Growing Pains

It was the spring of 1961 and Easter was just around the corner. All the girls were chattering about the new outfits they’d be getting to wear to church on Easter Sunday.

And it wouldn’t be just the usual spring clothes. Oh no!
After all, the girls were in the 5th grade now, so they’d be wearing “grown-up” fashions. And for the first time – they’d wear NYLONS and “SQUASH HEELS”, which were the latest craze in footwear!

Crystal thought it all sounded pretty wonderful. Honestly, who wouldn’t feel like a full-fledged woman in the attire described by these preteen fashionistas? Besides, she was tired of wearing ankle socks and looking like a “baby”.

curlyline

That evening, she broached the subject at the dinner table . . .

Crystal: “All the girls are going to wear nylons and shoes with little heels this Easter.”

Her father: “Absolutely not!”

He added that she was much too young; there was plenty of time.
Her Mom looked at her with a touch of sympathy . . . but Crystal knew there was no way her mother would disagree with her father on parenting policy.

~ The matter was settled. ~

Crystal was desolate. She could clearly picture herself looking like a little kid next to all the other girls. She did need an Easter outfit, however, and so a few days later – her mother took her dress shopping at a local department store. Their second stop was a shoe store, where the salesclerk brought out a selection of flats for Crystal to try.

Suddenly, Crystal’s mother asked the clerk:

“Can you show us some squash heels?”

curlyline

Crystal could not believe her ears. Her mother smiled and motioned for her to try them on. Crystal slipped her feet into a pair of black patent leathers, accented at the toe with twisted leather trim and a little gold embellishment with a mabe pearl center. Oh, they were gorgeous and those little heels were divine. Within moments, her Mom had paid for them and they were back at the department store. Crystal was puzzled, at first, and then shocked to see her mother heading straight for the hosiery counter!

Crystal: “Oh Mum! Squash Heels AND nylons?”

Her Mom: “Well, you can’t wear socks with THOSE shoes!”

Crystal: “What about Dad? What will he say?”

Her Mom: “Well, I’m making this decision. I will talk to him.”

Crystal was touched and very grateful. Her mother understood and was going to bat for her!

~ Easter Sunday arrived. ~

Crystal jumped into her new dress and then carefully put on her nylons (wearing a pair of cotton gloves just as her Mom always did to avoid snagging them.) The tissue paper rustled as she uncovered her pretty new shoes. She loved the clicking sound the heels made as she walked….

She arrived at church early and when she entered, the scene was awash with colorful new hats and dresses. She walked down the aisle and quickly spotted some of her friends who gestured for her to join them.

After a few seconds, Crystal noticed that her friend, Julie, was wearing ankle socks and flat shoes. A further glance revealed that Pauline was, too! In fact, Crystal was astounded to discover that hardly any of the girls were wearing nylons and squash heels!!!

~ It had all been just talk . . . ~

Or perhaps wishful thinking. Either way, it seemed as if there were lots of parents who had not given the green light for the “grown-up” wardrobe.

Crystal learned a couple of things that day —-

* That she should never again allow peer pressure to influence her desires.

* That her mother loved her very much.

A few notes . . .
When the events described above occurred:

* Crystal was close to 11 years old.
* Her mother was 32.
* Pantyhose had only recently been invented (in 1959) and were not yet widely available. Ladies wore sheer stockings or “nylons” until pantyhose became very popular during the 1960’s.

crystal-1b3-copy-flatfullwidth




I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Click the envelope to leave a comment!

Early Dollars and Scents

perfumecounter

Close your eyes.

Take a deep breath, and picture yourself at the age when you first had a little spending money of your very own. Maybe it was babysitting money, or a paycheck from your first part-time job.

Ok . . . now which cologne would you have purchased for yourself at that time? Was there an “in” fragrance that all the girls liked?

When I was a teen, (during the time the dinosaurs roamed) the cologne we all wore was called “Ambush”!

AmbushCologne

Oh my goodness, how we LOVED it! Picture a bunch of giggly girls getting ready for the Saturday night dance and passing the bottle around so that each of us could have a spritz. So much for having your own signature fragrance! LOL

It’s funny how scents are wildly popular for a while and then they’re suddenly replaced with a new phenomenon. “Arpege” by Lanvin will always remind me of my grandmother. “Promise her anything, but give her Arpege.” was their slogan. My mother loved “Jean Nate”.

CharlieCologneWhen I was a young Mom – Revlon’s “Charlie” was THE cologne! I can still hear the song from their commercial, “… kind of young, kind of now – Charlie, kind of free, kind of wow – Charlie!”

HalstonLater, when I had my second daughter, my husband brought a gift to the hospital. He had stopped at a department store and they suggested the “hot” new fragrance, “Halston”. I sprayed a little on my inner elbows and loved it immediately. Later the nurses began to tell me that my baby’s head smelled wonderful – which at first puzzled all of us. We had a good laugh after we finally figured out the reason – as I was holding the baby, the fragrance from my arm must have been transferring to her!

Lately, I’ve been wearing “Inner Grace” by Philosophy. It’s really pretty, and light enough for everyday.

So, which cologne was your first love? 😉

crystal-1b3-copy-flatfullwidth