Fads #20: Urban Cowboys

I bought this book last week (The Official Guide to Country Dance Steps - 1980) and it brought back a wave of memories from that year when everything went Urban Cowboy.

Certain fads stick in our collective memory because they were so outrageous, widespread or of historical significance..... the Urban Cowboy fad is no such memory.  Many of you may not know that the United States spent the better part of a couple years totally immersed in the faux cowboy shtick. Suddenly everything was about Gilley Beer and mechanical bulls.  The radio airwaves were ablaze with Ronnie Milsap and Kenny Rogers, and Hollywood's biggest name, fresh from Grease and Saturday Night Fever, was placing his stamp of approval on the Next Big Thing.

Of course, the very nature of a fad is that it is transitive. We were barely into 1983 when "blue collar" was  officially pronounced "out".  Goodbye Every Which Way But Loose, goodbye Billy Carter, goodbye Take this Job and Shove It, and goodbye Urban Cowboy. It was nice knowing you.

But before we move on, have a look at a few pages from this wonderful tome highlighting some of the fashions from the period.  Enjoy.

That 70's Style #30: Beauty Salon & Barber Shop

Ah, yes.  A class full of eager beauty school graduates ready to make their mark upon the world. In the 1960's, the salon was the headquarters for the suburban mom; it was the gossip hub and bored housewife central.  Women had to be well manicured and those sixties hairdos required a lot of tender loving care.

By the 1980's, most women had gone to work, and the once bustling beauty salon had become deserted.  Women still needed their hair worked on, but the community aspect of it was no longer there. Many gave way to big name chains (a la Supercuts) or become high-end salons for the well-to-do.  Either way, the beauty parlor wasn't what it used to be.

But what about the period in-between? The 1970's. This was the Golden Age of the hair salon....

Vintage Men's Mags #25: Men Only Ads

Half the fun of reading these old men's magazines are the amazing ads.  In the back of every one of these rags, from Rogue to Cavalier, were tons of little adult oriented advertisements.  It's just like in comic books, but instead of Sea Monkeys and X-Ray Specs, you've got stag films and dirty records.

You might wonder while looking at these, "Who in their right mind would pay money for this junk?"  But you need to remember that this is decades before the internet, VHS, Cinemax, DVDs, or Pay Per View. In fact, most towns would never dream of showing a movie with even a hint of skin, and strip clubs were mostly for the big cities.  So, what was a guy to do if he got a hankering for something not-so-family-friendly?  That's right.  He bought a magazine.... and, if the mood struck him, he'd drop an envelope in the mailbox and order up a stag film for his viewing pleasure.

So, for your viewing pleasure, I've ordered up a bunch of ads from old men's mags. Enjoy.

Vintage Scan #22: Ten Things to Never Tell a Boy

10 THINGS TO NEVER TELL A BOY
(taken from a 1971 Girls' Romances comic book)

Each male on this earth is different - that's what makes life so much fun, right? But there are a few things all men have in common from ages five to ninety·five... like masculine pride, a need to feel important and special, a desire to be independent. If you send  out negative vibes about these things, men will pick them up quicker than anyone else... and put you down! You don't want that to happen..Yon want his image of you to be one of kindness, loveliness. charm. This super image is going to come as·much from what you don't say as what you do say. So get hip to when to keep your pretty lips sealed...

1. Never tell a man he's weak, This doesn't mean you have to rave all the time about how strong he is besides not even Superman is at his best 100% of the time! Just cut out the belittling remarks.

2. Never tell a man he's dumb, or that you always know more than he does. He just won't be impressed, and he'll probably be scared, There are probably areas you are·more of an expert in than be is, and vice versa so why put him down? But keep in mind that not many boys dig the dumb-broad act these days.

Needlework-a-Go Go #27: Strange Yarn Indeed

Unlike Rosie Greer, Sergio Aragones, Artie Johnson and other self-proclaimed male knitters, I have yet to attempt the fine art of needlecraft.  Thus, my knowledge is a bit lacking, especially when it comes to the terminology of some of the crazy clothing to come out of the seventies.  So, bear with me.

One thing is for certain, there arose a fashion trend which defied category. Sometimes it looked less like an article of clothing than it did a pot holder.  I've seen it referred to as "shrink tops" and "body huggers".  Basically, they were yarn creations that the terms "shirt" or "sweater" did not do justice. Often composed of granny squares, and sometimes they  looked like a child's pair of overalls - but meant to be worn by adults.

"WTF" you say? Well, carry on, dear reader, and perhaps all will be clear.... or perhaps even more confused.  Retrospace is in dire need of an expert on this subject.