Patrick: Home Sewn Clothes


Figure 1.-- .

I remember black and white drawings of clothing in the newspapers in the early 1960's in the local newspaper. My mum used to sit at the table talking about those fashion from the Port Pirie The Recorder. She would tell me and my younger brother that we were going to look so cute dressed in our new outfits. My dad's older sister was a dress maker and used to collect all the designs cutouts in womans and American homemaker type magazines. I remember getting outfitted in my little shorts suit and hating it immensely. I looked like a toffee nosed 4-year old with the combed up greasy hairdo and I put my fake smile on for mum because she was only trying to keep up with those other mums whose Catholic boys looked rather dapper in their shop bought fashion plate outfits. In the early days me and my brother did look up to date with our much richer peers because of Aunty.

Australian Fashion Magazines

We have little information on Australia. In the earlier years, mothers simply circulated publications grom England and other European countries. I'm not sure what the first domestically published womwen's and fashion magazines were. Several magazines have been of some importance in the 20th century. We note the Australian Women's Weekly Handmade and Paton which are knittng and sewing magazines. I believe that Villwool is nother knitting magazine. An Australian reader also mentions Home And Family Journal which sometimes had information on children's clothes. An important fashion magazine was the Australian Womans Mirror. Material on clothing and fashion were also found in the Australian Post and The Bulletin. In recent years seeing how celeberties dress, as shown in People Magazine, has had an impact on fashion.

Newspaper Ads

I remember black and white drawings of clothing in the newspapers in the early 1960's in the local newspaper. My mum used to sit at the table talking about those fashion from the Port Pirie The Recorder. She would tell me and my younger brother that we were going to look so cute dressed in our new outfits.

Aunty

My dad's older sister was a dress maker and used to collect all the designs cutouts in womans and American homemaker type magazines. My mum and my dad's older sister used to collect clothes patterns for her portfolio of boys clothing styles.

Shorts Suit

I remember seeing a book with a little blond boy about 8 years old dressed in blue cotton short shorts with pleats and a white shirt with a red and a blue cardigan on the front cover and he wore a blue peak cap in a smaller picture and I do think that this is how I got my little blue peak cap. He wore a pair of fancy black buckled shoes or were they sandals of some sorts. Mum and Aunty were really taken with the outfit and made one just like it for me. I remember getting outfitted in my little shorts suit and hating it immensely. I looked like a toffee nosed 4-year old with the combed up greasy hairdo and I put my fake smile on for mum because she was only trying to keep up with those other mums whose Catholic boys looked rather dapper in their shop bought fashion plate outfits. In the early days me and my brother did look up to date with our much richer peers because of Aunty. Oh yes and I wore a pair of these poshy shoes.

Sailor Suit

Aunty also like a sailor suit she saw in one of those magazines--Patons. Aunty looked at me smiled and had me measured for this outfit before you could say 'Jack Robinson'. I think I was about 7 or 8 years old. The outfit had longleg white shorts with a sailor suit top and the sailor scarfe too. I had white kneesocks with three blue stripes at the tops. The shorts were belted with a white canvas type belt. I do not know If a photo was taken but I remember some ladies at Eudunda Farmers Clothing store in Port Pirie tickling me under the chin and russling my light brown hair and spinching my dimples. An old lady with garlic and onion breath put a white sailor hat on my head and winked at me. I had my hair cut sort of short buzzcut because an ex-sailor said it would look good. Well it didn't and my big ears stuck out like a satilite wing'and the back of my head and neck felt light and really bare and cold too. I wore a cap like Gene Kelly in Anchors Away. Actually I think this movie had something to do with me wearing a damn sailor suit, because a little boy wore one in that film. I'm sure my aunty and mum saw the film. I think it was decided that if that little boy looked cute in a sailor suit than little old me would look the same but in a homemade example.

Fashion Plate

I was to be a fashion plate several more times over the years. Aunty always liked making outfits for me. She made some gingham short sleeves shirts I remember which I wore with a fresh short back and sides haircut.

Teenager

I stopped having my clothes made for me when I turned 12 or 13 years of age.PJD.--










Christopher Wagner





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Created: September 20, 2002
Last updated: SOctober 8, 2002