Looking Back on the NFL Cheerleaders

In honor of the Super Bowl this Sunday, it's time to highlight the best dressed ladies on the sidelines (well, at least the most festively dressed ladies) - the Cheerleaders! 

In 1954, the Baltimore Colts were the first NFL team to have a cheerleading squad.  Compared with the modern day uniforms their uniforms topped off with blazers look very conservative.

1954 Baltimore Colts Cheerleaders

During the 60s and early 70s cheerleaders were often seen wearing pinafores or short pleated skirts with sneakers. 

San Diego Chargers Cheerleaders

New York Jets Cheerleaders

 

 

Then the Dallas Cowboys ushered in a new brand of professional cheerleading.  

In the 1960s, the original squad was a co-ed group of high school students from the Dallas area called the CowBelles and Beaux. 

1966 Dallas CowBelles & Beaux

Although they cheered their team all the way to the 1971 Super Bowl, the Cowboys' general manager, Tex Schramm, had a different vision for the squad.  He wanted to bring beauty and glamour to the sidelines.  

The high school students were replaced by an attractive group of atheletic female dancers, and the traditional cheer uniforms were replaced by the mid-drift bearing short shorts and star emblazoned vests that the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders still wear today.  
 

Wendi White (1980-1981)

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

The 1972-1973 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders were the beginning of the modern era of NFL cheerleading. 

Love the addition of dance and gymnastics, but kinda miss all the cute pleated skirts.  Am I the only one?

Top 5 Couples Costumes Inspired by Classic TV

Halloween is creeping up on us again.  If you are still trying to figure out your costume - think about doing something retro this year.  Check out the suggestions on this list and maybe you'll be inspired.

1.  Jeannie and Major Nelson - I Dream of Jeannie

 

2.  Gomez and Morticia  - The Addams Family

3.  Lucy and Ricky - I Love Lucy

4.  Samantha and Darrin - Bewitched

 5.  Herman and Lily - The Munsters

Who do you think should have made the list that didn't?

1960s Time Warp

Moschino's Spring/Summer 2013 runway show was a time warp back into the 1960s.

 































I like where they were going with these dresses, but I think the interpretation of the vintage style is too literal.  

Don't you think they should have added something unexpected?

Polka Dot Fun

Enjoy the few last days of summer sunshine and be inspired by the lightheartedness of Polka Dots!  

 

Fantastic 1960s Ad

1960s Jantzen Swim Caps

1961 Arnold Scaasi Polka Dot Dress

Marilyn Monroe on the Beach

Polka Dots make everything feel so cheerful and happy, and couldn't we use a little more of that all year around?

Love the Contrast!

Check out these black and white suits with fantastic contrast taping - one from the mid-1960s and one new for 2013.

1960s Andre Courreges Suit

McQueen Suit - Resort 2013

It's interesting how retro the 2013 McQueen suit looks with the wide collar and bell bottom pant legs.
  
Both are pretty great suits, but I feel that the Andre Courreges jacket with the striped lining is the stand out piece!  

What do you think is the stand out? 

Retro Themed BBQ

Looking for some last minute ideas for Labor Day?  How about a Retro Themed BBQ?

It's a great excuse to pull out your fav vintage garb and enjoy a day out in the sun.  Here are my top 5 tips to make your Retro Themed BBQ a hit:


1.  Set the Scene

• Put out a gingham tablecloth (nobody will mind if it's plastic).
• Decorate with some colorful pinwheels to add a little fun. 
• Make sure the music playlist matches the theme - maybe throw in some songs from the Beach Boys or the Monkees?

 2.  Keep the Menu Simple and Traditional

• Burgers and hotdogs were popular then and are popular now.
• For sides use the old classics like corn on the cob, baked beans, coleslaw or potato salad.
• Treat guests to cherry pie for dessert.

 

3.  Drinks Should Stay in Theme

• Spring for the bottled Coca-Cola.
• Keep beer American - think Budweiser or PBR.   
• Try to get your hands on a vintage cooler to hold the drinks.
• Find a large punch bowl and mix up some vodka pineapple punch.

 

 

4.  Provide Some Unique Fun

• Set up a game of horseshoes, badminton or croquet.
• Ask guests to bring their baseball gloves and get a game of catch going.

   
5.  Most Importantly, Dress the Part!

• Maybe try a vintage floral dress.
• As a hostess, you may even want to throw on a cute vintage style apron to add a little pizazz and keep the food off of your clothes.
• Top the outfit off with a cute retro summer hat or head scarf and you'll be sure to look glamorous!

 

Sky Girls

Glamour, excitement and adventure!  When women had few career opportunities, becoming a stewardess was dream come true - an opportunity to meet new, interesting people and travel the world.   Not to mention getting to model some fantastic uniforms.

Delta Air Stewardess 1957-1959

The original flight attendants in the 1930s were known as Sky Girls and were actually registered nurses.  Some pilots had hesitations about having these ladies on board, but quickly found out that the Sky Girls both calmed the passengers and made the pilots' lives easier.

The Original Sky Girls

During WWII most of the nurses working as stewardesses left their jobs with the airlines to help with the war effort.   As a result, the airlines loosened their hiring restrictions and no longer required that their stewardesses be nurses.  Now they just had to be young, slim, well groomed, friendly and, of course, unmarried.  It was modeling in the sky - so their uniforms had to be glamorous.

1940s Delta Air Flight Attendants

Chic TWA 1965 Flight Attendants

These PSA uniforms are by far my favorite.  Super girlie, sleek and sexy - a great combination.  I would love to wear one!

Pretty in Pink PSA Flight Attendents

There were also some definite fashion mistakes as well - for instance, the Braniff International uniforms of the mid-sixties - yikes!  Who came up with those?

Then there was the Space Bubble - I kinda love it.  It was designed by Pucci to keep the flight attendant's hair from getting disheveled on the tarmac.

The Space Bubble designed by Pucci in 1968

I also love the hot pants and go go boots of the 70s.  Can you imagine seeing a flight attendant in that today?

Not all stewardesses in the 70s wore hot pants, but the tone of the decade for stewardess uniforms was definitely fun and playful.

 

Hughes Airwest Flight Attendants in the Early 1970s

There are some pretty great vintage stewardess uniforms, but what's your favorite?

Sunglasses Straw Hat

A couple of weeks ago I popped into a Kate Spade store in Orange County and spotted this super cute straw hat with embedded sunglasses.  It seemed like the perfect beach side accessory.  No longer would a girl have to choose between people watching or covering her face from the sun.  Finally she could do both - and still look stylish.

Kate Spade Straw Sunglasses Hat

  

I had all but forgotten about the hat when I came across a very similar vintage hat.  Looks like the women of the 60s could have been wearing a version of this hat as well.

Vintage Straw Hat, Libelle (Dutch) May 1965

 The colors have definitely been toned down since the 60s, but the idea's the same.  If you're wearing a sunglasses straw hat you're not looking to blend in, so might as well go for the bright colors.  What do you think?