Tag: 1970s

complete book of Men's hairstyles

The “Now” Look

Be Pretty, Guy Stuff 6 comments

Complete Book of Men’s Hairstyles and Hair Care
Rudoy and Cordwell
1974

Men! Are you in the market for a new look? This is your chance to make a statement with your hair. All the favorite looks are here. Try the California look. The long hair with curled ends really goes together with a stylish leisure suit. You will also be happy to know that sideburns can go well with the center-parted smooth short look. It’s not a hippie look, but short and modern. This is your chance to be fashionable, but not sloppy.

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new young ideas in decorating cover

Groovy Teen Decor

Home and Garden, Talkin 'Bout My Generation 19 comments

New Young Ideas in Decorating
Walton
1970

Groovy teens everywhere will want to get their own rooms in shape…just like Grandma. All the decorating fads of the late 1960s and the early 1970s are here. Street signs? Check. Beaded curtains? Check. Gauzy drapes? Check. Peace sign? Double check. In 1970 this would have been nice choice for the young adult collection. The entire book reminded me of Rhoda’s Minneapolis apartment from the Mary Tyler Moore Show.

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Bicentennial Beef cover

Bicentennial Beef

You Ate What? 8 comments

The Bicentennial Beef Cookbook
The 100 Greatest Beef Dishes of America’s First 200 Years
Beef Industry Council
1975

I was in high school at the time of the never to be forgotten US Bicentennial. Just about every product made seemed to issue a special bicentennial version of whatever was produced. I imagine this cookbook was probably one of a thousand “special” cookbooks published in honor of the bicentennial. (I posted last year about a Bicentennial leftover from my own weeding project.)

As you can see from the totally appetizing pictures, you are really missing some serious culinary highlights in meat. Remember the subtitle is The 100 Greatest Beef Dishes of America’s first 200 years. I can imagine that great historical moment when George Washington begs Martha to make Blanketed Meat Loaf after that tough winter at Valley Forge.

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finger weaving cover

Finger Craft

Craptastic Crafts and Hobbies 7 comments

The Basic Book of Finger Weaving
Dendel
1974

Another craptastic craft book for your consideration. The copy I happened to see was pretty beat up. That said, all I had to do was note the quasi “harvest gold” palette of colors to determine that this book was straight out of the 1970s. Looking at the crafts, you can see this is related to the macrame books of the same era. Everyone knew about macrame, but I never heard the term finger weaving used.

Of course we have some perennial 1970s looks: ponchos, vests, and a decorative collar. I believe I have seen a similar example of an afghan on every couch when I was a kid.

This is a weeder. The dirt on the book and a somewhat broken binding qualifies it for the recycle pile. Retro crafts can be something fun, but how about a book from this century?

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woman style cover

Timeless Fashion

Be Pretty 7 comments

Woman Style
Your Personal Guide to Timeless Fashion
Feldon
1979

Have some Womanstyle, circa 1979. It’s timeless assuming time stops in 1985. The book itself is a basic fashion planning guide. It has all the info on fabrics, style, wardrobe planning, etc. The photography is something else. Soft focus seems to be the photographer’s favorite look for some pictures. Also, since it is about fashion, some of the pictures are not good at showing off the actual clothes.

I was in college at the time of this book and the basic wardrobe was jeans and a t-shirt. Cowl neck sweaters were a thing, but I think that is as far as my friends and I ventured for fashion in the late 1970s. I would have been all over the final picture of the boots and skirt. As you peruse the choices, I better warn you of the picture of the highly decorated reddish/pink room. (ALB is not responsible for any trauma related to looking at this picture.)

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bicentennial almanac front cover

200 years of fun

But it's Historical!, Swedish Death Cleaning 9 comments

The Bicentennial Almanac
200 Years of America
Linton, ed.
1975

Another book from Mary’s Swedish Death Cleaning Project.

This title really had me scratching my head. I was a cynical and naive kid back in the 1970s. I was a history fan, so I can only surmise that someone gave this to me as a gift. I doubt it was ever opened. If you were around back then, the whole country had bicentennial fever. Every product out there seemed to make a “Bicentennial” version of whatever was around.

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