September 28, 2015 - We see major differences in life styles, transportation, and fashion even if we compare only in ten-year spans, just as we see in our local paper. Even more amazing, we who have lived over fifty years now may marvel at how different it was back in 1965, fifty years ago.
According to Mildred Pinkston, such a comparison was made in the Center Daily News on June 20, 1931, and this tidbit of information gives us a realistic glance at the life style and fashion (and yes, the absence of cars) of year 1881 in Shelby County.
1881
Fifty years ago in 1881, women wore hoopskirts, bustles, petticoats, corsets, cotton stockings, high buttoned shoes, ruffled cotton drawers, flannel nightgowns, puffs in their hair—did their own cooking, baking, cleaning, washing, ironing—raised big families, went to church Sunday—were too busy to be sick.
Men wore whiskers, square hats, Ascot ties, red flannel underwear, big watches and chains—chopped wood for stoves—bathed once a week—drank ten-cent whiskey and five-cent beer—rode bicycles, buggies or sleighs—went in for politics—worked 12 hours a day—lived to a ripe old age.
1931
Today women wear silk stockings, short skirts, low shoes, no corsets, an ounce of underwear—have bobbed hair, smoke, paint, powder, drink cocktails, play bridge, drive cars, have pet dogs, and go in for politics.
Men have high blood pressure, wear no hats, and some no hair, shave their whiskers, shoot golf, bathe twice a day, drink poison, play the stock market, ride in airplanes, never go to bed the same day they get up—are misunderstood at home—work five hours a day, play ten—die young.
Stores have electric lights, cash registers, elevators, never have what the customer wants—trust nobody—take inventory daily—never buy in advance—have over head—mark-ups—mark-downs—quota—budget—annual and semi-annual, end of month, dollar day, founder’s day, rummage, economy day sales—and never make any money.
