How to Lure Men: Wear Gloves?

Continuing to share from the 1968 book  I Haven't a Thing to Wear by Judith Keith's, the chapter entitled Conversation Pieces beings with the wearing of gloves.

my haul from the flea market last March

Accessories, Keith suggests, should not be overused. Edit, edit, edit; and when in doubt--don't!

Gloves can be used to provide 'distinction'. Keith suggested short cotton gloves be worn with a simple cotton dress on a supermarket visit! "Snappy leather shorties perk up popped-out plaids, prints and suits." Pant suits were to be paired with pigskins, which were also great for driving, riding, and hiking. Wool and black leather in winter, and long white gloves with a gown, are still worn today.

In 1969 I wore long gloves to the school dance. And wings. Had to have those wings.

And, she contends, gloves can be conversations starters.

Take a simple pair of gloves. In fact take two simple pair of gloves in the most basic colors: one pair black, one pair white. Walk into any party or any place where people gather, wearing one white glove and one black glove! You will certainly create conversation!

Carry it off with e'lan and elegance. You will make many new friends. Strangers will ask, "Do you always do that?"

"Do what?" you smile.

"Don't you know you are wearing two different gloves?" they continue.

"The only thing I know for sure, is that I have another pair at home, just like these," you reply easily.

Once at a cocktail party in San Francisco a handsome distinguished gentleman came up to me and introduced himself stating, "I have always wanted to meet a woman who wouldn't let her right hand know what her left hand is doing." The next two days in San Francisco were just divine.

My mother and father's 1949 wedding. Mom and her sister in white gloves.

Vacationer's Souvenir Handkerchiefs

Handkerchief Designer Tammis Keefe created souvenir handkerchiefs for cities and tourist stops across America. Collecting handkerchiefs and other souvenirs from places one visited was a craze in the mid-twentieth century. These types of handkerchiefs are easily found.

John Wanamaker Department Store, Philadelphia by Tammis Keefe

Independence Hall, Philadelphia by Tammis Keefe

Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia by Tammis Keefe

New York City Bronx Zoo by Tammis Keefe

Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn, MI by Tammis Keefe

Greenfield Village, Dearborn MI by Tammis Keefe

Chicago, by Tammis Keefe

Williamsburg by Emily Whaley

Wilmington, Delaware by Tammis Keefe

The Great Lakes

With the automobile people began to travel across the United States on vacation.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike, rayon

New York City, 1930s?

Milwaukee

Sault Ste. Marie, Canada, silk

Hawaii

And with the airplane and jet liner vacationers could travel across continents.

France

Bern, Swizterland

Souvenir handkerchiefs were pretty, and useful, reminders of one's visit. Plus, they took up very little room in one's luggage!

Switzerland

Australia

New Zealand

The Taj Mahal, India

Bath, England Museum of Costume

The British Isles

Ireland

Spanish bullfighter

China?

Russian silk handkerchiefs circa 2000

Where will you travel this summer?

Dispelling Myths and Extolling the Unconventional

About ten years ago my Dad picked up a trunk from along side the road. When he got home and opened it he found an unbound quilt.

Carolina Lily owned by Nancy A Bekofske

It is not well made. The appliquéd flower stems were applied after the blocks were sewn. The quilting is primitive, the batting is bulky and, and the quilt weighs a ton. The fabrics include Gingham, florals, solids, and bandanna prints.

 

And yet there is an exuberance to the quilt; it makes one smile. I love the orange backgrounds in several blocks.

This is the kind of quilt considered in Unconventional and Unexpected: American Quilts Below the Radar 1950-2000 by Roderick Kiracofe.  Kiracofe sees his new book as an extension of  his 2004 landmark book The American Quilt: A History of Cloth and Comfort 1750-1950.

The quilt collector, author, and artist says that in 2004 he suddenly questioned, what were the everyday quilts between 1950 and the end of the century? The quilts that were made to be used? He started collecting quilts from this era.

These quilts will not win a prize in a national quilt show. They break every rule we quilters have been taught to obey. They are individualistic. They can inspire artists to use what they have and express what they love. They are 'functional' not show quilts that have been "under the radar" and only recently appreciated by collectors and historians. They tell a story. Their energy and a vision is unique to the quilt maker. The artist will discover that the untrained eye knows instinctively the importance of rhythm, value, and line.

Kiracofe's quilts were ten years in collecting. They are wonderfully portrayed in oversize images that allow us to see the total quilt as art, some with quilt back or detail photos. The essays included offer insights on quilts as history, as art, and as a craft.

Never Seen a Blanket by Natalie Chanin tells the story of growing up in a Southern community "raised to work cotton" from picking bolls to sewing garments. "In the South cotton is your birthright, your way of life, your punishment, and your legacy," Chanin writes. 

Amelia Peck, Curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, discusses the artistry of late 20th c. quilts in her essay In Dialogue With an Anonymous Quilt, considering color and pattern, vision, and how the quilt speaks to the viewer.

We learn about "M-provisational" quilts in A Texas Quiltmaker's Life: An Interview with Sherry Ann Byrd by Robert Kiracofe and Sherry Ann Byrd. Byrd explains that family use quilts were different from those made for sale, having "more swagger, colorfulness, and a bit of jazzy bling and slang."  

Detail of Eastside Detroit 'make do' quilt

Unconventional Wisdom: The Myths and Quilts that Came Before by Janneken Smucker, history professor, author, and quiltmaker, dismantles what we have believed about quilts over the last hundred years. Her research shows that scrap quilting was not part of our early heritage. 

Professor and author Elissa Auther discusses A Brief History of Quilts in Contemporary Art from Rauchenberg to the AIDS Quilt.

Barkcloth and Decorating Fabric Quilt circa 1960, found on eBay

From Under the Bedcovers: A Culture Curator's Perspective by Ulysses Grant Dietz, decorative arts curator, considers the "Gees Bend" phenomenon and the cultural and historical background evidenced in quilts.

1970s Gees Bend quilt owned by Anne Soles

Quilts Are Quilts by Allison Smith, artist and professor, explores categorizing quilts as art.

Kaffe Fassett writes about The Joyous Anarchy of Color and Pattern considering how these quilts give permission for quilters to break free into imaginative flights of fantasy.

The Beauty of Making Do by Modern quiltmaker Denyse Schmidt gives permission to experiment with materials on hand, taking the risk of improvisation.

This Picture is Not a Family Heirloom by Abner Nolan considers things not kept, not heirlooms, that find meaning in a new context.

This is a beautiful book that will inspire many.

Improvisational scrap quilt by Nancy A. Bekofske

Let's Get Looped: 1968 Advice on How to Wear a Scarf

At a library book sale I chanced upon a slim volume titled I Haven't a Thing to Wear: or getting down to basics in fashion and beauty by Judith Keith with Sandy Sprung. Published in 1968 the author was "dubbed the Fashionable Fraud." Keith was a popular lecturer, with a background in advertising, acting, editor, publishing and PR. The book is richly illustrated with amazing line drawings.

Today I am sharing advice from her 17 pages on how to wear a scarf.

I had a collection of scarfs back in 1968. They were very popular for many years, which is why every thrift shop has loads in stock. Wait until you see what can be done with them!

Keith begins with a tip for keeping scarfs in place: she sews a loop into her clothing! She used a self-belt loop or made a loop with fabric from a deep hem; one she suggests also using ribbon, leather, or felt.

She sewed the loop inside the neckline facing, brought the loop up and over the neck, then pinned the loop to the outside of the garment. When you didn't want to wear a scarf the loop was tucked back behind the garment.

She used one loop for a jewel neckline, two for scoop and bateau, and one at the bottom of the V neckline. One could also loop jewelry through the loops, or a bow.

The loop technique can also be used on sleeves and hems to add edgings of ruffles, fringe, lace, and bows.

• Bateau Flounce: Lift a 24" or 30" square scarf in the center. Pull through one's bra strap and out over the neckline. Tuck end under flounce. "Plunge a pin through the flounce to secure."
• Flower Flounce: follow same directions as for basic flounce; bring end of scarf out over the flounce. Widen the end into a well and secure in place with a small pin for a flower effect.

The Basic Scarf Fold: lay flat; fold ends into center and overlap. Double again for narrower effect. Scarf will lay neat and flat on neck. Variation: make a square knot and wear as a simple tie.

Bra-Cross: Using a 24" or 30" scarf in the basic fold, drape around neck, cross ends in front, secure around bra straps. "Looks smashing" under a cowl, ring, or stand-u collars.

Pussycat Bow: A 24" scarf makes a smaller, tighter bow; a 36" scarf a softer one. Make basic fold. Pull scarf part way through loop. Widen bow to create fullness. Accent with pin. Use silk crepe or twills for firmer bows and chiffon for wispier ones.

Blithe Spirit: Using two scarfs, tie ends together into full, fussy tie. Secure to the front of the dress and toss panels over the shoulder. Use two matching or complementary scarfs. Or pull a single chiffon or silk crepe oblong through loop and fling backwards.

• Pleated Flounce: Use 36" squares. Hold scarf taut in both hands. Accordion pleat by folding back and forth. Drape around neck, pull through loop and separate folds for a soft fall.
• Ring Flounce: Make a pleated flounce, then pull scarf up at shoulders.
• Jabot Flounce: make a pleated flounce; shorten one end, pulling it over the longer end. Anchor with pin.

Smoke Rings are circle scarfs, cut and sewn on the bias which permits stretching. They slip over the heat and can be used as a headband, hat band, or around the neck held by pins.

• Side Sweep: drop over head, pull through loop.
• Dropped Bow: Pull through loop without dropping over head.
• Jabot: Pull through loop, bringing shorter end over longer end. Pin.
• Shoulder Flounce: Pull Smoke Ring through a bra strap.
• The Elizabethan: The dramatic Elizabethan look is created b draping smoke rings over turtlenecks. Fold smoke ring in half lengthwise. Drape inner fold inside neckline and the outer fold over turtleneck. 
• Smoke Ring Epaulet: Attach a pin to the shoulder of dress and pull a smoke ring through.

Knotted Ascot: Lift a 24" or 30" square directly in center and knot. Flip scarf over so the knot is inside. The knot should be centered. Pull any two ends taut. Tie ends in back of neck. Tuck under collar. If there is no collar, pin ends in back to keep neat. Tuck lower end into bra and secure.

The Vaquero: Fold scarf into triangle, point forward. Bring ends to front and tie as in Sketch 15.

V-Necklines are perfect for round faces, short necks, heavy bosoms or jowls. 

• Criss-Cross: Oblong or 36" square with basic fold, bring around neck and criss cross under bosom. Pin to bra.
• V-Loop: Pull scarf through loop sewn into bottom of "v". Drape ends out and over."A lady at EXPO '67 told Keith she had sewn loops into her bra!)
• V-Bows: Pull scarf through loop and tie into flowing bow.

The 1970s were noted for women using scarfs and handkerchiefs for blouses. Tiny women, I am sure. Keith showed how to create the Scarf Blouse, which was "perfect for traveling and when you are tired of the blouses you have." Fold 36" square into a triangle. (For larger women use a square of wide fabric.) Sew snaps into the top of the triangle. Snap and drop over head. Tie the other two ends around the waist. Add a jacket. 

"...the scarf is cool, comfortable, and no one knows the difference unless you take the jacket off!"

Use two 36" chiffon squares for another look.

The Scarf Dickey could be used under a jacket or without. Use a 48" oblong scarf. Criss-cross, overlapping ends and stitch to a ribbon or belt to circle the waist. Gather in soft folds and stitch. Keith note one could try dickies in felt, brocade, velvet; appliqué, embroider, trim and "fringe at will". 

In another post I will share Judith Keith's advice on accessories.

Read newspaper article about Keith on Goggle newspapers:

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2199&dat=19810426&id=yakyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8-cFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6737,5418476&hl=en

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=266&dat=19610211&id=yc0wAAAAIBAJ&sjid=59wFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2466,3809341&hl=en

Sandy Sprung wrote for Married With Children and other television shows:

http://marriedwithchildren.wikia.com/wiki/Sandy_Sprung