It is hard to image ladies dressed like that on a daily basis on errands. Now a days they would be wearing a t-shirt, ripped jeans and flip flops. No thanks.
The photo of the male chorus girls reminds me once again about how men wearing dresses was not such a big deal to people in the first half of last century. Julian Eltinge was the biggest thing on Broadway -- even had a theater named for him. Collections of CD memorabilia show countless ads for female impersonators, especially pre-WWII. Once I got a car in 1906 I found at least 10 clubs in DC that featured drag or female impersonation. They used to show up on TV variety shows. But sometime in the late 1970s and into the 1980s there were fewer and fewer clubs with shows, and they gradually grew an opposition (to something so harmless??) and the shows were pushed into so-called "gay" neighborhoods. Female impersonators on TV and in the movies became "the bad guys" and were always eventually done in or arrested. We didn't change, but the public did! How did something so entertaining and harmless become "harmful"?
Your comment brought back some memories of drag clubs tucked out of the way from all the "respectable" people. On our honeymoon I told my parents we were going to New Orleans, on hearing that my father insisted we go to the My-O-My club. I had heard the story of when he went on a trip to NO and was fascinated with the idea. After all, even way back then the thought of being able to dress up and look female was irresistible. I was so glad my father had suggested it since I really did not want to show my cards to my new bride that would be something I was interested in. What an evening, I was spellbound that men could look so good. Guess that was the foundation that brought to where I am now. While great strides have been made in our acceptance, there are still a lot of minds that need to be changed.
The thing I especially notice in the Someday Funnies photo is the three ladies' lovely dark hair. I guess the photo dates to a time before the obsession with dyed blonde hair. Penny from Edinburgh.
Photo Booth...did that one in the 70s, En femme three weeks after using the same booth for a College application photo. Woolworth was the Store. Got a Smile and a smirks the Second time,, from the Same lady clerk.
It is hard to image ladies dressed like that on a daily basis on errands. Now a days they would be wearing a t-shirt, ripped jeans and flip flops. No thanks.
ReplyDeleteThe photo of the male chorus girls reminds me once again about how men wearing dresses was not such a big deal to people in the first half of last century. Julian Eltinge was the biggest thing on Broadway -- even had a theater named for him. Collections of CD memorabilia show countless ads for female impersonators, especially pre-WWII. Once I got a car in 1906 I found at least 10 clubs in DC that featured drag or female impersonation. They used to show up on TV variety shows. But sometime in the late 1970s and into the 1980s there were fewer and fewer clubs with shows, and they gradually grew an opposition (to something so harmless??) and the shows were pushed into so-called "gay" neighborhoods. Female impersonators on TV and in the movies became "the bad guys" and were always eventually done in or arrested. We didn't change, but the public did! How did something so entertaining and harmless become "harmful"?
ReplyDeleteYour comment brought back some memories of drag clubs tucked out of the way from all the "respectable" people. On our honeymoon I told my parents we were going to New Orleans, on hearing that my father insisted we go to the My-O-My club. I had heard the story of when he went on a trip to NO and was fascinated with the idea. After all, even way back then the thought of being able to dress up and look female was irresistible. I was so glad my father had suggested it since I really did not want to show my cards to my new bride that would be something I was interested in. What an evening, I was spellbound that men could look so good. Guess that was the foundation that brought to where I am now. While great strides have been made in our acceptance, there are still a lot of minds that need to be changed.
DeleteThe thing I especially notice in the Someday Funnies photo is the three ladies' lovely dark hair. I guess the photo dates to a time before the obsession with dyed blonde hair.
ReplyDeletePenny from Edinburgh.
Photo Booth...did that one in the 70s,
ReplyDeleteEn femme three weeks after using the same booth for a College application photo.
Woolworth was the Store.
Got a Smile and a smirks the Second time,, from the Same lady clerk.
Sara
More pleats!
ReplyDeleteSince I've just gone through several months of femulate I noticed that several of the Femulate Her photos had pleats.
I LOVE pleats, so here's a vote for more pleats.