1952 Plaid pants
Okay, not a costume per se, but I am dressed as a boy for some reason. Possibly a hand-me-down from my older brother’s wardrobe. Also one of the few pictures I could find of my very young self where I’m not squinting. This was taken at my grandmother’s house in Berlin, PA, and I am apparently thrilled at being 14 months old.
1956 tutu
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1956 china doll
As there was no such thing as pre-school in my hometown of Somerset, PA, in the 1950’s, Mother enrolled me at Mary Alice Reesman’s dance studio in a “baby ballet” class. This is the earliest photo I can find of myself wearing a costume. I sort of remember it, especially the “kimono” which I recall as being silky, though it was probably rayon. I’m sure the outfit was purchased. Five years old in this photo which was taken outside my father’s machine shop. At the left, another costume from the same era, a tutu with a pink satin top and green and white tulle skirt. I am pretty certain that Mother made this little outfit. And this was my usual expression in photographs—trying hard to smile but grimacing and squinting in the sun. |
1958 flower girl
I was a flower girl at my aunt
Bert’s wedding. The gown was pale green satin and was indeed made by my mother. Mother still smoked at the time and had gotten cigarette tar on the
collar of the gown and had to re-make it. (Thank goodness she hadn’t gotten it
on the skirt!) The adorable little girl to the right is my cousin Robin.
1961 old fashioned dress
I remember that I really, really wanted this dress which was not a Halloween costume, but just for fun. Possibly I had seen a TV show or movie with something similar. Mother made it for me and over the years it was well-played by me and then by my cousin Robin. Even though it is obviously a kind of 1800’s, prairie style garment, I always called it my “old fashioned dress.” Note the overly large watch on my wrist. I started wearing a large-faced watch at about this time and have continued to do so, purchasing men’s styles when no women’s were available. |
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The dress, over 60 years old, still exists. It was made from a very tightly woven blue calico with cotton eyelet lace at the cuffs and neckline, both now faded. The waist and neckline were piped in white and the bottom ruffle was trimmed with narrow bias tape. Though the seams were not finished, they show minimal fraying, which is surprising considering how many washings this dress must have endured.
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