Then and now.... A Review of 60s Advertising

I had a great chat with my mother-in-law (MIL) the other day about make-up, clothes and hair, it was fun to hear her stories and really interesting to hear her beauty routines, in fact, I may even do a blog about it soon.  I have always been intrigued by the era when my mum and MIL were young women, it seems as if they lived in a time with a different set of social rules and expectations.  I love to compare different times in history to guage how much things have changed - is this dorky? 

Make-up and appearance have always been important to my MIL, as a young woman she would read magazines and make lists of items she would like to add to her wardrobe and what colours of eyeshadow and lipstick she was going to wear for each season (she actually still does this).  My MIL said that when she began working she knew she had 'arrived' when she was able to purchase Lemon Delph Toner and Revlon Foundation.  I wondered what it was about these products that appealed to her, so I started researching - I do love a good topic I can research....  I found a marvellous vintage ad website called Vintage Ad Browser - it is very cool - some of the ads are hilarious!  


I don't think I realised the 1960s were quite so glamourous....








They even made home appliances glamourous.....





Although tvs were HUGE!








Food seemed space aged - with colours and flavourings being big selling features....








Clothes were fabulous...  How cute are these dresses!





Hair was a bit scary....





As for underwear - yipes!

Make up was sophisticated and beautiful....

There are also hundreds of ads for cigarettes and feminine hygiene products, clearly something that was needing glamourisation....  Thought it best not to add them to this photo gallery... 

This project has really changed the way I view two women in my life who have shared their stories, given advice and helped me to realise the importance of my role of wife, mother and woman.... I love that my mum and my mother -in-law have kept a lot of the values of the 1960s but have adapted, changed, learned how to be true to themselves in these modern times.... In a way, doing this project, I am not as scared of getting older. I wonder what my girls will think of this ad in 30 years time....

  

 

Is this cool?

Homesick for London - sigh.....

I am having one of those days.... My poor husband has had to go out running to get some distance from me, my sighing is driving him nuts.  I am homesick for a place I lived in for 18 months, nearly 7 years ago....amazing, exciting, ever changing London. These were my glory days, the days of cool, the days of opportunities.....

Our life was so fun back then.  We would slog it out at work for the week and start planning our weekends on Tuesdays.  If we were staying 'in town', we would aim to see a museum, a gallery, have a fabulous coffee and end up either walking along the Thames or braving the pick-pockets on Oxford Street for some great shopping.  Or we would poke around Covent Garden and have a pasty, or Harrod's for hot chocolate or Notting Hill Markets for Chilli - food seemed to be our focus back then!  We would arrive home exhausted and dusty from a day hopping on and off Tubes or walking around Hyde Park, in time to watch CSI Miami with take-away in hand.

If we were heading 'out of town', such as Paris, Brussels, Rotterdam or Stratford-Upon-Avon, we would get up early, have a 'Little Chef' or Tesco or airport breakfast and spend the day following our feet from coffee shops to fashions shops to museums to galleries to pubs and then start over again.  It was great.

When we went to a museum or art gallery, we had a set plan that was not deviated from.  Firstly, we would get a map from the information counter, then head straight to the coffee shop.  While scoffing cakes and coffee, we would decide which things we would like to see and cross reference these with the Lonely Planet guide, which took more time, so therefore more coffee would have to be purchased.  We then worked our way through the displays only seeing the things that really interested us.  This tradition became quite a sport, in fact, when we went to the Rijks Museum in Amsterdam we only had a small window of time to look around, so we decided to use the Museum's Guide of the Top 10 things to see.  This resulted in us sprinting through the galleries, much to the delight of large groups of children on school trips.  Night Watch by Rembrandt- Check, Famous Doll Houses - Check, Funny mummified things - Check.  It was a hoot!  I am determined to get back there one day to do the museum justice, it is magnificent and I am sure well worth a more measured approach to looking around.

I have to sometimes stop myself from thinking about these days too much because it makes me sad and a bit depressed really.  My life is so totally completely different that the juxtaposition of my two lives leaves my head spinning.  I spend most of my time now either preparing meals - sigh-, cleaning a house - sigh-, trying to entertain and discipline children - sigh- and trying in vane to keep up with the washing - sigh -, not to mention my pursuit of cool - double sigh-.

I then feel very uncool because I actually have a lovely life.  My husband is gorgeous, kind, funny and smart.  My children are divine, beautiful and so so charming.  I have beautiful, clever friends, loving, quirky family and a job made just for me.  My house is lovely and I have been able to see over lots of renovations, which has been so much fun.  I have been overseas in the last year and have been to Sydney and the beach and spent days eating fancy food with my aforementioned lovely, clever friends.  I should be exceedingly happy.

But on the days when the leaves are gone, the clouds are grey, the weather is bleak and temperature drops, it makes me homesick for my life in London.  I guess I will always feel this, and this makes me happy-sad.  Happy because I have those memories and have been so blessed to have had the opportunities I have had, and sad because life changes and eventually one has to realise that one has to grow up.

As I finish this post and ponder where this leaves my homesick heart, my five year old is pretty impressed that she can fit a whole Chicken Crimpy cracker in her mouth whole - I wonder if I can?  Yep, cool, I have impressed a five year old.  I guess there are new things to look forward to....

Cool Website: Urban Dictionary

 The Urban Dictionary is very cool.  I love the colloquial language it uses.  Just for interest sake - (hmmmm... not sure if reading a dictionary is technically 'cool') - I looked up 'cool'.  Here is what is says...

The best way to say something is neat-o, awesome, or swell. The phrase "cool" is very relaxed, never goes out of style, and people will never laugh at you for using it, very conveniant for people like me who don't care about what's "in." Homestar is cool. The Red Sox are cool. Twinkies are cool. A word to use when you don't know what else to say, or when you are not that interested in the conversation. Sometimes, it can be used when you do not have any knowledge of the subject, yet you want to act as if you know-it-all. Mary: "I saw a very cute kitten just now!"  An adjective referring to something that is very good, stylish, or otherwise positive. It is among the most common slang terms used in today's world. Your computer is very cool. Okay, so according to this, I have a ways to go to being cool.  Although, I can relate to the second definition - I really don't know a lot about things, so the word 'cool' is quite common in my vernacular. Some words from the Urban Dictionary that I am going to work at making cool are: Numpty Writering You wastin' my minutes  (This one is a wee bit naughty, but thought I could add it to my teacher repetoire of sayings - alongside, "Well, that is five minutes of my life I will never get back".) I just love words, if you find any other funny words in the Urban Dictionary - I would love to check them out....  Oooh, ooh, just found another word for you to check out.... 'a crapella'  tee hee heee......

Reader Question: What Makes Cons so cool?

Thanks to Friend #194 who asked a question that I thought I would attempt to answer in a blog post. In my post about "What is always cool", I mentioned Converse sneakers. Her question to me was whether it is just marketing that makes Cons cool - she asked what the difference between a K-mart remake and the real thing are in relation to their 'coolness'? I have been a-pondering.

I get what she is saying, sometimes wearing the right item can be enough. But, I have to say, that people care about brands, whether we like it or not. I had the privilege of heading off to school camp, (being pregnant in a sleeping bag is an interesting debacle...) I wore my silver Chucks and the kids noticed. Students who had never spoken to me before mentioned my shoes... Converse sneakers are cool right now. But here are my thoughts on Friend #194's questions...

Firstly, I have been reading quite a bit about style lately. I am sure it is uncool to go to the town library and seek out books on style, but that is where I found some great books filled with tidbits of advice on making a wardrobe timeless and functional. I also learnt a lot of hogwash about owning only certain items in certain shades, and how to store fox stoles - on fox, I say! But something rang out, you never regret buying quality, I have found this time and time again. I have been suckered by the sale rack at Target and bought zany fashion items for $3.44 because they were such a bargain, but these items were doomed to Lifeline from the time of impulsive purchase. On the other hand, there have been times when I have bitten the bullet and paid a wee bit more for a quality item, to then have something that lasts and lasts and stays in great condition for more than a season. I have had my Chucks for well over a year and they have been to Tonga and New Zealand, I wear them with shorts and jeans and they are still looking pretty new.

Secondly, I have also mentioned this before in older posts, cool things have a story. Converse began as an independent company, sometime around 1908, wanting to make a product that didn't follow the crowd but stayed true to its brand. During WWII they made shoes and apparel for American servicemen. They have redesigned their shoes many times and have been able to make basketball shoes a fashion accessory for basketball players, rock & roll stars, students, and of course, cool mums dropping kiddies off to school.

Thirdly, being individual is cool. Friend #286 has a pair of hand painted Pumas - cool because they are so unique (he is also cool by the way, not just his shoes). Friend #612 is cool because she loves op-shopping and wears a mini dress as a maternity skirt - she sees possibilities in things. Being an individual is something we all strive for and I can't help but wonder if buying imitations of things made by major corporations takes away some of the shoe's intended individualism. I think that there is a time and a place for quality, story and individualism. Some cool people out there wouldn't think Converse shoes fit this criteria. Does Converse tick all the cool boxes for you in this instance? Dunno, but for me, it does. I think they are cool.

"And there you have it - for now... The best stories are the ones that don't end - the ones you just keep adding to and adding to - all the while marveling at the creative, disruptive, optimistic, courageous ways things evolve from being what they were, to what they are, to what they will become." This is the final sentence from the 'Heritage' section on the Converse Website... Who wouldn't want to say this about their life? Cool, very cool.

Check out the Converse Website (its cool) at: Converse Aus/NZ

Red, Black, Grey and White

I seem to always have full circle moments when I am left thinking, "Hey, I think I have been here before." Let me enlighten you on my rickety train of thought.

I have a five-year old daughter. She is so beautiful it can break your heart, long blonde hair, big brown eyes, rosy cheeks. She is a stunner. But, my oh my, can she talk, argue, whinge and excuse herself with an ever eloquent tongue. My mum is very understanding and gives great (if not whacky) advice, but I cannot speak ill of my five year old to her. Why? Because my dear old mum gives me 'The Look'. You know, 'The Look' with powers you receive only when your own children have had children? She looks at me with that withering, all knowing 'Look' that says, "Yup, you were exactly the same". Sigh, she is usually right. I did argue... A lot. Especially with my dear mum. About everything. A lot.

For example, when I was in pre-school (for reference sake I was nearly five) my mum and I had a war raging about one of the outfits I was assigned to wear for church. Mum had made me a black and white houndstooth checked, wrap around skirt, it was darling. But, the shirt she bought to match it was a red t-shirt. When Sunday approached, I would refuse to wear this outfit, insisting that my mum had no idea about what colours matched and that you COULD NOT wear black, red and white together. Me being small and my mum being older, I was forced against my will to wear this outfit, in fact, if one day you have the privilege of seeing my official pre-school class photo, you will see me wearing this outfit. I wore (possibly under force) a green frog necklace to finish the ensemble off. And flip flops - but I am not emotionally ready to discuss this yet.

At the time of writing this blog, I am pregnant. I think I have a cleverly assembled ensemble of clothes that can be mixed and matched to make several outfits. I have leggings, dresses, skirts and long sleeve shirts that all match. I have either made them or bought them in range of colours so as to maximise their flexibility. But, it wasn't until one of my dear year eight students pointed out an obvious trend, that I had my full circle moment. All of my maternity clothes are red, black, grey and white.... Full circle. How could I not have noticed that these are my favourite colours to wear? I herein dedicate this post to my mum, whose sense of what colours match far outshines that of a five year old.

Huh, look left, then look right, check out the colours I chose for my blog. Funny.....

Cool ad - Old Spice

If you watched the 'Gruen Transfer' you may have seen this ad... Hilarious and COOL!



Check it out ... The Man Your Man Could Smell Like



This was taken in one shot - amazing - love the last line - unfortunately Friend #1 is randomly attaching this to anything he says...

In search of the Ultimate Red Lip Gloss

I thought I would glam up a bit for an outing, so I dug through the sultanas and Medicare receipts in the bottom of my handbag to find my favourite Chi Chi Lip Gloss. I applied it liberally only to find that it had gone rancid - not cool. So I threw it out and decided it would be quite an easy mission to find me a nice new red lip gloss. Ha!


I was shopping in Brisbane with my three best friends and we were poking through the make-up department in Myer. Faithful friend #643 walked with me as I went through all the major brands of make-up in search of the ultimate red lip gloss. We came upon the 'Kit' make-up counter, boy, was it cool. Fabulously named products and great packaging. We found a great red lip-gloss but it was in a tube, no wand and I thought it was a bit expensive at $19.95.


How silly I was not to purchase that item. And I have been kicking myself for weeks as my quest for my perfect lip-gloss has cost me dearly (am not going to write a dollar value as Friend #1 is reading over my shoulder).


I went straight to Myer in my home town the next day, thinking I could just buy a replacement Chi Chi one and be done with it. So I searched and tried on and purchased an identical replacement to the one I had thrown out. However, it wasn't until I got home and tried it on that I realised that the people at Chi Chi had slightly changed their formula or the name of the product, or I got the name of my lipgloss wrong. So, instead of a lip gloss to make me look groovy and fresh, I kind of looked like a blow up doll. Sigh.


I then bought a Sugar Baby lip-gloss which was darling. It had four shades of lip gloss in a very cute little compact. I could blend the shades into various combinations and the honey perfume was delicious. Although the texture, smell and packaging were great, the colour was not red. So my search continued.


In a spurt of desperate need for this item, I made a last ditch effort and decided I was not leaving a certain department store without a lip-gloss meeting my needs. Unfortunately for my five year old daughter, she was with me, poor lass. I methodically went through all the major brands; Revlon, Maybelline, Covergirl, Chi Chi (again) and Bourjois. Some were okay, but mostly they were rosy pink concoctions that were not what I was after. I found a close example in the Australis brand but the only one they had left had been opened and the ladies at the counter told me not to buy it as teenagers are known to try things on - eeewwww (they also told me to just put it back on the shelf - double eeewww!). By this stage my hand was looking very bizarre with every shade of pinky red stored on the shelves, now smeared on my hand. I went back through the department and stumbled upon the Rimmel display. There in a glossy red tube with a wand stood my current lip gloss. It is called 'Volume Booster, Lip Plumping Gloss' in a colour called 'Allure' costing $16.95. It is not quite as red as it could be - but dang it is close, but not as close as the 'Kit' one found weeks and weeks earlier.


The moral of the story? If you find something that is really really close to what you are after, it is worth paying a couple of dollars more to save yourself the angst of looking for something that you have already found. This can also be applied to that t-shirt you saw and loved, but thought was a wee bit too expensive, but your search for something similar took up large portion of your life - if you love it, it is at a decent price, buy it and spend the spare shopping time enjoying your purchase.