For as long as I can remember, I have been interested in the 1930s and 1940s. I grew up listening to my grandmother's stories about The Great Depression and the hardship her and her family endured. Then, articles about shortages and rationing during the 1940s raised my curiosity about the wartime era. Flipping through photo albums and watching films from the period introduced me to the styles and fashions of the day. Whether Hollywood stars or relatives, through it all, women and men managed to look glamorous.
For whatever reason, this perceived notion of glamour among hardship has captivated my attention. I have this little fantasy in my mind of how I would look if I had lived in that time, dressed in my cotton house dress for the day's chores or in a smart wool suit for church, pin curled hair artfully arranged under a veiled hat.
We humans are too quick to cast aside the traditions of the past in favor of new fads. I believe there is a lot to be learned from earlier decades, especially those fraught with financial instability. Planning meals around food ration coupons, sewing one's own clothing, keeping house, all of it done with frugality in the forefront of mind, were daily acts of the 1940s woman, whether she worked in or outside the home. This mindset is one that can transcend time. In our modern age of materialism, consumerism, and fast food, there are genuine lessons to be had. Today, we are encouraged to "go green," to embrace "minimalism," to eat "real food" diets, to avoid "fast fashion," and to "buy quality over quantity." There are dozens of catch phrases to encourage us live a better existence in the 21st century. The truth is, people went about doing all of those things as part of their daily lives in the 1940s. It was a time of frugality and self-discipline and I very much admire those qualities. In fact, I want those qualities in my own life.
I have been incorporating snippets of the 1940s era in my life for a long time. I began collecting vintage Fiesta dishes by Homer Laughlin when I was about 10 years old. Other vintage accents, such as colorful printed tablecloths, embroidered linens, and art pottery have made their way into my home, too. My sofa is from the late 1940s or early 1950s. I love the colors and the styles of the period. It only makes sense that when it came time for me to purchase a home, I chose one built in 1940. Two years ago, I began sewing again. One of my first projects was a pair of trousers from a 1940s pattern. Lately, I have been collecting knitting patterns from the era. The more I learn, the more enamored I become. So, I consider it Providence that last week, quite accidentally, I found the following blog.
http://destination1940.blogspot.com/
Although it has not been updated in awhile, there is still a lot of great reading there. I admire the author's courage to change her course and modify her daily actions, step by step, to mimic those of a 1940s woman. As she goes through the process, she discovers that the changes make a dramatic difference in her life. I am inspired by her to take this 1940s lifestyle by the horns. As she did, I hope to incorporate the household routines into my life. Along the way, I expect that I will become healthier from eating home-cooked, balanced meals in smaller portions. My home will be cleaner and more organized from daily efforts to keep things neat and straight. My wardrobe should improve from sewing more garments myself and avoiding modern fashion. Most importantly, I think I will learn a lot about effective time management. So, here's to a little time travel!
For whatever reason, this perceived notion of glamour among hardship has captivated my attention. I have this little fantasy in my mind of how I would look if I had lived in that time, dressed in my cotton house dress for the day's chores or in a smart wool suit for church, pin curled hair artfully arranged under a veiled hat.
We humans are too quick to cast aside the traditions of the past in favor of new fads. I believe there is a lot to be learned from earlier decades, especially those fraught with financial instability. Planning meals around food ration coupons, sewing one's own clothing, keeping house, all of it done with frugality in the forefront of mind, were daily acts of the 1940s woman, whether she worked in or outside the home. This mindset is one that can transcend time. In our modern age of materialism, consumerism, and fast food, there are genuine lessons to be had. Today, we are encouraged to "go green," to embrace "minimalism," to eat "real food" diets, to avoid "fast fashion," and to "buy quality over quantity." There are dozens of catch phrases to encourage us live a better existence in the 21st century. The truth is, people went about doing all of those things as part of their daily lives in the 1940s. It was a time of frugality and self-discipline and I very much admire those qualities. In fact, I want those qualities in my own life.
I have been incorporating snippets of the 1940s era in my life for a long time. I began collecting vintage Fiesta dishes by Homer Laughlin when I was about 10 years old. Other vintage accents, such as colorful printed tablecloths, embroidered linens, and art pottery have made their way into my home, too. My sofa is from the late 1940s or early 1950s. I love the colors and the styles of the period. It only makes sense that when it came time for me to purchase a home, I chose one built in 1940. Two years ago, I began sewing again. One of my first projects was a pair of trousers from a 1940s pattern. Lately, I have been collecting knitting patterns from the era. The more I learn, the more enamored I become. So, I consider it Providence that last week, quite accidentally, I found the following blog.
http://destination1940.blogspot.com/
Although it has not been updated in awhile, there is still a lot of great reading there. I admire the author's courage to change her course and modify her daily actions, step by step, to mimic those of a 1940s woman. As she goes through the process, she discovers that the changes make a dramatic difference in her life. I am inspired by her to take this 1940s lifestyle by the horns. As she did, I hope to incorporate the household routines into my life. Along the way, I expect that I will become healthier from eating home-cooked, balanced meals in smaller portions. My home will be cleaner and more organized from daily efforts to keep things neat and straight. My wardrobe should improve from sewing more garments myself and avoiding modern fashion. Most importantly, I think I will learn a lot about effective time management. So, here's to a little time travel!
