Fashion Propaganda

Vintage Buttons
Fashion history is full of a certain kind of propaganda. I am not talking advertisement and free (?) market idea proliferation or real designerly desire to fill a need (sportswear, warm coats)or a perceived need for something fresh, fun or shocking. That is juicy enough for another day.

No this is more along the lines of government interference like button laws (The Book of Buttons by Joyce Whittemore) and fabric color rules. With business and government holding hands for so long we have accepted or normed many things by the way they happened as if there is no other way for them to have come about.

As inventions have appeared almost simultaneously in different parts of the world without any special agenda other than the curious motivation of the inventor, I suspect we would be capable of wondrous things without this track. In fact an open systems approach would probably foster more brilliancy, not less.

Simplicity 1971

This Western look with great drapey sleeves is pattern number 1971. I can't find the date it was printed but the directions were lithographed in the USA and the Simplicity headquarters were located on Madison Ave., New York, NY.

Local production meant local workers. I am wondering about the working conditions as I suspect this is a late 40s look. Everything these days is becoming a question of economics as it is the control central of many systems that are in failure mode. A lot of alarms are ringing and covering our ears won't help.

Wedding Party '86

A long time ago there was a place called Seattle, where culture thrived with style diversity and it didn't come "off the rack" Clothing was pieced together to announce personal style and attitude. This photo was taken at my wedding reception back around 1986. That's my Uncle Ted peeking through from behind, he was the family mountain man who taught school in Circle Alaska and canoed the Yukon. good times!