Donna Sutton @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/77043400@N00/
The middle to late 1960s was an exciting time for almost all who lived in the Western World. There were little pockets in the Middle East and the Far East too, but not at the magnitude that it was seen in Europe and the countries of North America, and in particular, the United States.
I can’t remember for sure if it was when I was ten or eleven that I first found out about The Beatles. Before that time, I don’t think I ever even heard Rock and Roll music. I remember someone telling me that my cousin Vickie could ‘shimmy’. I didn’t know what that meant until I saw her do it at our grandpa’s birthday party that my uncle and aunt always held.
Before I knew who The Beatles were, the only popular music I heard was sung by Johnny Mathis, Perry Como, Doris Day and others singing similar songs. Oh yes, I did know who Elvis was, but I wasn’t impressed and didn’t understand why anyone would be.
By the time I was twelve and in my first year (7th grade) of junior high school, I knew about more Rock bands than anyone that I associated with, even my cousin, Vickie. Of course, as the years passed, more and more of my friends were catching up with me in this department and some were going beyond what I knew.
The Vietnamese War was in full swing, although at that time, it was still being called a ‘Police Action’. (A police action my a**.) Even at that tender age of twelve, I didn’t like the thought of our military being forced to fight for someone else’s country. The phrase ‘fighting for Democracy’ sounded like a bunch of bull to me. Obviously, most of the US was in agreement with me despite my age because by the time I was a junior in high school, both young and old were giving their ‘two cents’ on the matter. Even my mom and grandma were getting boisterous about the situation over in Vietnam.
Shorter dresses and skirts were just becoming acceptable as well as popular. Mom wasn’t happy with it and put limits on how short I could wear my dresses and skirts. “No, Glynis. The limit is two inches about the knee. That’s it,” she’d state when I’d try to con her into shortening a dress just a smidgen more. I just wanted to fit in better. According to Mom though, I’d only be popular the way I wanted if I was ‘kind, clean, and friendly’. It wasn’t until I was almost seventeen that I finally figured out that her advice was working for me.
Because the family budget was so sparse, Mom was making most of my clothes. She didn’t mind me picking out my own material and I did have a say on the patterns although she had the final verdict on that matter. I had the big flower prints, the wide stripes, the orange, spring green, and psychedelic pink. I have no idea as to whether I looked okay or not. I just loved wearing all of it.
When I was thirteen, Mom let me get my ears pierced. I knew at the time that she probably wouldn’t be happy with me wearing the long dangly earrings, but I figured that over time I could soften her up. I just didn’t mention the long dangly earrings when I asked for permission to get the piercing. Even so, she did have stipulations. I had to use my own money and the piercing had to be done by my doctor. I just babysat Courtney’s boys a couple more times to get the money. As for the doctor, I was in transition, going from a pediatrician to a general practitioner. Mom had scheduled my first appointment with the general practitioner, but I didn’t know him from Adam yet. I opted for my pediatrician, Dr. Johnson. I knew him and I could walk to where his clinic was. Yes, I did feel odd going into see a children’s doctor at the age of thirteen but I got the job done.
Long hair for both boys and girls had come into style. However, my fine, thin, stringy hair looked God awful worn long. I knew it. Mom knew it. Even my brother was chiming in saying I looked stupid with my hair long. I ended up settling for what was called a ‘short bob’. My face was still quite round then and the ‘short bob’ wasn’t making it look any longer. By the time summer hit after the 8th grade, I went back to getting a ‘pixie’, asking the stylist to make it a little longer. When I looked in the mirror after the cutting, I was rather pleased with what I saw.
Fads come and go just as they did back then. They mark the time of eras that will never be forgotten by the people who lived through them.
What fads do you remember?
A Scripted Maze 
Indeed they do. But I will say the Beatle’s have stood the test of time. I too tried to do long hair. I looked awful. I finally relented and went back to shorter hair. Do you remember the Kildare angel blouses? I still can’t believe I wore them. Aw, the times they do change.
LikeLike
I never did wear one of those blouses. I don’t even remember seeing them where my mom or I shopped. They could have been in the store right next to Penny’s and I didn’t even know it.
LikeLike
Love the bus image.
What a walk down memory lane. *smiles* Yes, I remember when… 😀
LikeLike
Glad you liked it, Tess. 🙂
LikeLike
Course I did. You know my life now.
LikeLike
In high school (1964-68) girls weren’t allowed to wear pants. So we’d leave home with our skirts brushing the tops of our knees, and arrive at school with mini skirts. We rolled the tops of the skirts, producing an early mid-rift bulge in the process. We also wore knee socks over our stockings, and stupid Dickies under our shirts and pull-over sweaters (both girls and guys).
LikeLike
Most girls at my school didn’t wear their dresses all that short, just a little shorter than mine, which, of course, made me want my dresses shorter. I knew girls who rolled up their skirts. I tried it in the girls lavatory once. I didn’t like how it looked and unrolled it. The only time I wore knee socks over nylons was when I ice skated. It kept me warmer. I do remember those Dickies. Believe it or not, I never had one. I liked turtle-necks so I don’t have a clue as to why I didn’t have any.
BTW, be sure to read my next post. You’re mentioned in it. 😉
LikeLike
We made all our own clothes too, my best friend and I would show up at school in the same outfits without knowing we had picked the same pattern. We showed up at our Jr.High graduation in the same homemade dress! Hers, was a flower fabric and mine was a solid blue. We laughed. I am floored today that most young women don’t know how to sew, or mend, or most of the things we grew up with.
I have to say I am still stuck with the long hair, I still wear bell bottoms, which now they just call ‘flare jeans’, same thing though. I still listen to the same music, much of which my oldest brother listened to way back when.
As for a fad I remember…. “Charm School”. I went one summer and learned manners, how to walk properly and most importantly how to be a ‘lady’ and a good wife. Oh, how times change.
Thanks for the stroll down memory lane my dear! 🙂
LikeLike
I did go back to the long hair when I was a senior. I kept it long until I got pregnancy when I was 20. During a mood swing I had my hair cut into the famous pixie again. The next time I had it long was just last year. What a pain in the you-know-where. Right now it’s a short layered bob. It’s getting out of hand again. Need to get it cut.
I didn’t go to ‘charm school’, but there were a couple of free classes at Sears, of all places. I went and got a lot out of them. I even learned what hair styles were good for the shape of my face, which has come in handy several times.
LikeLike
Some fads are just funny. I grew up in Montreal, Quebec and for a brief period the most popular pants you could find were ones where the zip was prominently displayed in a contrasting colour against brightly coloured VERY, VERY tight pants. The zip was not only startlingly obvious, it went all the way through the legs and up the bum. Think about that for a minute…really tight and going from your belly button to your lower back…how exactly would you be getting them off to go to the bathroom is just the start of the problem. Boys wore them too.
I never saw the appeal and doubt my West Indian great aunts and guardians would have tolerated them for a minute even if I did. 🙂
LikeLike