In Her Easter Bonnet

One last goodie before a break for the Easter weekend. (Back next week to make good on promises of new and improved posts to come!)

"C____ and Barbie. Easter, 1962.

I remember this day vividly. I was 6, and I hated everything about my Easter outfit! Hated the flat, straw hat (which I hate even more now after seeing how it cast ungodly shadows all over my face!), hated the dress, which was too tight for my...little body, and hated wearing socks. I loved my Barbie, though!" (via)

Is it okay to say the shadows are "ungodly" when you're talking about an Easter outfit? Just asking.

I, too, loved my Barbies--always provided by my best gay uncle since they were not something that was going to be purchased by my 1970s parents. My favorite, which I begged him for, was the hair change Barbie--half-blonde/half-brunette. Perhaps the Barbie folks were just really progressive and making the first mainstream multi-racial doll?

I also loved self-tanning Barbie--set her on a windowsill and all she was missing was that aluminum foil reflector and some baby oil to make sure she caught some rays. Too bad a friend and I went through a stage in 7th grade when we decided to make them all punk. Tattoos in Sharpie Marker, nose rings, and monstrous things done to my collection of Donny and Marie dolls. Poor Donny... Let's just say, it wasn't pretty.

In Your Easter Bonnet

Today, I'm thinking Spring. It's so darn cold here, and without snow which would at least make the cold feel like fun. Thus, an Easter memory.

"Oh how I hated those hats, shoes and dresses. I felt like such a dork. But my mom was so proud of her little girls all dressed up for Easter..." (via)

My biggest objection in this outfit is to the ridiculous hat, which I believe matches that of her mother. They are perched there, rather than really being worn. And I assume that bobby pins were required to keep them in place?

Other than the hat, however, I can't find fault with much of this outfit.

My analysis of why is because I think the clothes from this period were just so much cuter than the absurd 70s garb I was saddled with. Now, I don't aspire to the matching gloves and the frilly, frilly kind of girly clothes so many kids had to wear. But come on, compared with a polyester leisure suit or Mary Tyler Moore blouse with a bow, isn't this better?