The Real Housewives of the Cold War

Like most women growing up in the 1950s and 1960s I was fed a generous serving of sugar-coated media stereotypes of happy homemakers who were as frozen and neatly packaged as the processed foods they served their cold war families.

Beauty, Brains, and a Bar of Soap

Sally’s Pretty and Sally’s Smart Would you dare risk the shame of “Cosmetic skin?” Sure you’re careful, never risking offending with  halitosis, avoiding housewife- hips, pink toothbrush, B.O. and other ailments of the Depression era 1930’s. But unless you wash

Beauty Bait During Wartime

In the fall of 1944 my mother Betty was a college freshman who had more on her mind than musty old history dates; it was dates of another sort that troubled her. However due to the war, she and the

How to Look Butch in Your Crew Cut

  Long before Crew Cuts was the name of J. Crews adorable line of clothing for boys and girls, it was mid- century summers must have hair cut for boys of all ages. Also known affectionately as a butch cut,