The wearing of the cardigan

 Hi there

When I was a young teen, every female seemed to be wearing a cardigan.  Except me.  To me, cardigans denoted growing up.  Growing old.  Getting older.  I vowed never to wear a twinset and pearls which was all the rage for our mums.  A twinset was a matching sweater and cardigan.  And people used to think it was the height of fashion to add those pearls.  Whaaaat...!

above: stock photo

But the years have gone by and ...guess what?  I'm wearing cardigans!  Never with done-up buttons and never-never with pearls. 

But I'll tell you something that has begun to intrigue me:  often when I watch a home renovation show, or a gardening show, or a posh-people-holdaying-in-the-Hamptons show, the women love to wear cardigans tied around their hips.  The funny thing is that these women are never seen actually wearing the cardigans.

Is cardigan hip-wearing a fad?  Never worn, but always seen?  "Oh, don't I look great?" think the bored-stressed-angry-vindictive-jealous housewives of such-and-such city.   "I'll just tie my cardy around my hips and the peasants will throw hosannas and confetti at my feet.  I'm so fashion-forward."

Am I the only person in the world who realises that the moment a cardy is tied around the hips, the wearer suddenly has a big bottom.  The only time I decided to follow the trend and tie my cardy across my backside, I peered over my shoulder into the mirror, and was horrified.

I had the biggest bottom...

Comics Banned in New Zealand in the 1950s

 Hi there

I was a young girl, mad about the English romance comic 'Valentine'.  'Valentine' was full of drawn romance stories, and interviews with pop stars, and instead of letters-to-the-editor, it was letters to Davy-the-mailroom-boy.  Everyone who got their letter printed got an 8"x10" photo of their requested favourite.  I managed to get a photo of Elvis in army uniform.  Sigh....

There were no New Zealand comics at the time.  Overseas magazines and comics were imported.  They took a minimum of 6 weeks to about 10 weeks to get from England to New Zealand.  By ship.    Kiwis were used to their overseas reading matter being so out-of-date.  

But by 1958 the change had come.  It was general knowledge that comics caused juvenile delinquency (huh?) 

So...   Comics were banned!  Government censorship was in from the middle of the decade, along with the famous Black Budget under Prime Minister Walter Nash.  I lost my beloved 'Valentine' comic.  Right in the middle of an exciting serial.  Would the heroine get her hero, the famous concert pianist?  Or would she have to marry the cad?

I moped around the house for weeks.  I was so devastated that my father sent a ten shilling note over to England and asked if 'Valentine' could be sent direct to our house, as newsagents would no longer be accepting overseas comics.

Yes!  For a couple of years I got 'Valentine' delivered, until the publishers sent a note saying the ban had been well-lifted and I should now get the comic in New Zealand.  

I never did find out whether that heroine married the cad or the gorgeous pianist....