When I look back at what I miss from my old days, mostly, I miss the pants. The wide bell bottoms were the most flattering jeans I ever wore. They made my legs look longer and my hips narrower.
From 1969 and for the next few years, fashion and I were simpatico.
It was the hippest of times and I was happy. I was young. I wore bell bottoms. Patchwork jeans were my favorites, although at the end of the day I looked like I’d been sitting on a waffle iron.
My shirts had purple fringes.
I wore granny glasses with rose-tinted lenses. My hair was cut in a shag. I had my baby in a sling on my hip, a Leica on my shoulder and a song in my heart (probably the Beatles). That was a good as it got for me.
I miss that clothing, the bell bottoms, the fringes. I really miss my old Leica. Mostly, I want my bell bottoms back!
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Categories: Anecdote, Humor, Marilyn Armstrong
ARMS AND WRISTS AND HANDS, OH MY! – Marilyn Armstrong 
SHARING MY WORLD IF ANYONE’S INTERESTED – Marilyn Armstrong 
SERENDIPITY - SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
I had the most wonderful pair of bellbottom trousers made by a tailor in Carnaby Street who made all the outfits for the bands of the day. They were turquoise velvet I wore them for ages, eventually they started moulting and wearing out leaving small trails of velvet fluff wherever I went. Great trousers!
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You look really cool, Marilyn, and those glasses really suited your face. Surely you must be able to get a pair of bell bottoms somewhere? Then you can set a new retro-trend! 🙂
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No, really you can’t. Maybe in a second-hand store, but not here. I know I wore mine until they pretty much fell apart. I didn’t give them up easily.
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I did that with a couple of pairs of stripy jeans I used to wear flying. Eventually the knees developed holes, and although I managed to wear them for a little while in a kind of ‘fashionably ripped’ way, they eventually gave up the ghost altogether and fell apart. I never found any others like it either. Shame really.
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They were flattering. Now, they have loose pants, parachute pants (which are HUGE), but mostly very tight pants which I think are unflattering on everyone of any size. Unless you are wearing special exercise clothing, who needs skin-tight anything — except SKIN?
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Bell bottoms … hip huggers … long hair … !!!
We wuz awesum!
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We wuz! Big double-breasted suits with wide ties for men. Cool!
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I even wore the granny glasses too….
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Me too. With rose-tinted lenses!
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🙂
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Shag haircut–I had that, too! Gosh, I loved it….
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It was the only time in my life that I LIKED fashions. They were perfect for me. Now, of course, I’m not even shaped the same way so they probably wouldn’t look the same at all, but it was so much more fun. Clothing is a bit drab these days.
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Bell bottom jeans with their scruffy road-chewed hemlines were great until it rained – and then they behaved like wicks, drawing a weight of water up towards your knees… but still, I miss them too! And soft, easy-to-wear cheesecloth shirts 🙂
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The clothing, aside from those dragging hems (I used to cut them a half inch higher because I am so short), were really comfortable. Other than nightwear — pajamas et al — nothing is that comfortable these days.
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This afternoon at the Op Shop we were unpacking some goods from a deceased estate that had been donated. Amongst it all several pairs of curtains in the 1970s style, bright colours and bold shapes. One of our regular customers who had popped in remarked that she’d love to make herself a pair of pants from one of them.
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If I sewed — which I don’t — I’d try, too. There are probably patterns available. There are patterns for everything!
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We get a lot of old patterns at the shop too, people don’t seem to throw them out.
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I don’t think the pattern makers get rid of them either. Why get rid of them? Someone will want to do a set of costumes for that period and patterns make that a lot easier. Unfortunately, I really don’t sew.
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Me neither,taking up hems and mending seams is about the limit of my sewing for humans. I sometimes make dolls clothes when I’m in the mood but I’ve never been very good at sewing.
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I repaired dolls dresses, but I was no good on big people clothing.
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I used to knit for people but now I prefer dolls. I don’t have the patience for big sizes any more.
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In today’s world, we wear what we want, not what the fashion dictates. Go for your bell bottoms: boot cut nowadays
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Bootcut is a hint of bell bottoms, but nothing fits as well as the real bell ones did. And they simply don’t make them anymore. I have searched. I think they tried to bring them back about 10 years ago, but they didn’t take.
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You’re right. The real bell bottoms were very flattering.
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They are probably too inconvenient now, all that flapping fabric.
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But culottes are still being worn. They have lot more flapping fabric than bell bottoms!
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Sadje, yes they were.
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👍
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And Mr. Swiss wore shirts with flower patterns and big collars
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Garry too 😀
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Yes, yes I did. Along with the long sideburns, bigly hair and leisure suits. The way we were.
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