I've Always Been Fashion Challenged

Here I am, probably about two years of age. I'm sitting in the grass with my mom's fuzzy slippers on my lap. Even at that young age, I was fashion challenged.

Follow along with me as I share my photos over the years from the family album. If there was a fashion mistake (cat's eye glasses) I'm sure I'm photographed for posterity wearing those.

You'll see photos of Virginia Allain from a toddler to pre-teen. I keep finding more of my childhood pictures. I'll scan them in to share.

Maybe I didn't want to be interrupted from my play to have a photo taken. Oops, my underwear is showing. I notice that our yard seems to be mostly dirt. Kids love to play in dirt. Moms hate to wash our clothes after we've been playing in the dirt.

It's not bad enough that I'm wearing furry house slippers that are 7 sizes too big for me, but I have them on the wrong feet. You can see from the solemn look on my face that I have no clue that this photo will haunt me even 60 years later.

Obviously no one suggested that I tuck in my blouse before the photo was taken.

With those chubby cheeks, I could have auditioned to be a Campbell's Soup kid. (Ginger is my nickname. Mom wanted to name me after Ginger Rogers)

in a pretty dress (probably made by my mother)

Not sure why I'm looking so solemn. I seem to be clutching a geranium.

I guess in my childhood era it was more important to get sturdy shoes that would last. Looking fashionable was a luxury.

Actually my sandals here look a lot like the ones available on Amazon below.

Here I am with an armful of puppy, bare feet and sitting on an overturned wagon. See, we did have some toys and pets.

Running about barefoot is still my favorite way to go. Over the years, I've stepped on bees, sandburrs and nails with those bare feet.

This is my sister, Cindy, who is now Cynthia Ross. I made a page about her and her writing on Squidoo.

Good photo of me, with my dress all tidy and I'm looking at the camera. The photographer must have worked hard on getting us to sit still for this portrait. I notice that I have my usual up-and-down bangs from Mom's trimming efforts.

Cowboy Outfits

Now in the 1950s wearing cowboy gear was pretty normal for children. After all, we were watching Roy Rogers and Rex Allen movies all the time. Don't ask me why we are standing on the furniture here. My brother has a broken arm from playing on an old saddle on a fence railing. It slipped off, breaking his arm in the fall.

My jumper is falling off my shoulder and no one has shown me the right way to wear my six-gun holster. Fortunately no gunslinger put me to the test.

I guess this look won't ever go out of style.

Fortunately with all that Kansas wind, you don't really notice my crooked bangs. Mom could never get us to sit still enough to get a straight line trimmed for the bangs, so they got shorter and shorter as she tried to even them out.

This photo was taken at my grandparents' home near Madison, Kansas. I can tell by the stone fireplace in the background.

I have some pages about my grandparents at Clarence McGhee and WWI and Ruth Vining McGhee.

I don't have on glasses here, so I might be 3rd grade. Shannon isn't in the picture, so that might be about the right time.

I'm the one with the long hair, dirty knees and poor posture. At least I'm smiling and my shorts and blouse look reasonably tidy.

Looks like I'm wearing a jumper or pinafore.

Photo from the Martin family album

Mom must have spent a lot of time making these big southern belle curls and wanted a photo to remember the occasion. It seems a bit fancy to go with my grow-into-them jeans and striped t-shirt.

Virginia (Martin) Allain with brother and sisters in the 1950s

I'm the one on the far left. Not too bad, though I'm not looking at the camera. What's with the dark socks?

My brother looks like he's stifling a sneeze or just making a face. My sisters look quite presentable. Susan is even modeling her skirt or else dropping a curtsey.

In the 1950s, we didn't have lots of shoes to match every outfit. I'm sure that's why the girl at the right end is wearing dark sandals. (that's me)

We sometimes got new shoes when school started or at Easter but not always. I'm sure it was tough getting shoes for six children.

My mom was a den mother, so this photo includes the whole scout troop ready for a short train trip. I'm sure my brother would have preferred going without four sisters tagging along. I'm glad we got to go along.

It looks like Cindy is holding a white rabbit. I'm standing in front of Mom. Again, I have my shirt tail hanging out. Can't figure out what the design is on my sweater. It looks like a reindeer, but why am I wearing a Christmas sweater when others are in short sleeves? There are leaves on the trees too, so obviously not December.

We're posed in the entrance to my grandmother, Ruth McGhee's flower garden. It was filled with old-fashioned flowers like hollyhocks, snapdragons and bachelor buttons. I'm the blonde with glasses in the middle row.

(photo from the Martin family album)

Now it's an outfit to wear to a retro party or for Halloween.

Graphic available from Zazzle: Kodak Brownie Cards by rafaelrezende

I have some new photos to add to this soon. Remember these old Brownie cameras?