the varsity jacket: Atlanta (1947)

Teenage girl tying a scarf around the neck of her boyfriend as a fad.
Location: Atlanta, GA, US
Date taken: October 1947
Photographer: Ed Clark

Oakland As on the cover of Time (1973 and 1974)

The art screams Seventies, but I still dig it. They sure don't make 'em like they used to.

Pistol Pete (1968)

Pistol Pete Maravich rocking the vertical arch LSU basketball jersey, short shorts, gray socks, and low tops. Someday I will own a version jersey.

sports sweaters from the Sears catalog (1988)

Most notably rocked by Michael Keller Ditka.

Red Flannel - Cedar Springs, Michigan (1949)

from the Red Flannel Festival site:
History of the Red Flannel Festival
It all began in 1936 in the midst of "the worst winter in years." The whole country suffered in the grip of heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures. A New York feature writer bemoaned the "fact" that, "Here we are in the midst of an old- fashioned winter and there are no red flannels in the USA to go with it."

The local newspaper, The Cedar Springs Clipper, owned and edited by "The Clipper Gals" Nina Babcock and Grace Hamilton answered the writer with a RED HOT editorial stating: "Just because Sak's Fifth Avenue does not carry red flannels, it doesn't follow that no one in the country does. CEDAR SPRINGS' merchants have red flannels!"

The story was picked up by The Associated Press and orders began pouring in from all over the USA. Seeing the possibility of at least a few years of publicity because of our famous “drop seaters" and lumbering history, a "RED FLANNEL DAY" was planned for the fall of 1939. After the closure of the Red Flannel Factory in 1994, the citizens became concerned as to the fate of their beloved Red Flannels and of the Red Flannel Festival. However, due to the love of their community legacy, volunteers rallied to keep the Red Flannel Festival tradition alive. It has continued to be an annual event, held the last weekend in September and the first weekend in October. The production of Red Flannel garments was reestablished and they are available to purchase in Cedar Springs."

The photos are from the Life Magazine image archives on Google, and yes, I have another crush on a girl who is either a senior citizen now or has croaked. The Life archives erroneously lists these photos as taken in "Cellar Springs, Utah" but they are from Cedar Springs, Michigan.

"When financial difficulties forced the factory to close in 1994, Karen Williams, proprietor of Cedar Sweets and Specialty Shoppe, stepped in to keep the town’s legacy alive. Not being a seamstress herself, she enlisted the help of several women who were.
“It was a stop-gap to get us through,” recalls Williams. “That year, there was never anything on the shelves because it was bought up as soon as it was made. People ordered and came back a week later to pick them up.”
Today, a dozen local women stitch a wide variety of red clothing in their homes. The traditional red flannels now are made of a stretch cotton/polyester blend so when wearers bend over they, don’t pop their buttons. Other products such as boxer shorts, shirts, and nightgowns still are made of red and plaid flannel."

I'm now on a mission to find this issue of Life and to visit Cedar Springs to get me some lumberjack drawers.

Hullabaloo t-shirt (1966)

Founder of Teen Club Inc. John Angel, with members during 'TV's Hullaballoo Scene'. July, 1966.

Levi's ad (1979?)

is this fake 1979 or so dated that it seems fake? I don't remember from whence on the Intermanetz this was pilfered.

Big League Spread-Quilt (1960)

From a Baseball Digest ad, 1960.

The customizable option for the rug provides boundless fodder for devious creativity. A BALCO rug would really tie the room together, Dude.

Davy Crockett t-shirt (1954)

Sitting Bull t-shirt (1953)

Ask your Pops if he still has this one in the back of the closet somewhere!

Eugene Merinov Photography: Delta 5 - Hurrah - 1979

Eugene Merinov Photography: Delta 5 - Hurrah - 1979

rock t-shirts: Delta 5 (1979)

Julz Sale, lead singer of Delta 5, a band from Leeds, photographed in NY so I can break my self-imposed rule about only documenting American style. Delta 5 featured two bass players and lots of discordant chanted vocals- certainly not everyone's cup of Earl Grey, guv'nor. They were part of the Rock Against Racism movement in England that sprang up in the late 70s as an answer to that twat Eric Clapton's racist blather and the rise of the National Front in the crumbling English empire. They sound a lot like Gang of 4 and Wire, really.

But what caught my eye in this photo is Julz's shirt! It's an ad for Stiff Records, the label that put out records by Ian Drury and the Plasmatics. Of course, this shirt has been bootlegged by some anonymous internet shill. I'd kill for an original (in XL, please, while I'm asking for the impossible.)

from Eugene's Merinov photo blog, great photos from the NY post, post-punk, no-wave era!

Greensboro, NC- home of Cone Denim (1910s)

This old postcard trumpets Greensboro, NC as the home of the legendary Cone Mills, the supplier of denim to Levi's and others for over 100 years. You don't see many postcards proudly declaring a town as the home of VapoRub or Mojud Ladies Hosiery anymore.

teenagers in Norfolk, VA (1958)

from the Life Magazine image archives on Google

Steve Dahl in Disco Sucks t-shirt (1979)

30 years later, disco still sucks!

celebrity endorsers: Tony Dorsett for Lee Jeans (1983)

found in Jet Magazine, April 1983

Pudge Heffelfinger, All American (1955)

This is a world of win for me- great portrait, great name, great leather helmet, and an ACES old Yale Bulldogs logo (to be stolen later).

Hollywood High School (1905 and 1907)

The 1905 Hollywood High School football team. Hollywood High was only 2 years old in 1905, Interesting how protective gear focused on leg protection, rather than oh, I don't know, the head. The lad to the far left in the first row seems to have invested in elbow protections as well. I dig the shoulder detail on his sweater. I'm guessing the wicker jug in the foreground was just water? Perhaps there's some more significance there, maybe it's a trophy a la the Territorial Cup or Old Oaken Bucket.

The 1907 basketball team. Legendary automobile designer Harley Earl went to HHS around this time, but he would have been a Freshman in '07 as he was born in 1893. Could he possibly be the seated 5 in the center (haha) right of the photo?

NFL sweaters for kids (1984)

From the 1984 Sears Catalog. The Bears sweater was standard Sunday school wear in Chicago for the 1985-86 season.

the letterman sweater: Des Moines (1945)

"Letter sweaters (for various sports) are desired by all teen-age boys.
Location: Des Moines, IA, US, Date taken: June 1945, Photographer:Nina Leen"

from the Life Magazine archives.

University of Cincinnati band (1956)

Saddle oxfords, check. Gray skirt, check. Badass Bearcats sweater, check. Grandma had it going on!

found here via link from Uniwatch blog.

Oh, alright, I can't resist posting these other righteous U of C logos:

1961 was the year AFTER the Big O, Oscar Robertson left the Bearcats! Digging the crown on this logo!