't actually pregnant anyway.  Still, we certainly wouldn't want to give everyone the wrong impression would we?  So let's check this out some more.......

Naturally, there's no reason why that the young mother of the couldn't look sophisticated in those happenin' early 70s styles.   But what our question is - where's the ring?  It's kind of difficult to tell on the main pic, but let's blow up that inset pic of Kay....

Whew!!  I am much relieved now.  We've staved off the culture collapse of the West for now (But of course this is before disco, rap, grunge, and, well, Caitlin.)

Even the catalog for the cost conscious - Aldens - found the practice to make good business sense. I'd do a close up of the two exposed left hands to show that they do indeed sport a wedding ring, but I think you'll trust me on that one.)

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage...."  From the low end to the high end stores like Spiegel, it appears that our reader was correct.  Kathy is wearing a wedding ring here, although it's s bit difficult to tell.....

Yep, it's there, faintly.  But I'm sure there were folks who checked!

A really, really nice pic of Kay.  And all the ladies are sporting wedding rings (probably from the JCPenney jewelry shop, how romantic!) .  Well, everyone is flashing rings except the gal in green.  She seems a bit on the shy side, wonder why?!?!?

Just because you were pregnant didn't mean that one couldn't participate in all the groovy 70s styles like earth tone hoodies and corduroy pants!  Just be sure to have that ring on like Jane here!

There was probably some low level staffer that was in charge of making sure all the models had rings.

And what happened when that guy forgot?  Well, the photographer had to do something!  So he made all the models pose with their hands behind their backs!

You're probably asking yourself "Did the emphasis on rings change as the 70s progressed?"  Good question!  Here is a pic from Sears 1978 and you'll notice that all the models are deftly hiding their left hands.  Sears still was the Everyman's (and Everywoman's) store so they had to be careful!

But Spiegel in 1978?  For shame! for shame!  They didn't even make an attempt to hide the left hands!  Yes, friends, you can see here how disco was already working it's corrosive influence on America!  The cultural collapse had begun, and it was all down hill from there!!

The Big Book Catalog Series (Part 6) 1972d

Well, we've finally about to get through the Big Book catalogs of 1972!  And the last two that we haven't covered yet are the Aldens and Spiegel FW editions.  Speaking of covers....

I could probably do a post on the covers alone!  I can see it now:

"What kind of man reads Aldens?  He's always got the wind in his hair and a groovy chick at his back. (1)  Flying high in his WW I biplane, his sense of adventure is matched only by his dashing sense of fashion style."  

Combine that with Spiegel cover with the giant dog by the rocky coastline and the possibilities are endless!  Now that our interest has been piqued, let's move on to see what's inside these editions.

And what's waiting for our Aldens's man?  Well, after a typical exciting day of daring do and high adventure, he can look forward to a relaxing evening with some elegant ladies!  And, of course, nothing says elegant quite like polyester double knit.   No, nothing.

Not only is it elegant, apparently polyester is a magic word.  Who knew?!?!  If fact it is so magical, it is making the gals on the right disappear!

But is polyester as magical as the crushed velvet pants with matching belt?  Me thinks not!  Ohh, you can begin to hear, faintly at this point in time, the unmistakable beat of disco just a few short years away!

Still, Aldens always tried to keep it classy.  And what better way to do that than with the Ladyalden Shop?

Aldens was always good for some groovy threads, but Spiegel was different....

They were more upscale.  Still, they liked to have their fun too.  And who better to model that look than Kathy.  And no, I have no idea what the tree on the sweater has to do with anything.

Let's stay with the skirt and sweater theme.  Very nice!

Yeah, Spiegel always had that classy elegance to it.  Here are some classic dresses so typical of their offerings.  (2)

Still Spiegel had its moments like here.  What could possibly be behind that creepy looking wooden door?

Why it would be our favorite model (3) dressed up in a witchy looking cape with pointy hood! Aldens thought that they had the magic with polyester, but Spiegel had the real magic here!  Heck the outfit even comes with a witch's familiar (don't let the dog's laid back expression fool ya!)  

footnotes:

(1) Yep, if you were wondering, that is Kay on the cover of Aldens.

(2) For those of you that may want to download this pic, you'll notice that it is misnamed.  It really is from the Spiegel FW 72 catalog, not from JCP.

(3) I'm pretty sure that is Kathy underneath that hood.  What a great pic!