Saturday, August 29, 2009

Unmentionables

You know..those things you aren't supposed to talk about..

Did you wear a garter belt to hold up your nylon stockings? I did, you can imagine my embarrassment when I was all dolled up and at a dance..and the long blond hair on my legs were poking through my nylons. My blond hairs sparkled in the sunlight..they sparkled so much..I was sure that everyone that wasn't blinded by the sparkling was laughing. For goodness sakes I could have curled that hair on my legs. The next day..I took my Dads razor and shaved my legs. My Mother said "Well, from now on you are stuck shaving your legs." Yup..shaving is better than curling, and way better than sparkling shining hairs poking through my nylons.

Are my seams straight? Those were words spoken often when you were in the company of other women. My Mothers sisters were so particular about their seams. Goodness sakes..their seams must be straight at all times.. crooked seams were not allowed. And runs..oh once they started..you had to stop them with nail polish..preferably CLEAR nail polish. Colored nail polish was a last resort. The nail polish always had to be applied while you were wearing the nylons. You could pick the excess polish off of your leg later. Runs in your nylons were a big embarrassment, and if that wasn't bad enough, everyone would point it out to you "Hey, did you know you have a run?"

Those garter belts were a pain..sometimes you lost a garter and sometimes one would come unhooked, sometimes they pinched you when you sat down. Hooking up the back ones sometimes required some acrobatic movements. I never mourned the demise of the garter belt. Panyhose, what a great invention..but still an unmentionable. I kept all my unmentionables in my top dresser drawer ...how about you?:)

All photos taken inside the old General Store called The Wallingford Grocery 1937 at the Lake Itasca Pioneers Farmers Show.

16 comments:

Jeanne Estridge said...

As the fourth in in series of five girls, the rules were already in place by the time I reached the age of hosiery -- fifth grade. I believe I was 5'2" and weighed approximately 52 pounds. They did not make hose small enough to fit my bony little legs. I remember having to bunch the tops up and fit the garter to the very edge of the thicker mesh -- and even so had the skinniest elephant ankles ever seen on this planet!

I loathe pantyhose -- good reminder that they're an improvement!

Anonymous said...

I love these photos. They remind me of the old five and dime store in my hometown. I remember mama and grandma wearing these. By the time I could wear hose, they were panty hose but my legs were like broom sticks. Jeanne's description of elephant ankles fits me too! All the years that I have stayed home care-taking something happened - last summer when I had to buy panty hose after all the years, I needed JUMBO size!!!

Sunny said...

Oh what memories! My mother said the exact same thing to me!
She also told me that when she was a young woman in England during the war, when nylons were practically nonexistent, they would run an eyebrow pencil down the back of their legs to look like a seam.
Thank goodness for the invention of pantyhose!
Great post.
Sunny :)

West Side of Straight said...

Cool Blog - Oh we wore those every day to school, except Fri, when we could wear slacks - not jeans!!!! Remember my mother saying to sister and I when she got off work; "Don't talk to me until I get this girdle off!" The Girdle with garters was an improvement over the garter belt!!!!

Mary said...

I hated that garter belt and was so happy to see panty hose. Now, it's a very rare time that I wear even them. Slacks! Did you every wear panty hose under your slacks or jeans?

Maery Rose said...

Men would never put up with such contraptions! I remember using a garter belt to hold up my fishnets, another bizarre invention that left all sorts of funny triangles imprinted on your legs.

Andrea said...

Thank goodness I came of age just after panty hose were the norm!

I enjoyed your post! Maybe someday women's dress will catch up with men's--(I'm too tired to figure out the correct punctuation of those plural posessives right now).

Anonymous said...

Great photos. Luckily, I was brought up abroad in warm countries so never subjected to stockings, or even socks or shoes! I rarely wear tights these days as several layers of trousers are the only way to keep warm in winter when outside.

Rae said...

If I had a dollar for every time my mother asked me if her seams were straight I would be rich. I remember those awful garter belts too. I am so tall that the garters had to really stretch to attach to the too short nylons. Hated them!! I felt like it was a torture device. It is a wonder we survived those days.

The first time I shaved my legs I was in trouble. I was lectured about becoming "loose". It was almost a sin like I was on my way to becoming a street walker. My mother never shaved her legs. Ewww. I hated that sparkly hair look.

lisa said...

I love your story's! Love the long curling hair! He, he

Pamela said...

tooooo funny. I remember them all. Then the panty girdle stole the show.

Then panty hose

Now I buy a pair on occasion, to hang onions in.

linda m said...

Boy, do I ever remember garter belts and stockings. I was one of those whose seams never would stay straight. Great pictures!

Anonymous said...

I remember that statement from my Mom also. When pantyhose came along I thought they were the greatest thing in the world. Now I don't like wearing any of them. Great post.

Anonymous said...

curly leg hair - LOL I also came of age after pantyhose was in - had to wear it to school every day from the 6th grade up (school dress code). Still bought a garter though. I think I like it better than hose! Not at hot anyway. I just shave and do not wear hose - ever! Sometimes I'll sport the garter. =)

DayPhoto said...

Boy did you bring back memories. I loved it when pantyhose came out. Stopped all the extra clothes under all the other clothes. Today, I hate wearing anything like hose!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

Emma Rose said...

That's hysterical! Dutchess Underwear!!! I'm SO embarrassed :) Seriously, what a fun post Far Side. I always had to wear a girdle and I hated it. However, I detest panty hose too, so, blue jeans are now my thing forever more!

The Duchess