Retro Wednesday - Our Clothing

I found this book at a thrift store last year. The copyright date is 1943 and it seems to be a textbook of sorts from John Burroughs Junior High in Burbank.

It's a wee bit outdated. They offer no advice on lip piercing, texting lingo, or how to choose a tattoo. But they do teach the parts of a sewing machine:

Say what? Pitman? Band wheel crank? Leg? Where's the cord and the on/off button?

This girl has proper sewing posture:


I do not. If that were me, my leg would be outstretched searching halfway across the room for the foot pedal, my head would be resting on the machine, my finger dangerously close to the needle, and there would be scraps all over the floor.

Here they discuss the all important issue of hanger identification:

Notice, no wire hangers!

Chapter Five:


Eek! I'm what one might call a "settled married woman," a "Mrs. Jones" complete with "old eyeglass frames perched on my nose." Ack! I don't want this! I want to become my "best self" and achieve a "well-trained mind."

I'll start with my underwear:

Because "every day should be wash day for stockings and undergarments!"

These girls are the Goofuses of the the fashion world:

and these girls are the Gallants:

This is how much a young girl should budget for her wardrobe:

Which seems about right. . . for a thrift store!

I like how they encourage girls to make stuffed plushies for their friends:

Those are cute, but where are the monsters?

Here ends the antiquated Home-Ec lesson. I hope you learned something today. Now, sit up straight, oil your Pitman, put on your puffy sleeves, and go wash your girdle.