Herbal Essence Shampoo and Agree Shampoo.
Artist made leather purses purchased at the swap meet.
I loved Bonne Bell. I was so excited when I was going to visit the track and store in Ohio, was it Lakewood? Bit disappointed the store wasn’t larger. I made all my clothes in high school- dresses no pants graduated 71. We had permission just a few days to wear pants when it was freezing for So CA. Famolare I loved them:) I can’t remember any particular brands in high school. My sister used to cut the Levi label from brothers jeans and sew them on her homemade pants. I discovered the garment district in college - had a few Linda Carter dresses in pharmacy school. Patterns cost so much these days I haven’t sewn in years.
I wore a lot of bell bottoms and jeans. I got mom to buy me some boy’s plaid button down short-sleeved shrits and wore them often. For dances or proms, I had to make my own dresses. I made princess-line long dresses with puffed long sleeves and LOTS of pieces. One day, I learned that my aunt who was about 50 pounds heavier than me and 40 years older was sewing the same size as me, so I stopped sewing then and there (plus, I discovered off-the-rack things fit me well and I could afford them with the money I made babysitting).
I did have a steady boyfriend through JR, SR and freshman year of college, so no one particularly paid much attention to my clothes, including me. I had straight long hair that wouldn’t hold a curl, no matter what.
I starting carng a bit more about clothes when I went away to OOS college as a transfer in 1976. It was strange to be considered “petite” for the first time ever, at 5’5" and 125 pounds. I loved it!
Famalores with the wavy bottom–wore those for two days and they made my feet go totally numb! I could barely walk for weeks. I had to see a podiatrist and wear very ugly oxford leather orthopedic shoes with built-in supports for several years after that. I have been very careful about ALL footwear selection ever after.
I had to google the Famolares since the name sounded familiar. I remember them , but I don’t think I had them. I recall the stiffness of Levis back then…it took a lot to break them in !
I remember when I first discovered Bonnie Cashin/Coach bags. I was in my teens and these were not the “cool” bags among my peers, so I decided carrying a Coach bag was being a bit rebellious or edgy.
I wasn’t allowed to wear jeans to high school (1979-1982), for some odd reason - ask my mother, who now thinks she was crazy to have such a rule. So lots of corduroys. Villager. Pappagallos. Ralph Lauren and Izod were the “hot” brands. In high school and college, I dressed very preppy (despite a complete absence of WASP blood) so shell belts, monogrammed shetland sweaters, polos with the collar popped up, oxford shirts with monograms bought in the boy’s department, Sperry Topsiders, argyle socks. And of course the Bermuda bags with monogrammed covers that you buttoned on and off. Then went through the mid-80’s Dress For Success look in the corporate world!
Today, I wear nice jeans 95% of the time, with a top and a cardigan or sweater or some sort, often ballet flats on my feet. Business casual for clients, which means just adding dressier pants, a shoe with a little more oompth than a ballet flat, and some accessories.
Ewww! I just looked up Famolare shoes and, yes, I’m sure I had a pair. I think I’ll look great wearing a pair when I’m a nursing home resident, just can’t have the higher heel.
I don’t remember a huge following of brand names in HS, it was more about the look. I lived in a smallish city and we shopped at local stores, Sears, and a couple of regional chains. For special occasions, there was Jordan Marsh and a local high end shop. For REALLY special occasions, your parents might possibly drive you down to Boston to shop. The wealthier kids shopped at Jordans or the local “good” store. Lots of kids swapped clothes or handed them down. I got lots from a slightly older neighbor friend. My sister sewed very well and made a lot of her clothes, but I never did get very good at it. Mom only learned sewing from us after we’d taken home ec in middle school.
The only brands I remember being “cool” were the Levis cords, Dr. Schools (my dad sold them at his drugstore, of all places, so I had 2 pair), and Sasson jeans. There was Bobbie Brooks, but that was the preppy store and you might have one or two special pieces. I don’t think I even heard of brands like Coach or Gucci until much later in life. In high school we carried backpacks, as they were all the new rage then, not purses.
I do remember dog-earring the Seventeeen issues for ideas when we’d go back-to-school shopping. But I don’t ever recall discussing brands with anyone other than the Levis since you tried to have colors other kids didn’t have.
Bobbie Brooks was big in my area, too.
I made my own clothes because it was the only way that I could circumvent my mothers control over issues concerning taste. (it was the seventies and bad taste ruled) I even bought my own fabric with babysitting money. It drove her nuts. It still drives her nuts.
My mom stopped sewing for me in 6th grade, but still insisted on crocheting me ponchos. My D found one in a box of stuff that I saved, and LOVED it. Wore it for a good year in elementary school. It only took 30 ish years for that look to come around again.
Some years ago, at a family gathering, I told my teenage niece that when I was in HS, I had had a handbag just like the one she was wearing. She told me, “it is your bag!” She also had on a top that once was mine. And she told me she was loving all my old formal gowns. She was a vintage girl:)
I used to knit a lot and made quite a few of my own sweaters because I wanted them to look and fit just right.
Ponchos and Famolares and gauchos were elementary school for me. I wore my gauchos with my Get Theres and cable knit knee socks. It was quite a fashion statement!
Jeans or Cords with a Huckapoo shirt or a sweater if it was really cold out. The Landlubber low cut big bells were a big thing too.
I wore the world’s ugliest uniform in high school; the skirt was a burgundy plaid with big box pleats. There were rules about what type and color of socks, sweaters, and shoes could be worn with the horrid skirt and a white short sleeve blouse with Peter Pan collar. There was also a rule about skirt length; most girls would roll their waistband to shorten the skirt until they saw someone from Admin in the halls when they would pull it back down to knee length. If the temperature was below freezing we were permitted to wear heavy tights instead of socks.
Outside of school, I sewed most of my clothes since my mother would only buy me stuff from Pic n’ Save and JCPenney (which wasn’t where she shopped for herself.) I made hip-hugger bell bottoms, tunics, mini-skirts and dresses. There was a fabric store about 5 miles from our home, so I could ride my bike there and shop with money earned baby sitting. I even sewed a bikini once, which was a lot harder than I expected. We lived in a country club neighborhood and all of the other kids attended local schools. Some of the girls wore Villager and Ladybug, while others wore Hang Ten and Ocean Pacific. It was a big deal for me when I was given a discount at Montgomery Ward for doing some teen modeling and could buy anything I modeled at a good price.
In college I shopped mostly at small import stores and wore embroidered halter dresses, peasant blouses over tiny cut off jeans, hip-hugger jeans with halter tops, etc. Shoes then were mainly espadrilles and buffalo leather platform sandals, plus a pair of leather boots for cold weather.
Does anyone remember making a halter top by folding a silk scarf on the diagonal, knotting the tips of the triangle together, threading the knotted ends through a choker necklace and then tying the long ends around the waist? Very 1974.
Yes! Thankfully I had nothing to hold up or in when that was popular.
which brings us to tube tops . . .
worn with white buckle back jeans