My mum and I used to walk everywhere. Arm-in-arm we’d visit my nan twice a week and the aunties every weekend. There was a lot of togetherness. One of the things we discussed at length was fashion. I have so many recollections of fashion from way back then, from the crocheted and hippy dresses of the 1970s and, of course, hot pants.
My mother is second of 10. The family was living in the country and was seriously poor. Her dresses were hand-me-downs. However, there was one dress that had been made for her and she treasured it. It was a brown velvet dress with a white collar. She wore it with a big bow in her hair.
After World War I they moved to the city and it was a whole new world for her. There were shops with more goodies in them than she could have imagined.
The shops closed Saturday afternoon, but it was a pleasure for the family to don their best best duds and walk around the city stores window shopping. How simple life was back then in that regard.
