Since my family didn’t have much money to spend on clothes and seldom went shopping, I was lucky to have my sisters Lavon, Marva, and Norma who looked out for me. Lavon and Norma were my size, so I got hand-me-downs from them and also gifts at Christmas and birthdays. Marva worked at Blacks Department store, so she also got me clothes. My brother-in-law John Flugga worked at Walker’s Shoe store so whenever someone brought shoes back in my size, he saved them for me. So I had more shoes than my classmates. Saddle shoes were the in thing then. I addressed envelopes for Walkers to send out their ads at a penny each so I could buy my new saddle shoes. Checking the internet, it says they sold for $3.98 at that time. We wore jeans with the pant legs rolled up with white anklets and saddle shoes. Wore a nice blouse or a baggy shirt of our dad’s or my brothers. A shirt I remember wearing a lot was plain white with classmates and friends’ autographs written all over it in permanent ink. All the girls in my class had them. I wish I had kept it. Can Can slips were very popular and were often worn under circle skirts. Marva made me a circle skirt from black felt. Mine didn’t have the poodle as many did but I wore it often. Dog collars were worn around your ankle. Left ankle if you were going steady. The guys gave their class rings to their girlfriends to wear on a chain or to wrap with ribbon to make small enough for your finger. I wore Bob’s on my finger in school but on a chain at home so Dad wouldn’t know I had it. Sweater sets were also popular. A short-sleeved sweater with the same color cardigan over the top. I bought many of these when I got my first job. My good friend Shirley Leerhoff Buhr. Couldn’t find the one I’m in with her. Darn!
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