Gone are the days where we teach our teens how-to-do homemaking techniques via a textbook. Most people nowadays just Google things they want to learn.
How about stepping into the past for giggles? Here’s a little history lesson from 1961 for those who happenstance upon this post about “hair grooming.”
I was raised by likely the last era of people to have been authors of homemaking textbooks like the one pictured above. What the heck is a homemaking textbook you ask?
Believe it or not, we used to learn about how to take care of our homes and selves in school via textbooks. I remember fondly my 7th grade Home Economics class. There was a curriculum we used, but I don’t remember a big fat textbook like the one pictured above.
Remembering back, that is the first year anyone ever noticed I had gray hairs. My teacher told me, “You’re going to be fully gray by the age of 30.” I have no idea how she could predict it, but I did start the salt and pepper look around that time in my life. Wise teachers, we had back then, eh?
When I turned 30, I thought the sprouts of graying hair were due to the stresses of starting a family and not getting enough sleep. I must have missed the chapter in the book or lesson plans that explained how you get gray hair? Or maybe I hadn’t known how to properly care for my hair? I certainly don’t remember my teacher teaching us about hair grooming like they did in the 1961 textbook.
What are the lessons from 1961 that you can’t find on YouTube? (Disclaimer, I really didn’t check YouTube, that always sucks me into something so unrelated to what I started searching for and I lose track of time! So, I’m just assuming there aren’t any 1961 YouTube lessons after having read a few sections of this book. Sorry authors, I also didn’t obtain permission from the publishers to share the lessons).
Times have changed, or have they? What do you think about these lessons?
- Your self-confidence and charm are influenced to a great extent by your grooming. Charm is said to be the thing about you that attracts people to you.
- Charm is a combination of good health, poise, social grace or manners, and good grooming.
- A girl’s hair is her crowning glory only if it is carefully brushed, thoroughly clean, and attractively shaped to her face and head.
- A large part of the millions of dollars spent in the US each year on beauty aids is spent on hair care, but hair care can be cared for at home economically and effectively.
What is the takeaway lesson from 1961?
- As you grow older, as early as in the twenties, the body’s supply of oil to the hair and skin lesions. It is this precious oil that gives teenage skin its youthful appearance and young hair its gloss. (Dang…now we know the real truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!).
As that lesson continued, Ms. Marlowe entered in and put up a chart to show the best hairstyles for different shaped faces. Take note, you might be doing it wrong, or right if you’re into the retro look?!
“You will be interested in experimenting to find the hair styles best suited to you. The shape of your face and your features will determine what arrangement is most becoming to you.” – Ms. Marlowe
Lessons from 2020
The mediums in which we learn our lessons now versus back in 1961 are different. But, don’t we all still want to have charm, be beautiful, care for ourselves, and be unique?
Whatever the hairstyle we choose, be it gray, black, brown, blonde, blue, pink or green or whatever rainbow color we pick, we do care about ourselves. We still spend millions of dollars as a nation to care for our hair, probably more. We have not stopped spending money on hair care habits, we perpetuate them.
What is Ms. Marlowe’s best advice?
She warned the girls that it was a very good idea for them to look carefully at the claims made by the many commercial preparations for hair cleansing and styling – shampoos, rinses, wave sets, and sprays – advertised in magazines, on TV, and elsewhere. Sometimes the buyer pays more for the advertising than for the product itself. Try several kinds of recommended preparation, you’ll find the one best for you.
Amen Ms. Marlowe – well said!!
PS – What do you think? Do you agree or not that our hair continues to be our crowning glory in one way or another?
I’m just happy it still covers my head…
That is a good thing, I’m feeling that same way too!
Have you seen the Glamour Daze website / you tube the tutorials 😉😁
Not until you mentioned it! Wow – that’s interesting. I know a few of my daughter’s friends who’d enjoy watching those videos. Thanks for sharing – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQlfvCZqFUQ
This post is so interesting, Shelley! I know I depend on Youtube very much including photography. I can believe so much money we spend on hair. I go to my hairdresser… 🙂
Thank you, Amy. I go to YouTube and Google a lot to get information. Its easier than driving to the library. But I do at times miss the thrill of the hunt at the library. Yes, we spend a lot on our hairdressing. I just cut my own hair this past weekend. Still saving $. I haven’t been to the hairdresser in over 2 years. 🙂 It’s important for each person to do what they believe is right for them, and there are a lot of really awesome hairdressers out there that I wouldn’t want to dismiss for their gifts! 🙂
really fun to see how much has changed since 1961 – but then maybe still the same – but like you said – we just get info different.
and in the 1980s – I had an old book that was actually great as it told me how to wash my face – I think we need more resources like this today.
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and I agree with the part about oil internally helping the hair and skin – and it is why we need to get more oil and fats in via the diet….
I agree, Yvette. I had a cool book in the 80s too. I sold it at a thrift sale and the young girl that got it was so excited. I think I had shared it with my kids, and they chuckled at me. I do agree, I think we need more resources like this today. Yes, diet is very important. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
😊📚
PS
the body’s supply of oil to the hair and skin lesions.
mean lessons
(not that we need to mention tiny little typos – but thought you’d want to know that one
Thank you for clarifying!
My hair used to be my crowning glory but now it spends most of its time in a high ponytail out of the way. But I prefer longer hair to short, so it stays. I never really learned how to do my bangs, so I have given up on them through the years, though a little big of bangs is good for softening the face once you get older. When it was humid or rainy they would stick out straight – the butane curling iron was my friend. When my hair was all one length, I used to love in the Summer when my mom did a French braid as I could look the same going out the door in the morning as I did when I got home at night – not a hair out of place. When I layered my hair, even with long layers, it was no longer a flawless braid but the layers held a curl much better. I did the perms, and then huge rollers to relax the look of the perm – along with two sets of headgear at that time, I wonder how I got a proper night’s rest!
Thank you for sharing your hair tales :-)! I don’t know how you got any sleep either? I read about people with long curly hair that plop their hair in pineapples at night? I don’t know how they sleep with something tight on their heads!?
Yes, that works too unless you are tall and the top of the pineapple hits the bed headboard and wakes you up (my problem). Now that I bought the high wedge pillow for my legs a few weeks ago, I have to sleep on my back – not something I like too much – I feel like a mummy when I go to bed as I try to keep my arms straight due to the left arm issue. I’d much rather curl up comfortably.
Yeah, that wouldn’t work. I can’t do the pineapple either – the pets (and Mr.) consume all but the small 1/4 of the bed I sleep in. There’s no room for pineapple on top of my head!
I don’t know how you can sleep with that wedge. I’m glad it’s helping you though.
That’s funny thinking of you getting crowded out. My friend who lives in NY has two cats and a double bed. The cats were used to sleeping with her and when her husband retired and left his job in NC, where he had worked for about 5-6 years, he moved home for good. He had been laid off at GM in 2012 or 2013, and was an engineer and so he got a comparable job in NC, only coming home for the plant shutdown for 2 weeks at 4th of July and the shutdown break at Christmas/New Year’s.
So whenever David came home, the cats did not take kindly to his presence in the bed and insisted on staking out their territory – a few times he (as in David, not Smudge and Dudley) was relegated to the guest bedroom to be able to sleep as he’d go to bed and they’d hiss and defend their turf. David often stayed up late and slept in; Carol goes to bed early and gets up at the crack of dawn. So, the cats adhered to Carol’s schedule – David was an inconvenience in their opinion. She’d write about it on Facebook – very funny. Plus, there was a recliner and the cats liked to sleep in it – David would sit and read or watch TV and as soon as he left the room momentarily, the cats would go right there and position themselves on the chair, so he would have to choose another place to sit.
The wedge is really not comfortable to be honest and it has no give to it, but it is supposed to be like that. I do like that it does not move … it will not budge all night long which is good as it doesn’t go sailing off the bed, like the stacked-up pillows did.
Yes, cats can be territorial. That’s a funny tale about your friend’s cats. I’m glad ours only try to steal spots, but give up easily. Dessy sneezed in my face and pawed me in the face this week – she’s not on my ‘aw, cats are so sweet’ list this week!
If the wedge works to help your shoulder, I hope it is worth the hassle.
I hear similar stories from Carol about cats monopolizing her pillow. And, when they finally jump down and go somewhere else, they are usually back to mew for breakfast. Actually I bought this for the swelling in my ankles – so far it seems to have brought it down a little and I bought some compression socks last week – going to start wearing them next week; I was waiting to see how the pillow at night and the footstool during the day were helping first.
Interesting…keep me posted!
Hi lovely, I really enjoyed this post along with your habitual fun, unique, and entertaining way of writing! You really know how to engage your readers and draw us in, I love it. This was such a fun excursion to the early sixties. I especially enjoyed the discourse about charm. I do feel it´s about being “well-groomed” haha, but I also find that charm irradiates from the core of your being, from being comfortable with yourself, maybe even knowing yourself a bit. And also from knowing how to treat other beings – with kindness, respect, care, and a focus on their qualities. Regarding the hair-care, ah man. I want our teenage year´s oil supply back! Minus the pimples, though, haha. Just tried a homemade coconut-oil-olive-oil-mix hair treatment. Was ok – but my teenage hair is not back yet 😛 Big hugs and thanks for this fun post lovely xxx
Aw, Maria, thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I agree with your thoughts on charm. Very nice!
I always say, hair is just hair. My wild hair changes with the weather. And since giving up the dye, I’ve also given up on extra products, so I just wash & condition once a week and my skin/scalp/hair just do their own natural thing. I’m with you on not wanting the pimple factor back. Dang hormones! I haven’t tried the homemade products, did that work for you? I’ve heard you may need to try it a few times? Thank you for your fun comments – I so appreciate your encouragement! Big hugs to you, too, xx!
Hello my fellow wild-hair-friend, my pleasure! I love when posts make me think and amuse me at the same time, like yours do so eloquently. Great combo! On the wild hair topic: Thanks for sharing that one needs to try it a few times, I will try that! I do love the idea of going back to the basics and not putting anything nasty on my hair or skin. So I am gonna keep raiding my kitchen and put weird stuff in my hair, lol. Coconut oil is supposed to be amazing for skin and hair, so I´ll keep testing 🙂 Btw I think you look fab with your natural hair color!! You are beautiful. You know, in Spain it´s normal for women to compliment women – that´s something I like about the culture here, and it´s very different to Germany or Australia, for that matter. Big hugs, keep shining xoxo
Aw, thank you for the encouraging words about my blog. xx And, now I like Spain even more – women complimenting women to encourage them to be themselves, I love it!! The one home remedy I used made my hair super soft the first day and then an oil mess the next. It’s amazing how touchy our scalp and hair can be. I ususally use shampoos/conditioners that have coconut oil in them, they seem to work. But I do think my all time favorite was Joico for curly hair. I’ve tried others in between and am forcing myself to use them up before buying any more. So wild it is for a while.
After giving up the dye and all the extras, my hair is healthier but still it’s wild self. Just like it was when I was a child. I feel young again letting it just be :-)! When I look at your hair, it reminds me of my younger days. I can’t pull off smiling while doing yoga, like you do, or write wild adventures in far away places like you do, but I can smile knowing that your stories and your smile brings us all so much joy! Keep on doing so! Big hugs to you too! xx
Dear Shelley, it´s my absolute pleasure! I really treasure our blogging-friendship and our comment exchanges, thank you so much 🙂 Supporting each other as women in their power and unique expression is such a meaningful thing I find. Thanks also for sharing your experiences with haircare with me – I gotta check out this Joico product you mentioned! Maybe our hair is another expression of our wild feminine side, hehe. My friend, you can pull of sooo many things that are incredible! I always marvel at everyone who manages to raise children, keep a marriage going well for so long, work, maintains friendships and on top of that lets their cool and unique quirk out!! If that doesn´t say Superwoman, I don´t know what is:)! BTW, I mentioned you in my latest post:) Check out the photos when you have time:) Hehe. Thanks for all your wonderful encouragement, it means the world to me!! Big hugs and many smiles to you my lovely xxx
Aw – you’re so encouraging, I can’t tell you how much that means to me! Thank you!
I love your post – thank you so much for the shot of Shell (Shelley) beach. I so enjoyed the virtual trip – and I do believe that dolphin winked at you too! Big hugs to you – keep smiling that gorgeous and adventurous smile! xx
It´s my pleasure 🙂 You are so welcome, I really had to think of you when writing about Shell beach! So happy to hear you enjoyed our trip lovely:) Haha yes, that dolphin was a cheeky one;) Aww thanks for your beautiful words my dear! Wishing you a fantastic day and week! xx
Thank you, Maria! It’s so fun to travel with you!
Thanks Shelley, love hearing that 🙂 xx
Flashback on homemaking textbooks, Shelley. Our classes were called Home Ec. As you point out “Economics.” I still recall making jello in Grade 8 and sewing aprons. My takeaway lesson from 1961: the only constant in life is change. I have not met Ms. Marlowe, yet I know I would have liked her. You are right, Shelley. We still spend a great deal on hair. I love your hair!
Ah, yes, Home Ec. I sure wish they wouldn’t have gotten rid of that class for curriculum. Nowadays we need to train our kids on how to eat better. But there’s always Instagram and YouTube for that I guess.
Yes, we do – I’ve found the cheapest, literally, route – I use V05 shampoo and conditioner (.99/bottle) once a week. I estimate that the overall cost is less than $10/year. Compared to $80 every 6 weeks I spent before on coloring alone, I’ve won the lottery. Not like the lottery you won though – I’m jealous, that event sounds awesome! I can’t wait to read about how it went and what costumes you wore. Congrats!!