One of the most important traditions of Easter while growing up in the Baker house in Des Moines, Iowa involved fashion and mostly bad fashion. While there are some adorable pictures that, thank God, we have encapsulated in time and proven happened through photo's of adorable children in patent leather, bonnets, poofy pastel dresses and little sailor suits there are many more involving top stitching, baby blue polyester and peasant dresses featuring see through fabric that slips only masked the day of the week advertised on the hip hugger panties but still allowed you to see that you had day of the week panties.
My favorite photo of the past is one in which I am maybe 4 years old and is a posed family photo in our dining room with my Mom and Dad in their Easter finery, my Dad in a dark 60's elegant business looking suit with dark hair slicked back looking rather movie ish in a Fred Astaire kind of way. My mom, even though visibly pregnant, looks stylish and June Cleaverish in her Easter dress and wide brimmed bonnet sitting at an angle atop her coiffed hair. We looked clean cut, elegant, and well off although for a fact we were not. In all actuality most of out clothes were probably purchased at discount stores but with much care. I am sure my mom is all of 24 maybe 25 and had the three of us already with one on the way.
My brother had on miniature business suites with little man shirts and ties. Had those suites grown with them they could have marched off ready to go to work after graduation. Little, well dressed men on already on the road, all bight a little road, to success. I was there, right in the middle, my mini me version of my Mom. Same dress, smaller hat, gloves and purse but sporting mary janes instead of the practical pumps. Suri Cruise would be in tears as little girls just did not wear heels.
Have a said we were adorable? Mid to late 60's all our photo's were of a growing, well groomed, seemingly well off family.
Can we move on to the 70's? I would rather not but this is where the story goes, and it is not as bad as it eventually gets. In the 70's we start seeing long stringy hair, and not just on me and my sister but on my brothers. All very androgynous and parted down the middle with only the middle of our faces peeking out. Although the girls are still in dresses we are all very free and flowing and I am surprised we aren't sporting flower wreaths placed upon our heads. Oh, and at least we aren't barefoot.My brothers and Dad are sporting, and I am using that term pretty loosely, pajama type suites and if they are not wearing suites, and in many photo's are not, they have on long, loose peasant type shirts. Not very coiffed, polished or attractive but, unfortunately, very much the style at the time. Maybe trying to relate more to Easter by looking more Jesus like.
The late 70's come in a polyester vengeance. Light blue and tan leisure suites with darker, same color top stitching. All polyester. Pointy collared, large, long, pointy collared shirts in psychedelic prints and colors. Although we are finally styling our hair all my brothers and Dad are channeling the BeeGee's. Cheesy mustaches, blow back hair, platform type shoes, the whole works. Us girls don't fair much better. Again, although we are much better coiffed, the style at the time doesn't allow for good taste. Famalore's, polyester skirts with the bold lined pattern meeting at an angle right in the front. More polyester, large pointy collared shirts with so much polyester all they do is have static cling. Our hair is not just feathered but has a predominant flip as well.
By the 80's I am away at college and my older brother is in the service and the photo's stop capturing our Easter fashion parade. Although a part of me is relieved that this documentation of our lack of good taste has stopped another side of me has really enjoyed how we have adjusted to each era as a family. We definitely have stuck through with each other through thick and thin and even when we have looked bad we have done it together. Now THAT is family.
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