Monday, January 24, 2011

5. Mother's Sense of Style

I will always remember how well Mother dressed.  Money was tight in the early days of marriage but Mom managed to dress well in spite of that.

Mother loved her shorts and she always said you need to have a good white blouse as basic in your wardrobe.
(Click on any photo for a larger view.)

 This was an interesting outfit and photo treatment from the1940s.

The "Going Away Outfit" was a big deal in those days.  I remember Mother mentioning that this was an expensive ensemble.  It does look classy.

Fran looked like a model in the shot below (in my humble opinion).

What a handsome couple in 1946.  Check out the stylish shoes.

Even as a young mother, she dressed nicely.

Easter -- Maybe in  the1950's

 Professional Teaching Outfits


All dressed up and ready to pack.  Mother "sacrificed" (as mothers do) when we were growing up but in later years, she became a "clothes horse."  I think her clothes became her hobby and she loved to go shopping.

Fran in France with Fancy Necklace
Happy  Clothes in Holland

Another classic ensemble

Simply Stunning!

Mother wore classic clothes so they stayed in style.  She wore this Christmas outfit for years and it always looked lovely.

Mother and I started wearing hats and had great fun shopping for them.  Hats are a great solution for a Bad Hair Day or something to give pizazz to a plain outfit.

Here's her fun shirt for the 4th of July.

I asked her why she ironed so much.  Over the years I began to see that the ironing made her clothes keep that new sharp and crisp look, even for casual clothes.

Mother had a knack for taking a dull outfit and turning it into something special with a vest.

Looking snazzy in Texas with her redbirds.

Mother liked outfits of one pretty color. 

Mother and Anita on her 85th birthday in 2010.  Another way Mother added spark to her clothes was with jewelry, like this white necklace. 
She could take a black angel sweatshirt and make it look elegant!

Mother also had a sense of style with the way she decorated and fixed her home.  She was known for her angel tree every Christmas.  She collected these angels for years and years.

Setting a pretty table was a joy for Mother.  Aunt Mary, Aunt Lib, and Mom are prim  and proper for serving at a wedding reception for her cousin Bets Norman when she married Buck Miller.  The event was at the Freeman home in North Carolina.  1959?
The Mays took turns hosting the May Christmas party each year.
Mother also liked setting a pretty table for meals.  We lost count of how many sets of dishes she had!

Back to clothes.....

One of my favorite outfits was so simple and classic.  This was at a Chinese New Year's party at the Geier's home in Singers Glen.

A scarf and a smile add to any outfit.

Her beautiful white hair added to her stately look.
 Frances May was a lovely person and so was her style.

Post 5 of 6+  

1 comment:

Beth said...

Fran did know how to put together a snazzy outfit! You come by that talent honestly, Mary. In looking at all these photos, it occurred to me that a big part of Fran's style was her smile. Her smile was genuine and made her eyes twinkle, hinting at her adventurous, fun-loving qualities and her sense of humor.