![A logo for "50 Happens," [a site dedicated to Gen X women with children and grandchildren] [who embrace life's challenges with humor and resilience], [featuring a modern and uplifting design] [that embodies strength and positivity] [with an elegant and playful style] [and a harmonious blend of colors like pink, fuchsia, purple, and blue].](https://50happens.blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/img-5uorrxvwartomopcpuhjfjd0.png?w=300)
Today’s realization from The Great Photo Digitization Project of 2025 (inspired by the tragic California wildfires) is that I was an extremely well-dressed child. (My own kids were nowhere near as well-dressed as my sister and I were.)
And this was before the era of “fast fashion,” so my mother made many of our dresses and outfits.
We always had matching accessories too. Note the headband in this shot:
In my old photo albums, one accessory is featured more than all the others and that is color-coordinated knee socks. I remember having a drawer full of them. Thinking back, they were pretty cool because they came in so many different colors and were way more comfortable than tights.
Facilitated by my mother and a Marshall’s opening up in my town in the late 70s (“Brand Names for Less”), I ended up being a major clothes horse right through high school. I embraced the Reagan era “preppy look” and had dozens of sweaters in every color of the rainbow. My closet looked like a Benetton store.
It wasn’t until I tried to fit all my clothes into a tiny freshman dorm closet that I realized how ridiculously many I had.
50 Happens 
i’m loving these photos, mary. my mom made our clothes as well. i of course didn’t much appreciate that as in my early teen years, but now i get how special that was.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for appreciating my old photos Susan! In fact, I remember being a total brat and complaining about the homemade clothes. And remember trying them on halfway through, when the pins were still in?
LikeLiked by 1 person
i sure do. i believe all of my school pictures through 8th grade have me dressed in clothing made by my mother!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Even though I’m not in any of these photos, they feel like a trip through a Time Machine! They make me get strangely and nostalgic as well.
It’s funny because teaching in a high school today, I see students coming in and wearing crocs instead of shoes, wearing pajama pants. Covering themselves up with blanket as they walk through the halls.
Not only would that stuff have not flown with our administrators back in the day, students wouldn’t even have considered leaving the house looking the way that they do now.
I guess in some ways that’s a good thing. But in other ways, not so much.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so glad you’re enjoying my old pics Rob! I see it from both sides. As a mom, it was a pain in the butt to make kids look presentable every day. I remember I had a sign for my daughter that said: “brush teeth; wear underpants” That was all I required for Kindergarten!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve been hearing stories of my nieces trying to fit their wardrobe in their freshman dorm. I laugh because I know their high school style will transition to a more casual college look and they won’t feel the need to pack that many clothes next year.
Milk box. We didn’t have those out here. That’s makes me very curious. So there was an actual milk man? How often did he come? Was the box refrigerated? I find that fascinating.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Exactly. I revamped my look immediately after freshman move-in. And yes, we had a real milkman from the local “dairy” that came about once a week and took away the empty glass milk bottles and left new ones. I remember the box was metal on the outside and insulated (like a cooler), but not refrigerated. SoCal didn’t have that? Maybe you lacked local cows?
LikeLiked by 1 person
So the milk was directly from a local dairy? Whoa. That must have been fresh and tasted really good. Would have been nice to have that out here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There was an actual milkman. In fact. My grandmother‘s old house in Detroit had a milk box built in the one of the side walls.
LikeLiked by 2 people
That’s pretty cool. Too bad some things fall by the wayside. Fresh milk delivery sounds great.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh my gosh I love these! Thank you for sharing. These photos are a beautiful time capsule, and you were indeed quite fashionable. Particularly love the prep area. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much!
LikeLike
Knee socks are so cute. 🙂 Loving these photos and began using the app. I realized my girls were in a lot of matching outfits too, or nearly matching. I think it stopped when my son got older and it wasn’t so easy to coordinate the three.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are cute! I’m glad you tried the app. It’s funny how you see us in matching outfits and then a couple years later you’ll see my sister in the same outfit, but I’m sure it’s my old outfit passed down. So the younger sister gets gets stuck wearing the same dress or outfit for like 4 years!
LikeLike