Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Men's Fashions – August 1973

It's strange being in my 60s and thinking about how mens fashions have changed over the decades – often for the worse.

Above is a good example, from the pages of the August 24, 1973 Journal. The trio of photos shows what was going on, fashion-wise, at that time. Ugh. But while that look might provoke a chuckle now, at the time it was considered pretty groovy.

Elsewhere on the page, we have an ad for Tudy's, a visit with The Lockhorns, a Nobil's Shoes ad and one for Zayre. (Wondering what ever happened to that chain? Click here to visit its Wiki page.)

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Looking through old Brady photo albums from the 60s and 70s, it's funny seeing what my brothers and I were wearing on the first day of school. For many years, it seemed like the theme was: anything goes. I'm wearing a bolo tie in this 1970 shot, pardner (below). No wonder I watch GRIT-TV all the time now.

(Note the suitcases covered with decals from our family vacation trips. No backpacks in those days!)

A year later, a little grooviness began to seep in.
And here's the last Brady 'first day of school' shot, from 1972. I remember sitting down with Mom to pick out new school clothes from the Sears Catalogue at that time. She did try to make sure we were dressed for the times. (Hey, I thought white belts after Labor Day were a no-no!)

I'm guessing that paper lunch bag had a peanut butter sandwich in it.

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7 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 30, 2023 at 8:31 AM

    That's a real live Brady Bunch right there Dan.Did any of your friends razz you and your brothers about the TV show The Brady Bunch?Did they call you Peter and your brothers Greg and Bobby?All kidding aside,I like the groovy pockets that your little brother had on his pants in that last photo.

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  2. -Alan D HopewellAugust 30, 2023 at 9:56 AM

    I count myself blessed that no photos of me from the Seventies remain.

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  3. AnonymousAugust 30, 2023 at 10:21 AM

    Lol, someone beat me to the Brady Bunch reference! I love those pics and the style evolution. You guys look so cherubic in the first one like you’re members of The Westminster Boys choir, but by the last one way more groovy like The Osmond Brothers and I imagine hearing something like their song “Downnn by the lazy river, one big familyyy…”

    I found a pic of me about 1977 with a very loud colored pair of wool bell bottoms and was thinking yikes, I hope I just wore those around the house.

    The ads bring back lots of memories: the fun, circus-like red and white stripped Zayer’s building by the mall and mom paying 5 (or 10?) cents to ride the mechanical horse and getting some popcorn on the way out, my mom buying furniture at T.N. Molas, and the saddle shoes I wore with my school uniform at St. John’s School on Homewood Drive.

    I didn’t know The Candy Shop was there back then. I really miss that place. That was our go-to place for cards+candy on special occasions. I heard the place closed because the owners got a divorce. It was next to Fisher’s Big Wheel. I still have the Bushnell binoculars I won from a raffle Big Wheel had in 1977 when we moved to Vermilion from South Lorain.

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  4. BusterAugust 30, 2023 at 10:28 AM

    My favorite item on this page is the column with intricate instructions about how to climb the stairs gracefully. I intend to go practice this right now!

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  5. Don HiltonAugust 30, 2023 at 10:44 AM

    I'm with Buster, right there on the stair-steps.
    But first, let me find my clunky heels!

    I don't know why, but this post nearly smothered me with nostalgia. I don't have a series of "first day photos." In fact, I didn't even know there *were* such things until I moved to Ohio and saw people's photo albums. Now, of course, folks post such images out in the Interweb.

    I'm actually a little jealous. Over in Pennsyltucky, it was more like "Get outta here and getcher butt to the bus stop or you're walking to skool!" Then, again, like Alan, I'm also sort of happy there are so few pictures of me in 70s fashion.

    I will say, Dan, that you and your bros always look like such pleasant children. And that your "sense of style" always sets you apart. Sort of like Matilida in that Roald Dahl book.

    Also, it's interesting how long film sat in cameras. Sometimes years, I recall.

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  6. AnonymousAugust 30, 2023 at 2:11 PM

    The last pic of your brother with the different color pockets reminded me of a pair of burgundy cords with four pink patch pockets and a pink button fly that I got from Harry's around that same time...the epitome of cool!
    PS I was in HS '72-'76 Best music Best fashion!! Elephant bell jeans with a white belt that had double row of holes all the way around with a flannel shirt. Yeah Baby. Todd

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  7. Dan BradyAugust 30, 2023 at 7:08 PM

    Thanks for all the great comments and reminisces, everyone! I appreciate it.
    And as for the question about "The Brady Bunch" TV show, amazingly I don't remember any teasing from schoolmates. But the show gave my family great name recognition for many years while the show was on the air. Now I run into people who never heard of or saw the show, or the revival movies either!

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