1963: Red, Wrap Skirts & Lloyd Thaxton's Hop

The year was 1963 – the event was Lloyd Thaxton’s Hop (a Los Angeles afternoon program with a format similar to American Bandstand). Kids from local high schools were invited to dance live on the soundstage to recorded popular music. The show was fun – we danced our hearts out to surf bands (think Beach Boys and Beach Boys wannabes) – fast and slow with our boy(s) du jour.  Basically, we were a bunch of silly friends having fun, listening to great music and dancing. Sounds kind of corny these days…but it was a lot of fun.

Outfits? Spoiled brat that I was, I had a new outfit for the shows and each seemed to be an iteration of the one shown in the pix above. Wrap skirt (a style that I still love), collarless long-sleeved top, tucked neatly into the skirt and always flat shoes, which were best for dancing. I loved that red patent pair – actually wish I still had them. Nuts, I know.

Ah, the accessories. Since my clothes were still handmade at this point in life, I always made a matching headband! Quite chic, no? Since it was the early years, my jewelry was a much thinned down version of my charm bracelet. I still have and wear this bracelet – it tells the story of my life during that oh-so fleeting time.

I’m such an old granny – sometimes I think I must be the oldest jewelry, fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger in the whole of the blogosphere! But it is fun to look back and share with those of you who are so quickly moving forward. If nothing more, maybe you’ll share this post with your Nan, she’ll most likely have a story of her own about dances, outfits, jewelry and boys. Won’t it be fun to know her little secrets?