T...is for
Following on again with Toni's A-Z "a...is for" meme, this week's letter is T.
t... is for....
Twinsets.
Remember those?
Knitted in fine wool, or a cotton/wool blend, the twinset was a short sleeved jumper covered with a matching long sleeved cardigan.
When I was very young almost every mum I knew wore these when going to town for a bit of shopping, those were the days when women dressed up to leave the house and wore "housedresses" and aprons when doing the housework.
My mum had several twinsets and probably your mum did too.
Probably even your grandma wore twinsets, maybe even hand knitted.
Younger women wore them too. If you were in the "upper classes" you often wore a string of pearls with your twinset. Single string for younger women, double string for older women, and don't ask me why, because I don't have a clue.
Pastel colours were favoured, although I remember seeing a few in navy blue.
I never saw a twinset worn with shorts. Back in "the day" women wore twinsets with A-line or pencil skirts, or with the "good" slacks. Not many women wore jeans then. Certainly they wouldn't have gone to the shops in tracky dacks.
It was clean, pressed clothes, nice shoes and a handbag, with a swipe of lipstick too.
t... is for....
Twinsets.
Remember those?
Knitted in fine wool, or a cotton/wool blend, the twinset was a short sleeved jumper covered with a matching long sleeved cardigan.
It was clean, pressed clothes, nice shoes and a handbag, with a swipe of lipstick too.
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Twinsets..yes, I had a few of those and I did wear them with a single strand of (fake) pearls. Ah for the days when women dressed like women.
ReplyDeleteActually, these seem widely available to this day--in polyester.
ReplyDeleteI remember those days. One friend wore a hat and gloves to the department store, too. Actually, she wore them "to go downtown."
Some of us old guys remember them as being made from rayon, and crackling with static when touched – and that's probably as far as I should go. Or most of the time ever got to.
ReplyDeleteAh! them were the days.... twin-sets with a string of pearls. We lived in rural South Australia so the twin-set look was something we viewed in magazines but I don't think I ever actually owned one.
ReplyDeleteThat is an interesting observation about a single or double string of pearls.
ReplyDeletei have a few twinsets but each pair consist of a sleeveless singlet and long sleeve cardigan made from the same wool blend material.
ReplyDeleteMy mum did have a few of these and I had a red one when I was a little girl.
ReplyDeleteMerle...........
Ah! Twinsets...yes I remember them well. I think I did have at least one twin set if not two. I do remember my sister-in-law who was 15 years my senior wearing twinsets and the obligatory string of pearls as well. We did dress rather elegantly 'back then' and hats and gloves were quite commonplace. I doubt any of us would go 'into town' wearing trousers and one always wore lipstick and perhaps a dab of powder too. They are wonderful memories of a gentler time. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, my favorite was a set in lemon yellow, which went just right with a brown plaid pleated skirt. And shells... remember them? Sleeveless sweaters. Heck, I dunno. Maybe they're still around, but I haven't seen one in years.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember them - except in magazines. I wonder why they weren't a part of our lives?
ReplyDeleteDelores; I imagine many of the pearls were fake, real ones were quite expensive. I remember reading in romance novels about young girls being given a short string of pearls when she turned 16, with a new pearl added every birthday. Seemed odd to me.
ReplyDeleteJoanne Noragon; I'd forgotten about the hat and gloves, stockings too, all of which were absolutely essential if going to "the city". (Adelaide)
FigMince; welcome to drifting. I remember rayon, housedresses were often made from it. And some school shirts, those grey or light blue ones.
Dianne; I don't suppose there was much reason for wearing twinsets out on the farms. I grew up in Port Pirie.
Andrew; I haven't a clue about the reason though. I wish I did.
mm; the sleeveless singlet style might be a more modern version.
Merlesworld; a red one! I don't think I ever saw a red twinset.
Mimsie; I've seen plenty of old magazine pictures where women dressed really nicely and I remember the mums of my friends always wearing nice summer dresses with white sandals in the hot weather. big shady straw hats too. They did look lovely.
Susan; I've heard of shells, but I'm not sure exactly what they are. Perhaps you could post a picture for us?
Elephant's Child; perhaps there was no need or occasion for them in the area you grew up in.