A Little Bit Sunk
You know what Grandpa did when Grandma went into the hospital to deliver your Aunt Sally? What about when Grandpa knocked himself in the head at the mallet factory? The answer to both: They paid the bill. Nowadays, we are all so maxed out on everything that the emergency response is to put something on the credit card. Even though Grandma and Grandpa weren’t rich, they probably didn’t have a credit card, so they could only spend what they had. That was the old fashioned way. The downside was that when they were down on their luck, they couldn’t “charge” groceries, but the upside is that their income was used for necessities in a higher percentage and they just didn’t need the same kind of Debt relief.
I thought I had a pretty good idea about how to manage myself until I took the quiz at Bills IQ and boy was I in for a surprise. I practically flunked! Okay, I didn’t, but I came from a family that didn’t accept “D’s” from me. If someone did a poster advertising Debt consolidation, I would apparently be on it. I am not maxed out any worse than anyone else, but surely the old fashioned values and sensibility about money I thought I had just isn’t there. Because of some medical setbacks, we lived off of credit cards for awhile when we should have been scaling back our lifestyle. Of course, I could have sold off the vintage collection instead but always thought the situation was temporary. If anyone out there thinks that their retirement fund is in their closet, they should be very sure about researching what they have bought or are buying.
My grandparents had big plans of raising a family and seeing them through school if they chose to go on to college. They all either went to trade school or college. It is sad that my big plans involve paying down some debts. What a different life. I can see now, that if I decide to start a new project, or adopt a kid someday, I am going to have to get some serious Debt help.
I am going to go get the violin out now. Actually, I am going to get out the keyboard that has the violin setting on it and go have myself a pity party while I sort this out. The BillsIQ Quiz actually gave me a few helpful suggestions that I am going to try a lot harder on. I am proud for renegotiating a credit card rate, but I just have let other expenses get away from me. Take the Quiz and see if you beat me!
Shrunk Trunks – Jantzens sell for $77
Yesterday, I uncovered a disturbing footnote in swimwear history. I fully intended to surprise you all with actually finding the ghastly “wrap front” swim trunks online (the term “trunks” used very loosely here). Alas, I am not surprised that I came up empty.
One item of note is that these Jantzen Swim Trunks were recently sold on Ebay to the tune of $77.00. They are very similar in “coverage” but infinitely apropriate for the man who is going to the beach or the pool to actually SWIM, albeit a bit more modest then what some Olympic divers wear for the aerodynamic qualities. Michael Phelps doesn’t mess around with boarder shorts, afterall.
1950s, 1960s | Comment (0)Pump Your Ride
Last week, I saw a Ford Escort that was tricked out to the hilt (Note to self: Does anyone say ‘tricked out’ anymore?). It had a all sorts of turbo power. Outwardly, it also had a spoiler, big pipes, and racing stripes, as if no one told the car it was an Escort. I was asked the other day what I thought about this phenomena. Was it just improper to be so loud or was putting a lot of cash into an inexpensive car a good investment?
Whenever I am asked that question, I remind people of the days of the “classic” cars. Don’t you remember the guys in Grease working on their cars, getting the hand-me-down from sis, brother, or dad to be the sweetest ride in town? The same desire is alive and well today.
However, not everyone is so blatant about it. A turbocharger uses the “wasted” energy in the exhaust stream, so getting one for your underpowered car may be a good bet. If you can’t or don’t want to sink money into a new car, the young guys may just be on to something in making the best of what they have.
(P.S.: Drag racing in the 50s was just as dangerous as drifting is today, if not more. Don’t let the old movies fool you!)
1979: Slippery Sleepwear
RollerKaty brought up a (not so) fond memory of laying on the living room floor, Sear’s Christmas Wishbook spread out on the floor. I always used to skip the “boring” section (the clothes), and started out somewhere before the toys where the “novelty gifts for adults” were (Namely, gumball machines and chess sets with scifi characters) and I studied every page from there on out. I always was glad that Sears left the back supporters and the support hose out of it, but was sometimes a little weirded out by adults in sleepwear.
RollerKaty offers forth this selection from 1979. I like the “family portrait” at far left. The pose is so natural and believeable. The gentleman in the main photo looks like he is ready for a strange boxing match. Isn’t there something just a little wrong about that?
I vaguely remember liking to look at the bedding section of the catalogs, but wondered to myself if someone bought satin sheets and satin robes and satin boxers, they would either sweat to death or slip right out of bed and end up somewhere between the threshold of the bedroom and the guest bathroom way on the other side of the house.
For purists, there is silk satin, rayon satin, and artificial satin. These are actually Arnel triacetate, but I would argue they fall neck and neck with rayon satin and just above silk satin in the slip and slide department.
1970s | Comment (1)Travel Book Giveaway!
Attention Wandering Gents (and Gent-ettes):
Wandering Educators is giving away a copy of Lonely Planet’s The Travel Book! Truthfully, they are actually giving away two, but if you win, you will get one and you will have to graciously clap when the other person wins the second copy. Don’t be greedy! This weighty, 400+ page Travel Guide Book claims to feature every country in the world. I fact, that is the subtitle. It is sure to inspire spontaneous travel and conversation starters for cocktail parties for years to come.
To enter, comment on the book review’s page. After you do, names will randomly be drawn. You may register for the site free of charge (just click on the upper right hand corner of the site.
May the best (or most random) man (or woman) win!
Until next time,
Talking Ties
I have been reading Burl Veneer’s Tie Blog for a few years near. He reports that his tie wearing has decreased, but still gives us the scoop when he does.
As I went out exploring, I found that there are quite a few gentlemen who chronicle their tie choices for the day.
Michael, on Knot a Blog has an ongoing chronicle as well. In his most recent post, he discusses Lenten Ties. I have never really thought of ties in connection to Lent, except, of course, in the sense that perhaps people are a bit dresser for the season while attending church. He brings up a whole new concept of “Tie Deprivation” as something to offer up for Lent, or at least for Ash Wednesday. He doesn’t give up ties, just goes for a tie that is much more dour and less expressive. In otherwords, perhaps a solid or basic red and blue stripe that surely is in every man’s closet.
In the meantime, Will Stuivenga, librarian, musician, and vintage tie aficionado is celebrating the 100th tie to grace his blog.
The Great Coat and Tie Experiment was born from rebellion. Because everyone was going casual, this software engineer rebelled by donning a coat and tie. The blog doesn’t seem to have been updated since ths summer, so I wonder of the rest of his colleagues followed his trend, and therefore he has gone back to casual attire.
When wanting to know what’s new or what’s old but has stood the test in time in ties, don’t wait for a fashion editor to tell you. Look around at what other men who are not in the fashion business but take their ties seriously have chosen to get hear the “word on the street.”
Do you or someone you know keep a fashion diary online? Comment and tell me about it!
Until next time,
Overstock Coupons
A few years ago when Overstock.com was launched, it was a great hope for sellers of vintage clothing. The site mostly revolved around offering closeouts and discounted new merchandise, but an auction segment was introduced also. At the time, “another auction site” (I won’t mention any names) went through another fee increase, and as it happens each time, sellers were looking for other venues. Today, the selection of vintage items on Overstock are limited, but you can still occasionally find something there without having the fight the crowd. Overstock has developed more into the “giant mall” of new items and it is more popular to buy vintage inspired fashion or accessories and designer goods.
Savings.com always has Overstock coupons, offers, and discounts listed. At the present time, the coupons are for non-auction items. For example, there are some deals on shipping and dollars or percentages off a certain size order. The site features an alert when a particular ecoupon is about to expire, so you don’t procrastinate.
They say that you are not really saving any money if a special offer entices you to purchase something you wouldn’t buy in the first place, that it is only good on saving on planned or necessary purchases. At the right price, is a purchase really frivolous?
Until next time,
1947: Creepy Bathing Suit
Tommy Goodwin, well known in golfing circles, here wears the wrap-around handkerchief suit. This probably will not become a broadly accepted type of swim trink, but it does in its way typify the Nassau idea
- Fairchild’s Mens Wear, March 7, 1947
Creepy wasn’t owned and patented by the 1970s, though the 70s definitely must have had the “creepy moustache” trademarked. There were plenty of fashions in eras that were supposed to be considered “the time of the classic and timeless attire” that had its own corner on the “what were you thinking factor. The Speedo may have been the 70s answer to the creepy bathing suit that few really should have a license to wear. The 1940s had the wrap front trunk.
Although the trade publication above doubted that it would catch on, it seemed notable enough to include in a special Southern Resort Wear Issue. It may be an exciting and sought after fashion footnote to collectors, but a sigh of relief to the general public that it didn’t catch fire. In fact, I have never found another reference on the internet or in a book so far for it. I am sure once this is published, I’ll find out that there are 42 books written about it.
Tommy Goodwin was referred to “Suntanned Tommy Goodwin” in a 1949 New York Times article, and perhaps the nom de vis was an explanation of his mental state. Perhaps too much Bahamian sun caused him to have heat stroke and influenced his swimwear decisions in years prior. He had actually spent much of his time in Nassau by then.
So, the next time you look down your nose, thinking the 40s were the epitome of style, manners, and grace, and the 70s was a sleazy time of tacky swimwear and bad hair, remember the wrap front swim trunk.
Until next time,
Looks are Deceiving
Okay ladies, here is a question for you:
What do you think about the dress on the left? How would you describe it? It seems to me to be a very trendy selection for the rest of the summer. The straps are wide enough to not suffer from tacky bra strap syndrome. The vertical stripes are elongating without making a woman look like a retractable awning or an inmate. The colors sort of harken back to tribal designs or the tiki era.
Would you BELIEVE that this is a maternity dress? No way? Yes way! Maternity clothes have definitely come a long way from my mom’s photoprint “seagulls on a sunset” ruched blouse with navy rickrack trim!
Kiki’s Fashions has maternity clothes starting at $9.99. There is an offer of free shipping over $75 (coupon code: freeship). I usually advocate finding historical clothing, but finding authentic maternity clothing in any particular size is usually a big challenge as they were typically handed down and worn to threads. Just ask my aunts who all wore the seagull outfit in the early 70s.
Cookie Baking for Bachelors
Here is an easy recipe to impress your guests. Everyone expects a guy to know how to grill, but baking is a whole other matter.
Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
Easter grass or wax paper
1 decorative bowl
1 mixing bowl
1 whisk or spoon
1 measuring cup
Recipe:
Crack Egg and pour contents into a mixing bowl. Throw the eggshells in the trash (VERY IMPORTANT!)
Mix contents of egg and one cup of sugar, stirring it in the bowl.
Add one cup of peanut butter
Stir the ingredients until everything is well mixed in.
Divide batter into 8-12 balls depending on how big you want the cookies to be.
Place them on a cookie sheet in the oven, and bake at 375 degrees*** until you can pick them up with a spatula, but the bottoms are not hard.
Oh – you will want to place them on a cooling rack.
After they are no longer piping hot, but a bunch of easter grass or wadded up wax paper in a decorative bowl (this is to make the bowl volume smaller so it looks like you just made a GIANT bowl of cookies, when you actually didn’t. Place the cookies in the dish and impress everyone with your baking skills.
*** – Wait a minute. Is that right? Maybe it is supposed to be 425 degrees. Or maybe 250. Geez, darned if I remember. Well, intuitively you will know if you are wrong, because you will have cold cookie dough or will need to call the fire department.
Uncategorized | Comment (0)San Francisco Time Machines
As I mentioned before, there are many things to do in Los Angeles to satisfy your craving for midcentiry history. However, it is not the only city on the west coast that still has thriving retro haunts. Instead of going to a place like Madame Tussauds to see history captured in models, you can take a pub crawl through some very historic places who have had literary greats darken their doors on a regular basis.
John’s Grill has been around since 1908. Inside, the interior looks exactly the same as it did back in the day when Dashiell Hammett hung out there. Okay, it is the same except for some memorabilia that is now on display that gives a nod to The Maltese Falcon and old San Francisco. In fact, some first editions are on display here. I wonder if you sat on Mr. Hammett’s stool, a gumshoe novel would start to percolate in your brain. Add it to your list of stops and find out.
If you are thinking about heading west, sign up for the Trusted Tours Newsletter and enter to win a $150 iTunes gift card. They are the folks with the nifty online travel guides. If you win, you can prep yourself by filling your Ipod with a soundtrack that will get you in a ragtime, big band, beat, or groovy frame of mind.
LA Time Machines: Where to Wear
Los Angeles Time Machines is a site that we have been watching for awhile that we think our readers would enjoy. It focuses exclusively on pre-1970s restaurants and bars that are still in their original state. Occasionally, there are updates on when folks can make a big difference in saving a historic vintage landmark so stay plugged in!
It mainly focuses on the many sites in Los Angeles, California, but has extended to includes spots in Nevada, Maryland, Washington and beyond.
So, go look up a historic place and show up in your vintage clothing! It would make a great retro photo!
http://www.latimemachines.com
fashion history | Comment (0)
