Mother-daughter dressing comes full circle: from 1966 to 2013
Spring Fashion
Written by cjhammon in Life in Yesterday's Clothes, Style
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In 1966, my mother bought the two of us matching shift dresses in crisp orange gingham. Digging around through 1960s advertising, I discovered that dressing alike wasn’t merely Mom’s idea of something cool to do; it was a huge mid-century trend, which probably explains why even my three brothers had matching outfits. (Sorry about that boys, but you did. Why am I saying this when I know very well that my brothers don’t read this blog?)
Evidently, that practice sparked a sartorial debate among women. Some thought it diminished women, making them more infantile. (Remember, Betty Friedan’s book, The Feminine Mystique had only been out for three years.) Maybe. But I can vouch for what it did for girls like me: made me feel more grown up, wowed by the fact that I was wearing something Mom wanted to wear.
And now we have a new iteration in mother-daughter dressing: mothers and their grown daughters wearing the same clothes. It’s a trend fueled by two things: 1) relaxed standards for what is “age-appropriate” for “older women” (Yay! I think.) and 2) the number of households where young adults from 18 to 30 are living with Mom and Dad.
As the saying goes, the family who stays together, shops together…or shall I say spends together. Presumably, mothers and daughter vie for the same wardrobe like sisters once did. It’s a significant enough trend that designers like Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan are trying to cash in by making more interesting pieces that have longer lifespans than fast fashion currently offers. Double yay!
I’ve been searching for a great summer shift pattern to sew for The $75 Summer Challenge. Fortunately (or unfortunately) I found one at The French Seam. What’s unfortunate about that? Well, my friends, technically that excursion disqualified me from my own $75 Summer Challenge. The fabrics were so irresistible that I couldn’t leave with just a $16.95 Kwik Sew pattern (K3598). No, I scooped up the four pieces of fabric shown above, thereby disqualifying myself by going way over the $75 limit. I know. It’s truly inspirational, isn’t it, seeing the person who set up the challenge fall off the wagon? I hope honesty counts for something here.
Now hear me out. I learned two important lessons I’d like to share:
1) There are alternatives to Simplicity, Vogue and McCall’s. If you like to sew and you’ve never used a Kwik Sew pattern, you must give them a try. The instructions are SO MUCH BETTER than any other brand I’ve used.
2) Buy good fabric. For years, I’ve been buying fabric at the big box store. Don’t make me mention them here. The Amy Butler fabric I purchased at The French Seam handled unlike anything I’ve worked with before. Exquisite. When you sew, consider spending more and get the good stuff. I also love the personal service you get there.
What about you? Did your mother ever dress you and your siblings in matching clothes? Do you and your mother (or daughter) ever wear the same clothes today?
Life is short. Wear the good stuff.
The photo of the 1960s shift dress shown above was used by permission of Etsy Shop owner, My Sweetie Pie Pie.
14 comments
Anna Smith said:
July 20, 2013 at 5:34 am
My mom use to dress me and my sister the same.. my grandma always made dresses for us. not only did we wear the same clothes but we had to even have our hair fixed the same. use to really hate it too. I bet the smith boys looked good all dressed the same.
cjhammon said:
July 20, 2013 at 7:35 am
Yes, they did, Anna! Sharp looking boys!
Elizabeth said:
July 20, 2013 at 7:59 am
Me and my little sister had matching outfits when we were younger. Now I do a lot of sewing, and sometimes when there is extra fabric we make two of the same thing and have matching clothes. My mom and I have some matching tops too.
That fabric is beautiful!!! I completely agree with you on your points about patterns and fabric too. I almost never use a Simplicity or McCalls pattern anymore and I usually spend the money and buy good quality fabric either from a quilt shop or online.
cjhammon said:
July 20, 2013 at 9:57 am
Sometime, you’ll have to tell me what pattern sources you like best, Elizabeth.
Kendra said:
July 20, 2013 at 8:02 am
Thanks for taking me down memory lane. 🙂
I remember blue floral print matching dresses that my mom, sister, and I had once. I’m going to go digging for that picture now… I loved it. My sister was too little to care.
cjhammon said:
July 20, 2013 at 9:56 am
I found myself rooting around in our photos for a photo of us in our matching dresses, too, Kendra! If you find yours, share it on FB! I’d love to see it!
déjà pseu said:
July 20, 2013 at 9:23 am
Beautiful fabrics! You can just tell by looking at the prints that these are of higher quality. I didn’t have matching outfits with my mother as a child in the 60’s, but she did dress me and my sister alike at times. And I remember wearing little dresses with jackets in 3rd and 4th grade that looked like little Chanel suits.
cjhammon said:
July 20, 2013 at 9:55 am
Oh, that’s funny, about the Chanel jacket, Sue. Sounds sweet! I suppose if I had a sister, we might have been dressed alike.
Elena said:
July 21, 2013 at 8:25 pm
Yes! Yes! I wore those dresses with the matching/coordinating Chanel-like jackets in the 60’s too! Wow, this does bring back memories.
cjhammon said:
July 23, 2013 at 11:59 am
Where was I when those Chanel-inspired jackets were coming out??? Thanks for commenting and visiting, Elena!
Jill said:
July 20, 2013 at 1:52 pm
Your fabrics are beautiful, I especially like the blue and red prints.
Ahh, Crystal I am sad that you blew your $75 summer budget. I have been keeping to it. This is my frugal summer. Not even a new t-shirt, which I love to wear. I actually had to toss out a few and now I need to get my hubby to the storage locker to find my box of clothes and shoes because I am getting bored with my limited wardrobe. House hunting is going so slow.
cjhammon said:
July 23, 2013 at 12:01 pm
How I hate being a disappointment! I have heard that the housing market is heating up again. I’m thinking about you! You’ll be so happy to have all your belongings together again. It does make you realize, though, how little one really needs, doesn’t it?
Melanie Bingham said:
July 29, 2013 at 3:55 pm
Love this! (Especially the part about the boys.) I’m settling down at home for a change, and I am planning a curtain project. I don’t want to make clothes until I lose some weight; although, if I were to make something right now, a SHIFT would be the perfect choice!! : )
cjhammon said:
July 31, 2013 at 12:53 pm
Don’t you wait! You’re perfect just the way you are.