Being Seventeen

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A couple of nights ago, I gave a talk for an artist group in Simpsonville, SC.  The woman who invited me had been in my studio before, and knew what kind of work I do.  So, she brought me an old Seventeen magazine from 1946 she had at her house.  You would have thought she handed me a bag of gold!  I have since spent many hours pouring over its pages, the beautiful ads and great stories, and drooling over the clothes.  I wish I could share the whole thing with you, but here is an excerpt from a story that caught my attention immediately.  Being 5’10” myself, I know what it is to be one of the tallest in the room.  But, instead of slouching to hide it, I tend to put on my 4″ heels and flaunt it…

“Put it this way: Not for your are short-waisted or fluffy fashions.  No sweet or girly-girly stuff.  Smooth suits you can wear like a model…dirndls to give you hips, not to hide them…positive classics to lend distinction to your build or coloring.  For you: big hats that would make mushrooms of little girls; slacks that have an air of belonging to your long legs so unalterably that by comparison the short girls appear to be picnicking in their pajamas.” Seventeen Magazine, November 1946, p.53