Easter Fashion Review

You know how the style channels on TV always do a review of the fashions of a major event like the Oscars the day after it is all over? Well since Easter is over I thought I’d do a review of some of the styles we wore when we went to church on Easter Sunday years ago. I don’t have a lot of pictures left from those days, but I have a couple I’d like to share with you.

This first picture is from 1955. (These steps were my mother's new place to take pictures. At least there is no electric meter.) My sister, Sara, and I are standing on the front steps at 22 Fulton Street. She is 9 and I’m 14. What do you think the fashionistas would say about these Easter clothes?

I don’t know why we always wore these cussed short coats like the one I’m wearing. I think this one was wool of some neutral color. Notice the puffs at the wrists and the wide wrist bands. It only had one button at the top. A useless garment if ever there was one. The polka dot dress under it was of some taffeta-like material and I think it was black and trimmed in white lace. Of course it stuck out in all directions under that short jacket.

You like the flat straw-like hat on my head? Looks lovely on top of that obviously recently home-permed hair which I hated. Neither of us has our white gloves on, but we would have had them to wear to church. I had on the typical Mary Janes, but at this point, I think I’d graduated to nylons held up with a garter belt instead of the white socks like Sara has on.

Sara, at age 9 looks much better I think. I can see a girl of that age wearing that coat today. I think it was blue, but she’ll have to tell me for sure. I think our mother attempted to curl her hair, which was not an easy task. Love the short straight bangs across the top though. Her shoes were probably white patent leather.

Flash forward 11 years to the same location at 22 Fulton Street in 1966. The door is different and our father built those brick steps himself. Notice the lily our mother put beside us in case we all forgot it was Easter when this picture was taken.

I am now 25, Sara 20. We have our nieces Brenda, 8, and Bette, 5 with us. The family was all there for Easter dinner, no doubt.

I was now out on my own and could buy whatever clothes I wanted to. I loved this red full-length coat. It was wool and one of the first such coats I bought for myself. I don’t remember what I wore underneath it that year. However, I do remember that that is a wig on my head. Wigs were all the rage at that time. They were not of the greatest quality though. The ones now in vogue are much more realistic and made of real hair, unlike mine was. I still have my white gloves and probably had high heels on.

I’m not sure red is really my color. I see my face is still pale in spite of the red next to my face. Maybe if I was smiling, it would help.

Sara was then in nursing school at Deaconess in Boston and was home for the holiday. She looks nice as usual in blue, which is really her color as she has a light complexion. That is her real hair and it looks nice I think.

Brenda and Bette are wearing outfits which I believe their mother, Kay, made for them. I can also see little girls wearing these coats today. They look cute with their white hats, while gloves, and carrying their little church purses which probably had a real hankie in them and some change for the collection plate.

So there you have it. Eat your heart out, Mr. Gunn. Hope you all had a wonderful Easter and had the opportunity to have your family around you.

Thanks for listening.