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The Rat In The Python: Book 3 Fashion
If you haven’t heard of a liberty bodice, believe that half-a-crown is something to do with impoverished royalty and never had the experience of slapping a television to stop the grainy black and white picture from rolling, then this series might not be for you. Please give it a go, though – I suspect that most of it will still resonate no matter where you were brought up!
Book 3 looks at fashion and how it’s changed since the end of WWII. From utility coats and twinsets, to schoolboys in short trousers with socks and garters. From the swinging sixties with its long, long hair and short, short skirts, to psychedelia and beyond.
The Rat in the Python is about Baby Boomers who, in the stability following the Second World War, formed a statistical bulge in the population python. It is a personal snapshot of a time that is as mystifying to my children as the Jurassic Era - and just as unrecognisable.
My intention is to nudge some long-forgotten memories to the surface, test your own recollections and provide information and statistics to put it all in context.
Are you sitting comfortably?
Then I’ll begin…
Book 3 looks at fashion and how it’s changed since the end of WWII. From utility coats and twinsets, to schoolboys in short trousers with socks and garters. From the swinging sixties with its long, long hair and short, short skirts, to psychedelia and beyond.
The Rat in the Python is about Baby Boomers who, in the stability following the Second World War, formed a statistical bulge in the population python. It is a personal snapshot of a time that is as mystifying to my children as the Jurassic Era - and just as unrecognisable.
My intention is to nudge some long-forgotten memories to the surface, test your own recollections and provide information and statistics to put it all in context.
Are you sitting comfortably?
Then I’ll begin…
176 pages, Paperback
Published October 28, 2024
About the author
Alex Craigie
7 books148 followersAlex Craigie is the pen name of Trish Power.
Trish was ten when her first play was performed at school. It was in rhyming couplets and written in pencil in a book with imperial weights and measures printed on the back. There were two princes in it - one was called Rupert and the other was changed to Sam because she couldn't find enough rhymes for Randolph.
When her children were young, she wrote short stories for magazines before returning to the teaching job that she loved.
Trish has had seven books published under the pen name of Alex Craigie. Three books cross genre boundaries and feature elements of romance, thriller and suspense against a backdrop of social issues. Someone Close to Home highlights the problems affecting care homes, Acts of Convenience has issues concerning the health service at its heart, and The Bubble Reputation reflects her fears about social media and the damage it can do. Another book. Means to Deceive, is a psychological thriller set in Pembrokeshire in Wales.
Someone Close to Home has won a Chill with a Book award and a Chill with the Book of the Month award. In 2019 it was one of the top ten bestsellers in its category on Amazon.
The Bubble Reputation won a Chill With a Book Premier Readers' Award in 2023.
She is currently writing a series of books called The Rat in the Python about growing up as a Baby Boomer. The title comes from the term for the bulge in the population statistics caused by us post-war babies.
Trish was ten when her first play was performed at school. It was in rhyming couplets and written in pencil in a book with imperial weights and measures printed on the back. There were two princes in it - one was called Rupert and the other was changed to Sam because she couldn't find enough rhymes for Randolph.
When her children were young, she wrote short stories for magazines before returning to the teaching job that she loved.
Trish has had seven books published under the pen name of Alex Craigie. Three books cross genre boundaries and feature elements of romance, thriller and suspense against a backdrop of social issues. Someone Close to Home highlights the problems affecting care homes, Acts of Convenience has issues concerning the health service at its heart, and The Bubble Reputation reflects her fears about social media and the damage it can do. Another book. Means to Deceive, is a psychological thriller set in Pembrokeshire in Wales.
Someone Close to Home has won a Chill with a Book award and a Chill with the Book of the Month award. In 2019 it was one of the top ten bestsellers in its category on Amazon.
The Bubble Reputation won a Chill With a Book Premier Readers' Award in 2023.
She is currently writing a series of books called The Rat in the Python about growing up as a Baby Boomer. The title comes from the term for the bulge in the population statistics caused by us post-war babies.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 23, 2024
This is the third book in a series I have much enjoyed. The author takes us from the post-war years to the present day exploring the many aspects of our lives as they evolved. Having covered the home and shopping and food, this book covers fashion which is massive field including clothes across the decades, make-up and hairstyles, the influences in design, show business, music and films which began trends adopted particularly by the teenage generation.
I am a boomer born in the early 1950s and this series has definitely evoked some memories particularly of the 60s and 70s but the author also shares illustrations of what our grandmothers and grandfathers were wearing in the Edwardian era which emphasised how quickly our home life and also fashion changed after the Second World War. For example, one must be certainly grateful that the corsetry of that era eventually evolved into less restrictive undergarments, although like Alex Craigie I was witness to the torture my mother put herself through to struggle into a contraption to achieve an hour glass figure.
All age groups are included in detail from babywear and children fashions, teenage trends, mothers and fathers formal and leisure wear along with developments in outerwear, underwear, footwear, hosiery and even the hats we put on our heads.
The illustrations and personal photographs across the decades add to the descriptions wonderfully, and certainly reminded me of my own fashion choices at the time including hairstyles. The author mentions the trend for mothers to provide pudding basin haircuts, and I was certainly a victim and once free of my mother’s scissors, I became very much more experimental with haircuts and colouring promoted in the women’s magazines of the day.
It is also fascinating to follow the trends which accompanied the changing fashions and other cultural influencers such as the music of the day and emerging groups including Beatniks, Mods and Rockers and the Punk movement. Combined with the designers such as Quant and models such as Twiggy there were plenty of opportunities to experiment and create a look that suited you personally, but also allowed you to blend in with the particular group you belonged to.
Social history is so important to remind us of the influences which have formed our modern society. I loved this trip down memory lane and it has reminded me that whilst I might now be in my 70s that is no reason to not enjoy the current fashion trends, even if it might require a few modifications to suit a more mature body shape!
The author has researched this element of the last century in depth and has shared this with us in great style. The book is very easy to read and the many illustrations offer a wonderful visual guide to each decade.
For those who enjoy quizzing there is a section at the back of the book to test your knowledge and memory. I loved this book as I did the other two in the series and highly recommend it. I am very proud to be part of the boomer generation and these books are a perfect reminder that we are all participants in change and contributors to the future.
I am a boomer born in the early 1950s and this series has definitely evoked some memories particularly of the 60s and 70s but the author also shares illustrations of what our grandmothers and grandfathers were wearing in the Edwardian era which emphasised how quickly our home life and also fashion changed after the Second World War. For example, one must be certainly grateful that the corsetry of that era eventually evolved into less restrictive undergarments, although like Alex Craigie I was witness to the torture my mother put herself through to struggle into a contraption to achieve an hour glass figure.
All age groups are included in detail from babywear and children fashions, teenage trends, mothers and fathers formal and leisure wear along with developments in outerwear, underwear, footwear, hosiery and even the hats we put on our heads.
The illustrations and personal photographs across the decades add to the descriptions wonderfully, and certainly reminded me of my own fashion choices at the time including hairstyles. The author mentions the trend for mothers to provide pudding basin haircuts, and I was certainly a victim and once free of my mother’s scissors, I became very much more experimental with haircuts and colouring promoted in the women’s magazines of the day.
It is also fascinating to follow the trends which accompanied the changing fashions and other cultural influencers such as the music of the day and emerging groups including Beatniks, Mods and Rockers and the Punk movement. Combined with the designers such as Quant and models such as Twiggy there were plenty of opportunities to experiment and create a look that suited you personally, but also allowed you to blend in with the particular group you belonged to.
Social history is so important to remind us of the influences which have formed our modern society. I loved this trip down memory lane and it has reminded me that whilst I might now be in my 70s that is no reason to not enjoy the current fashion trends, even if it might require a few modifications to suit a more mature body shape!
The author has researched this element of the last century in depth and has shared this with us in great style. The book is very easy to read and the many illustrations offer a wonderful visual guide to each decade.
For those who enjoy quizzing there is a section at the back of the book to test your knowledge and memory. I loved this book as I did the other two in the series and highly recommend it. I am very proud to be part of the boomer generation and these books are a perfect reminder that we are all participants in change and contributors to the future.
November 21, 2024
I was very glad to find there was a third in this amusing and informative series, this one concentrating on clothing and fashion of the Boomer generation (the rat bulge in the population python). Once more it has allowed me to wallow in nostalgia, while laughing aloud. Although I was never cursed with a liberty bodice, I remember the times and styles very well, so even if you are too young to share the memories, it’s an excellent guide to life in the mid 20th century. This one also extends beyond the fifties, sixties and seventies of my youth, through the big hair and shoulder pads of the eighties, into a new century, with a glance at the ethics of fashion. And there is a quiz. I am hoping there will be a fourth in the series.
January 8, 2025
The Rat in the Python: Book 3, Fashion is the third book in Alex Craigie’s series about growing up in Great Britain as a Baby Boomer in the 1950s and 1960s. I’ve read the first two books–The Home and Shopping and Food–and I’m fully committed to reading the entire series. Leisure and Pastimes is next. Should be fun!
The book’s approach to the subject of fashion is comprehensive and amply illustrated with advertisements and family photographs. Children’s, women’s, and men’s clothing for all occasions are included for each decade. Craigie also discusses the torturous foundation garments and footwear needed to be fashionable at the time, as well as hairstyles, makeup, jewellery, tattoos, and cosmetic surgery.
The book first points out that there is a big difference between clothing and its utilitarian uses (protection from the elements, maintaining modesty) and fashion. Fashion is an integral part of popular culture, including music, dance, and slang trends, with the undercurrent of capitalism bubbling along beneath it. What became apparent the more I read is that the fashion industry not only dictates what is fashionable, it also dictates the body shape needed to look good in the fashions of the moment. (Hence, the need for torturous foundation garments.)
Cragie highlights fashion’s role in asserting independence from one’s parents; maintaining or breaking away from gender roles; belonging to particular groups; making a statement about one’s own individuality; and proclaiming social status. Fashion also reflects social conditions, such as upturns and downturns of the national economy, wartime shortages, and political upheaval.
As with Books 1 and 2, I had a lot of fun seeing differences between the UK and the US (where I grew up as a Baby Boomer), primarily due to Great Britain’s need to rebuild its economy and infrastructure after World War II. One of several fashions I did recognize was the tippet, known in the US as a fur piece, which consisted of a dead animal with the head and paws still attached, which the lady draped around her neck to frighten away dogs and small children.
I also enjoyed Craigie’s trademark humorous prose style:
“Perhaps I’d threatened something along the lines of running away from home and joining a travelling circus (although I think if I had, I’d have been handed some sandwiches and cheerily waved off the premises).”
In addition to the fashions she grew up with as a Baby Boomer in the 1950s and 1960s, Craigie takes us into the 1970s, 1980s, and 2000s, including a sobering discussion of the environmental impact of the fashion industry’s role in our current disposable society and the planet’s future sustainability.
The Rat in the Python, Book 3: Fashion achieves a good balance of fun Baby Boomer nostalgia and currently relevant social commentary. I highly recommend it!
November 11, 2024
The author’s recollections of the 1950s remind us of the formality of the times: for the women, twinsets (matching jumpers and cardigans) and pearls, for the men, shirt and ties and jackets. In contrast there is an hilarious section on the ‘undergarments’. From the descriptions of girdles, and corsets to ‘Madonna’ cone-shaped bras that presumably ‘lifted and separated’, to the priceless image of a man in a girdle with the advert declaring it ‘Manly’. This can only bring a sigh of relief that today’s fashion in undergarments demands so little – and is far more glamorous – for younger people, of course.
Talking of ‘younger people’ The Swinging Sixties part of Book 3 is my favourite – because then I was one; I wore much of what is described here, and experimented with the make up and hairstyles. I have to admit to reading the words with great nostalgia and drooling over the images. Sigh!
The narrative of the next two decades is lightly sprinkled with the politics of the times and the changes in British culture that affected the fashions. It’s fascinating. And still witty. One sentence from the 1980s section had me chuckling: “One jacket on the catwalk apparently sported shoulder pads that gave the wearer a span of 3 feet…” and later, “There must have been occasions when those with padded shoulders had to turn sideways to negotiate modern doorways.” I actually once saw that!
Like the author, I too” have only been a spectator of the raft of fashions since the start of the 21st century.”, having discovered my own style that I like, that I think suits me, and which I’m comfortable with. And I’m glad I don’t have to keep up with the ‘Influencers’ and the ‘over-arching need to be part of the herd.’
And again, like the other two books in this series there is a quiz at the end of each of the books – fun to test how much you have learned/remembered as you read.
I've enjoyed Book 3 just as much as the first two. And actually as much as I've enjoyed all of Alex Craigie’s books, so I can only add that I would thoroughly recommend them. As before this book has photographs, images and advertisements that are fascinating. Together with the entertaining narrative it's an excellent read. As I wrote about the first two books in this series, it's a great book for any writer researching these eras, because the extensive researching has already been carried out by the author.
Talking of ‘younger people’ The Swinging Sixties part of Book 3 is my favourite – because then I was one; I wore much of what is described here, and experimented with the make up and hairstyles. I have to admit to reading the words with great nostalgia and drooling over the images. Sigh!
The narrative of the next two decades is lightly sprinkled with the politics of the times and the changes in British culture that affected the fashions. It’s fascinating. And still witty. One sentence from the 1980s section had me chuckling: “One jacket on the catwalk apparently sported shoulder pads that gave the wearer a span of 3 feet…” and later, “There must have been occasions when those with padded shoulders had to turn sideways to negotiate modern doorways.” I actually once saw that!
Like the author, I too” have only been a spectator of the raft of fashions since the start of the 21st century.”, having discovered my own style that I like, that I think suits me, and which I’m comfortable with. And I’m glad I don’t have to keep up with the ‘Influencers’ and the ‘over-arching need to be part of the herd.’
And again, like the other two books in this series there is a quiz at the end of each of the books – fun to test how much you have learned/remembered as you read.
I've enjoyed Book 3 just as much as the first two. And actually as much as I've enjoyed all of Alex Craigie’s books, so I can only add that I would thoroughly recommend them. As before this book has photographs, images and advertisements that are fascinating. Together with the entertaining narrative it's an excellent read. As I wrote about the first two books in this series, it's a great book for any writer researching these eras, because the extensive researching has already been carried out by the author.
April 25, 2025
I realised when I came to write this review that this is book 3 and I have skipped out book 2. They don't have to be read in order so it doesn't matter, but book 2 should not be missed as this is a terrific series.
This fascinating short read covers fashion in the UK from WWII to the current date. It actually even goes a little bit further back in the beginning with some interesting comments about fashion during the Edwardian era and I am very thankful that I never had to wear a corset. Being long waisted, this would have been really awful for me. Edwardian women did, however, look very sophisticated with their gorgeous hats and long skirted, tight waisted dresses.
With regards to fashion during WWII, this book reinforced a lot of information I had heard from my mother about the lack of buttons, silk stockings and other niceties and how girls found innovative ways of dealing with this problem. To quote: "Women dealt with the latter issue by painting their legs with special product or using gravy browning and getting a friend to draw a line down the back of the leg with an eyebrow pencil to resemble the seam."
This book takes the reader on a journey through the austerity of the post war continuing rationing fashion scene when people dressed very formally but frugally with shirts that had replaceable collars and cuffs and continues to the modern 'throw away' society. The current culture in the UK is actually vastly different from here in South Africa where women still dress fairly conservatively and most certainly do not buy cheap clothing that is thrown away rather than washed. Poverty is still a big issue in Africa, but perhaps this is better than the consumeristic habits of the developed world that add so much to plastic and global warming problems. I found the changing trends in this regard discussed in this book to be thought provoking.
The book includes lots of interesting photographs and pictures to demonstrate the fashion statements made and is really a wonderful undertaking to preserve the history of fashion in the UK. An interesting and worthwhile read.
This fascinating short read covers fashion in the UK from WWII to the current date. It actually even goes a little bit further back in the beginning with some interesting comments about fashion during the Edwardian era and I am very thankful that I never had to wear a corset. Being long waisted, this would have been really awful for me. Edwardian women did, however, look very sophisticated with their gorgeous hats and long skirted, tight waisted dresses.
With regards to fashion during WWII, this book reinforced a lot of information I had heard from my mother about the lack of buttons, silk stockings and other niceties and how girls found innovative ways of dealing with this problem. To quote: "Women dealt with the latter issue by painting their legs with special product or using gravy browning and getting a friend to draw a line down the back of the leg with an eyebrow pencil to resemble the seam."
This book takes the reader on a journey through the austerity of the post war continuing rationing fashion scene when people dressed very formally but frugally with shirts that had replaceable collars and cuffs and continues to the modern 'throw away' society. The current culture in the UK is actually vastly different from here in South Africa where women still dress fairly conservatively and most certainly do not buy cheap clothing that is thrown away rather than washed. Poverty is still a big issue in Africa, but perhaps this is better than the consumeristic habits of the developed world that add so much to plastic and global warming problems. I found the changing trends in this regard discussed in this book to be thought provoking.
The book includes lots of interesting photographs and pictures to demonstrate the fashion statements made and is really a wonderful undertaking to preserve the history of fashion in the UK. An interesting and worthwhile read.
August 1, 2025
If you've ever drawn a stocking seam on your calf with a brow pencil, lamented the loss of pleats and pockets during wartime rationing, or wondered why women's buttons are on the left, Alex Craigie's third installment in The Rat in the Python series will feel like opening a treasure chest of collective memory.
Book 3 - Fashion delves into the enormous changes in fashion from the post-World War II era to the start of the twenty-first century, following not only hemlines and necklines but also the societal undercurrents that influenced them. Craigie's sharp eye and warm wit blend nostalgia and cultural insight into Dior's postwar glamor, Mary Quant's miniskirts, cone bras, twinsets, Beatniks, and Abba's platform boots. There are vivid references to fox tippets and liberty bodices, as well as James Dean's jeans and the brilliantly synthetic dazzle of the 1970s.
But this is more than simply a fashion retrospective; it's an intimate, hilarious time capsule loaded with personal anecdotes (and even button-box memories), cultural knowledge, and societal commentary that will make readers smile, nod, and possibly reach for their own powder compact. Craigie's ability to infuse each decade with the vocabulary, texture, and spirit of the era is a standout, making this a sensual journey through a century of fashion choices.
Whether you're a Baby Boomer looking back on your youth or a younger reader intrigued about the days of corsetry and coupons, this book provides a sympathetic and honest depiction of what we wore, why we wore it, and what it all meant. And whether your mother still wears a twinset or your grandmother swears by browning her legs with gravy, know that you are not alone.
And there are tons of pictures and fun quizzes at the end—because fashion should always have some flair.
I enjoyed this book tremendously. I slipped down the memory slide and allowed myself to travel through more memories than I knew I had. A heartwarming experience. Thank you, Mrs Craigie. Highly recommended.
A KU read.
Book 3 - Fashion delves into the enormous changes in fashion from the post-World War II era to the start of the twenty-first century, following not only hemlines and necklines but also the societal undercurrents that influenced them. Craigie's sharp eye and warm wit blend nostalgia and cultural insight into Dior's postwar glamor, Mary Quant's miniskirts, cone bras, twinsets, Beatniks, and Abba's platform boots. There are vivid references to fox tippets and liberty bodices, as well as James Dean's jeans and the brilliantly synthetic dazzle of the 1970s.
But this is more than simply a fashion retrospective; it's an intimate, hilarious time capsule loaded with personal anecdotes (and even button-box memories), cultural knowledge, and societal commentary that will make readers smile, nod, and possibly reach for their own powder compact. Craigie's ability to infuse each decade with the vocabulary, texture, and spirit of the era is a standout, making this a sensual journey through a century of fashion choices.
Whether you're a Baby Boomer looking back on your youth or a younger reader intrigued about the days of corsetry and coupons, this book provides a sympathetic and honest depiction of what we wore, why we wore it, and what it all meant. And whether your mother still wears a twinset or your grandmother swears by browning her legs with gravy, know that you are not alone.
And there are tons of pictures and fun quizzes at the end—because fashion should always have some flair.
I enjoyed this book tremendously. I slipped down the memory slide and allowed myself to travel through more memories than I knew I had. A heartwarming experience. Thank you, Mrs Craigie. Highly recommended.
A KU read.
November 29, 2024
In this third dive into the world of Baby Boomers, Craigie explores fashion. (Volume 1 looked at the Home, and Volume 2 studied Shopping). I’m a Baby Boomer and never thought of myself as fashion-conscious (especially with 30-year-old clothes in my closet), but this read brought back sooo many memories. During my teens, my attention to fashion, looking “cool,” and fitting in was more significant than I realized.
Craigie’s research is thorough, starting with the 1940s and WWII's influence, especially in the UK. By the 1960s, fashions on both sides of the Pond often aligned, and sometimes the UK led the way (remember The Beatles!).
She examines fashion for men, women, and children, covering clothing, hairstyles, and makeup. Craigie shows how fashion evolved, often tied to rebellion, pop culture, and counter-culture movements, making political, social, and anti-establishment statements. I’d never thought of fashion that way—it was fascinating.
The book triggered childhood memories like my grandmother’s reclaimed buttons (a result of wartime frugality) and using rags to make ringlets in my hair. I laughed when Craigie recalled sticking tacks in her shoes to make them tap—I did that too! Other memories included rolling up my skirts' waistbands to make them into mini-skirts, wanting white go-go boots, and wearing way too much blue eyeshadow. She explores women’s corsets, stockings, and ever-changing hairstyles and, for men, mullets, toupees, scruffy chins, and the rise of sneakers. More recent trends she touches on include tattoos, piercings, Botox, and environmental sustainability.
Aside from being a fun trip down memory lane, the book is an excellent resource for anyone interested in ’50s-’90s fashion, in particular. With many photos from magazines and ads, plus Craigie’s personal experiences and humor, it’s both entertaining and informative. Highly recommended for those curious about Baby Boomers or post-1940s decades.
Craigie’s research is thorough, starting with the 1940s and WWII's influence, especially in the UK. By the 1960s, fashions on both sides of the Pond often aligned, and sometimes the UK led the way (remember The Beatles!).
She examines fashion for men, women, and children, covering clothing, hairstyles, and makeup. Craigie shows how fashion evolved, often tied to rebellion, pop culture, and counter-culture movements, making political, social, and anti-establishment statements. I’d never thought of fashion that way—it was fascinating.
The book triggered childhood memories like my grandmother’s reclaimed buttons (a result of wartime frugality) and using rags to make ringlets in my hair. I laughed when Craigie recalled sticking tacks in her shoes to make them tap—I did that too! Other memories included rolling up my skirts' waistbands to make them into mini-skirts, wanting white go-go boots, and wearing way too much blue eyeshadow. She explores women’s corsets, stockings, and ever-changing hairstyles and, for men, mullets, toupees, scruffy chins, and the rise of sneakers. More recent trends she touches on include tattoos, piercings, Botox, and environmental sustainability.
Aside from being a fun trip down memory lane, the book is an excellent resource for anyone interested in ’50s-’90s fashion, in particular. With many photos from magazines and ads, plus Craigie’s personal experiences and humor, it’s both entertaining and informative. Highly recommended for those curious about Baby Boomers or post-1940s decades.
January 30, 2025
This is a fun book that charts the fashions of the UK baby boomers. I'm a baby boomer but didn't grow up in England so it was cool to see what they were wearing at the time. I have always been interested in the latest fashions at home and abroad. I loved Mary Quant and her fashions and since we didn't have much money, I bought a Mary Quant pattern and made my own outfits as a teen. They were a big hit at school and my friends were lining up for me to sew them some of these unique outfits! When I finally made it to England in 1977, I purchased a Laura Ashley dress in York. From fox tippets, (a real dead fox draped around a woman's neck) to sweater sets and platform shoes, to the padded shoulders of the 1980s and power dressing, the author describes it all very well.
Included in the book are hilarious photos of ads, people fully clothed in formal wear at the beach and some outlandish outfits. I enjoyed the part about the Mods and Rockers which we had heard about in North America. The author points out the negative aspects of the media when it comes to stereotyping those who wear certain styles. She also explains the influence of American movies and TV shows which gave rise to jeans and runners becoming more commonplace. Although, we had been wearing them for many years already. It was enjoyable to see the differences and the similarities in fashion on both sides of the Atlantic.
Included in the book are hilarious photos of ads, people fully clothed in formal wear at the beach and some outlandish outfits. I enjoyed the part about the Mods and Rockers which we had heard about in North America. The author points out the negative aspects of the media when it comes to stereotyping those who wear certain styles. She also explains the influence of American movies and TV shows which gave rise to jeans and runners becoming more commonplace. Although, we had been wearing them for many years already. It was enjoyable to see the differences and the similarities in fashion on both sides of the Atlantic.
January 14, 2025
I enjoyed reading 'The Rat in the Python: Book 3 Fashion' by Alex Craigie as it was humorous and well researched, and contained so many reminders of past fashions that had slipped to the back of my mind. The author is obviously around the same age as myself, and we Baby Boomers grew up in the 1960s/70s looking at our mothers undergoing curly perms or wearing Carmen heated rollers, and then using a pleated, plastic rain hat to stop their hair-dos frizzing up in the rain (I always refused to wear one). Mum also wore the Crimplene dresses and fur tippets that the author mentioned.
I don't remember the liberty bodices that Ms Craigie mentions, but I do recall wearing a ruched swimming costume, an Afghan coat (my cousin received flea bites from hers), bell-bottom trousers, midi skirts, and a pair of Dr Scholl sandals.
A pleasant trip down memory lane for me, and for anybody over the age of 60. There are also descriptions of fashions from the 1980s, 1990s and beyond, with some quizzes at the end to see if you have been paying attention!
I don't remember the liberty bodices that Ms Craigie mentions, but I do recall wearing a ruched swimming costume, an Afghan coat (my cousin received flea bites from hers), bell-bottom trousers, midi skirts, and a pair of Dr Scholl sandals.
A pleasant trip down memory lane for me, and for anybody over the age of 60. There are also descriptions of fashions from the 1980s, 1990s and beyond, with some quizzes at the end to see if you have been paying attention!
January 7, 2025
This was my first Alex Craigie book, and I loved it. Reading the narratives and seeing the photos of styles through the decades created quite a journey for me. Memories rose easily - especially of the 60’s and 70s. Hairstyles, clothing and shoes, and even women’s makeup all helped create the ever-changing culture, and Craigie’s approach revealed that to me. I highly recommend this well-researched book for anyone interested in culture.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews