Everywhere you look, you see girls & women with fur lined boots. Women today have warm feet. Going back to the 50’s, it wasn’t so. We had cold feet, what with nylon stockings and high heels made of leather. The typical winter outfit for a woman back then would be a full length winter coat and a kerchief (babushka) for the head and oh yes nylon stockings and heels.
On a cold winter day our endurance was tested when we waited for a bus. The buses in Perth Amboy were always filled to capacity with women shoppers. By the time the bus would reach 5 Corners, to pick up passengers it was already full and sometimes the people were turned away to wait for the next one which sometimes took 1 hour.
A popular place where one avoided the cold while waiting for the bus was inside “George’s Luncheonette” on the State Street side of Five Corners, the windiest part of town. When the bus would come and the people would step outside ready to board, it was a common sight to see women, including myself stomping our feet to promote circulation in our cod and numb toes.
Speaking of winter fashion in bygone days, women owned a everyday coat and a special coat worn on Sundays, usually with a fur collar or for some, a full length fur. The men all wore top coats and felt hats called “Fedoras” to compliment their wives. I miss that . ..
Yours truly,
Annette Book
