The Original 1975 Frye Boots

Posted by & filed under Daily Life, Fashion, Vintage.

Frye Boots – Seventeen, August 1975

The iconic Frye Boot, as we know it, made its fashion debut in 1975. Super chunky and sturdy, it fit right in with the mid-70s earthy ‘back to the land’ vibe. The collegiate-style Campus Boot became an all-American symbol of rebellion and freedom.  Soon everyone was clunking around in Frye boots, or a reasonable facsimile thereof.

Frye boots were benchcrafted exclusively in the USA by John A. Frye Shoe Co., Inc. Marlboro, Massachusetts. A quick look at their website shows that a good number of their classic boots are still made in the USA. They’ve added a trendier line that is made in Italy, which is cool. Nice to see that their classic style and quality still remains!

~Marilyn

Vintage 1972 Crocheted Wool Rib Ticklers for His & Her

Posted by & filed under Daily Life, Fashion, Vintage.

Crocheting was making a hip and trendy comeback in the 1970s. This is a great ad for Coats and Clark wool yarn, which features his and hers “Rib Ticklers” that you could crochet yourself. These tight vests were a granny square/floral design in bright colors.

I remember this trend very well! Worn with bell bottom pants and a choker, you were a groovy stylin’ gal (or guy). 🙂

Marilyn

Farrah Fawcett’s Hair Was Iconic Before Charlie’s Angels

Posted by & filed under Beauty, Fashion, Vintage.

Farrah Fawcett has always had the most incredible hair known to mankind!

This December 1973 ad for for The Speed Styler by Lady Schick features Farrah who was a relatively unknown model. This was three years before she had the best-selling poster in history (red one-piece bathing suit), and her breakout role as Jill Munroe in Charlie’s Angels in 1976.

Farrah’s hairstyle became an international trend, with women sporting a “Farrah-do”, “Farrah-flip”, or simply “Farrah hair” well into the 1980s. Iconic indeed!

~Marilyn

Happy Halloween! Vintage 1971 Styx-The Magical Fragrance

Posted by & filed under Beauty, Fashion, Vintage.

Happy Halloween!

This is a great mystically spooky ad from the October 1971 issue of Seventeen magazine. It is for Styx fragrances, and features a black-cloaked model saying, “I’ll be his magician. Let me touch him with my magical Styx.”

In the late ’60s/early ’70s, there was a certain fascination with all things mysterious. Ouija boards, tarot cards, Dark Shadows, vampires, monsters, and fortune-telling were big. This Styx ad was going along with the trendy zeitgeist of the times.

Styx is named for the mysterious underground river know for centuries as “The River of the Unbroken Oath”. So when you used Styx, its powers were not to be taken lightly as the effect was not a fleeting one. There were seven different, hauntingly fragrant potions, each with its own spell. Commit them to memory and use as needed…

Eau de Mischief: “Styx river, Styx water, mystery double, Turn him my way or give him trouble!”

Creme Fatale: “Blood run hot, heart beat fast, Warm his love and make it last.”

Quicksilver Powder: “Lightshine, quickshine, blind his eyes to any other girl but me.”

Triple-Ripple Bath Brew: “Stir his heart as I stir these waters. Disturb him with my image.”

Spell-Spinning Spray: I summon the spirits, the powers that be, whisper my message, enchant him for me.”

Destiny Drops: “Take his will away, I say, make (his name) the slave of my charms.”

Now get out there and stir up some vintage magic potions for Halloween. BOO! 😀

Marilyn

Chanel No. 5 Perfume For 1970s Hippies

Posted by & filed under Beauty, Fashion, Vintage.

Chanel was apparently going with the hippie boho flow in the ’70s.

This 1972 ad for Chanel No. 5 perfume shows the iconic glass Chanel perfume bottle superimposed over an embracing couple. The pair is dressed in a gauzy white cotton tunic and dress, and appear to be standing out in a field.

This was the time when “natural” scents like musk, civet, and patchouli reigned supreme, so it seemed incongruous to me that hippies would want to wear a fancy French scent. As much of a Chanel freak I am today, I don’t remember wearing Chanel scents in the 1970s (that came later, in the 1980s, after Karl Lagerfeld took over as designer).

In keeping with Coco Chanel’s modern vision, Chanel’s branding has always tried to keep up with the trends. Some of it worked, some of it didn’t. Even today there are some misses – the Brad Pitt “Inevitable” Chanel No. 5 commercial a few years ago, anyone? 😀

~Marilyn

The Groovy 1972 Purple and Gold AMC Gremlin Car

Posted by & filed under Daily Life, Fashion, Vintage.

This is a cool ad for American Motors’ 1972 Gremlin car. I think it turned out to be a total lemon, if I remember correctly, but it was a pretty sharp looking car for early ’70s standards. It was denoted as a “great little economy car that’s fun to drive”. Most American cars at that time were HUGE, so it was rather novel to see a sporty little made-in-USA car.

This particular Gremlin model in the ad is a really pretty shade of purple, with gold trim. I happen to love this color scheme as they are the school colors of the University of Washington – GO DAWGS! I like the clean lines of the car and the hatchback, which was a new concept.

American car makers were trying to introduce more economical, smaller models in the early 1970s (Ford Pinto, anyone?). But due to producing so many lemons, they were soon eclipsed by the Japanese car makers of Honda and Toyota. They came out with wildly popular finely-engineered small cars that the American car makers just couldn’t compete with.

~Marilyn