I'll soon be attending my 40th high school reunion, it doesn't seem possible that 40 years have gone by so quickly.

However, between catching up with old classmates, leafing through my yearbook, and playing some of my high school fave songs, I've been remembering a lot of things.

I graduated in 1970. My senior year was the first year we girls were allowed to wear slacks (SLACKS, not JEANS) to class. Before that, we had to wear dresses or skirts every day. I remember vividly waiting for the bus in the early Michigan-winter mornings, feeling that cold air draft while wearing my short (above the knee) skirts!

I also remember Heaven-Sent perfume, 'poorboy' shirts, Mary Quant baby-doll dresses and maxi-dresses. I remember senior boys coming to school looking sick the day after the draft lottery. I remember Dynel wigs (it's not fake, it's real DYNEL). My senior prom dress was SO modest compared to the ones they wear now, high-waisted and ruffle-necked, blue chiffon and lace. I remember going to see the big blockbuster movie, "Airport".

One of the songs that really takes me back, The Carpenters singing "Close to You".

At the time of high school graduation, I was 2 months away from turning 18, and only 3 months and six days away from meeting the man I would marry and am still married to. Who'd have guessed?

Carolyn

Oh Carolyn, what a great post!!

You and I graduated from high school the same year, and in similar parts of the country. I was in Madison, Wisconsin.

I too recall the desire to wear something besides skirts to school. We used to have one day a year that was called "Dress Down Day" and on that day we could actually wear jeans.

This was so significant that I actually recall my Dad asking me why I was dressed the way I was...

Of course, we used to have school spirit days and other special days too. On school spirit days we were all supposed to wear our school colors to class.

Our colors were purple and gold, and I remember that I found some boldly striped (as in 2 inch stripes) purple and gold fabric from which I made myself a PANTSUIT. I proudly wore this on school spirit days. I don't recall my kids ever having a dress-up day like this when they were in high school...

As for MY senior prom dress, it was a simple long A-line dress in apricot, with a high round neck with a rather demure slit that definitely didn't show any cleavage. Sleeveless and it probably had a slit up the side seam so I could dance...It's only decoration was a bit of floral embroidery at the neck. My date brought me an apricot colored rose corsage, to wear on my wrist... I recall thinking that it was quite sophisticated.

As for maxidresses, I loved 'em, but my pride and joy was my bright red wool maxi COAT, which I wore with knee high black boots with small heels. I thought I was really "hot stuff" in that coat!

Who else remembers high school fashions from the late 60s and early 70s?

Such fun memories!

I also graduated in 1970 from Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

My father was a teacher in the other high school in Eau Claire. My grandfather had been a principal at the high school I attended until he died when I was 13. I was well known among all the staff and was expected to behave. And I did - until I hit my sophomore year.

Our skirts were suppose to be no shorter than 2 inches above our knees. I was tall and rail thin and I liked mini-skirts. So I wore one to school. My homeroom teacher sent me to the office and the principal called my dad at school. He expected my dad to pick me up and take me home to change.

My dad said he had a job to do and I had a job to do. His was to teach his kids and mine was to learn from my teachers. He said I would stay in school just the way I was and my teachers would teach me. I stayed in my mini-skirt and nothing was said to me for the rest of the day about my clothes.

I was so proud of my father! All he said to me when I got home was that I had better never do anything again that would warrant another phone call!

The next day several girls wore mini-skirts.

A week later I wore jeans to school. Not one teacher said a word.

Oh wow, a rebel! I was so NOT.
One of the things that hits me from time to time, is that back then, even for someone who grew up middle-class, we had so few possessions compared to now. As kids, we had toys but weren't INUNDATED with them. I think we valued them more, too.

When I was in high school, I had the clothes my mom bought for me, but added to them with the things I bought myself, and each purchase had to be saved up for. A simple oxford shirt represented fourteen hours of babysitting money, or seven hours of working at the snack counter of a department store. A record album cost about half that. So each of my purchases meant something to me.

Anne, your red maxi coat had to be FAB. I had a navy pea coat which was the height of style for less dressy moments. Wore it with a 'tam' and a long striped scarf in the winter. Back then I hated carrying a purse (still do, but even more necessary now), so I carried the smallest one I could find. I vividly remember one with a leather patchwork design.

Carolyn

Anno when we do things that have an impact like you did does it sets the pace to walk to our own drum..
and as many people do not know how to be authentic..or how to set and move bounderies they never find out the sheer happiness of not following the "crowd"
wish I had known you at school..

I remember thinking it was unfair that while the boys got to wear pants, girls had to wear skirts, and wow! it was cold waiting for the bus in Pennsylvania. I loved fashion, and sewed many of my own clothes. Nowadays, I might consider that I was a trend-setting fashion designer! I never liked carrying a purse. Anno, your dad handled that fashion incident so well!

I graduated in 1967 from high school. I was rather conservative, and did not flow with the hippy movement. I didn’t mind wearing skirts, even down to the knees. I never thought that was important.

I travelled to Europe almost every summer, worked as a waitress in hotel restaurants, so maybe instead of being a hippy, I was more bohemian. I loved meeting people from all over the world. I was the tall young girl wearing a wide brimmed sun hat, huge dark sun glasses, clad in either a mini dress, or a flowered dress down to my calves.

During the last two high school years, I was head over heals in love with a black man. At that time that was unspeakable. My parents forbade me to date him. I did anyway, but with the secrets and the sneaking going on, I missed out on a lot of beautiful events. It was a very sad and trying time for me then, because I felt like singing to the world how in love I was, but for reasons beyond my comprehension, I wasn’t allowed to.

So, in my own little way, I was revolutionary, I guess.

I graduated from high school in 1966; I think I was always a rebel though at the time I really didn't know why I didn't fit in with other groups. When I went to nursing school and was away from my mom, I truly blossomed into a rebel with a capital R LOL. I got into trouble a time or two at nursing school, sneaking out after the housemother left among other things. I think they were glad when I graduated and was gone! I never did anything serious enough to get kicked out, but close.

My favorite outfit was a purple pantsuit with bell bottoms and a lace up top. I loved that and an orange mini dress I wore a lot. I managed to fall down the stairs at New Orleans International Airport in the purple pantsuit. Not exactly the attention I was looking for!

EW, the story of your lost love made me feel sad. I'm sorry to hear that the climate of the times messed with your heart. It's no wonder you are comfortable living in Europe. Yonuh, it's better you fell down the stairs in the pant suit than in the mini dress.