Saturday, August 8, 2009

What Our Grandmothers Knew

Small wardrobe decisions can make a big difference. Ultimately, it is not about money, it is about taste, and having basic respect for oneself and others. (Via Mademoiselle Duroc) To quote:
Every woman is unique and possesses her own set of physical attributes that set her apart and make her shine. This is just as true today as it was then. The difference, I believe, is that the women of my grandmother’s generation knew how to play to their strengths and do so without sacrificing their self-respect.

It’s easy to recognize that you’re well-endowed and then degrade yourself by wearing low-cut blouses to attract attention. It doesn’t take a lot of wisdom to appreciate that you’ve been blessed with superior gams and then choose to wear hot pants to draw the eye of the unscrupulous.

But it takes a special kind of insight, intuition, and knowledge to know how to play up your individual physical gifts with subtlety, dignity and a touch of mystery.

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6 comments:

MadMonarchist said...

In my family it was my late great-grandmother who was the last of an era. She only ever rode a horse side-saddle, she never cut her hair and she never wore a pair of pants in her life. When in her 90's she felt the cold more than she used to she finally consented to wearing sweat-pants under her skirt. Sure, she thought the world was flat and had 4 corners, but ask her any practical question on virtually any subject and she knew the answer. She made her own soap, never owned a dishwasher in her life, could cook anything, cure any ailment and raised 10 children in the Depression. They don't make'em like that any more.

elena maria vidal said...

No, they don't. What an amazing lady! Just hearing about her fills me with courage! Thanks!

Julygirl said...

This post brings to mind the beautiful actresses of the 1940's era, in particular Rita Hayworth in the film "Gilda". She knew how to dress to show her beautiful figure to its best advantage in a subtle yet seductive way.

Colleen Hammond said...

Fashion designers are getting their inspiration this season from the styles of the 40s, Julygirl! http://www.colleenhammond.com/blog/2009/08/fashion-turns-to-the-40s-for-inspiration

And the pattern companies are making their old 40s and 50s patterns available again, too. Here's Vogue's Vintage collection: http://www.voguepatterns.com/list/vintage_vogue/page-1

elena maria vidal said...

Thanks for the links, Colleen! I'll use them in a future post!

Christine said...

I've always thought the styles from the 30s and 40s remain the classiest and most beautiful.