25 Things You Only Remember If You Grew Up in the 50s or 60s

There were many little things these days that I cannot explain when I grew up a girl in the 1950s or 1960s. There were fewer rules, but more rules than life. Girls experienced their own toys, clothing, school habits and routines. Many of these have all but vanished today, but they might have been well known to women of the era. Paper dolls were popular with many girls in the 1950s and 1960s. These were paper cut-out figures in paper dresses. The girls cut out the dresses and wrapped little paper tabs around the doll.

Grew Up in the 50s

This was a very basic toy, but had the potential for hours of play for a girl. In the old days paper dolls were very special, today it’s apps and digital games. It was also very popular to wear charms on a bracelet. As time went on, girls inserted tiny pieces of fabric into a piece of string or plastic to make a bracelet. A charm could display a birthday, a holiday, a pastime or a memorable trip. Each charm was accompanied by a little tale. Some girls wore bracelets for years, as they held memories. This was also very different when it came to school uniforms.

Girls wore dresses, skirts, knee socks and shiny shoes. Pants were not allowed at school at all times. It was expected that girls look neat and tidy. In some schools, there was even a rule as to how long a skirt could be. To today’s younger generations, these rules may seem bizarre. Many girls were very involved in their sleepovers. Pajamas, pillows and sleeping bags arrived from friends. They chatted into the night and shared secrets, they shared snacks, and they sometimes changed into plain outfits. No phones to view throughout the night. The fun was in having to be in the same room together.

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Girls also wrote hand-made notes to friends. Some notes were folded into small shapes and given in quietly at school. Sometimes they were about best buddies, crushes or funny things in class. A handwritten note might seem like an exciting personal communication if there are no texts. Another memory is of home beauty sets. Girls may use plastic curlers, hair ribbons, miniature mirrors and fake make-up. Lemon juice was sometimes used on the hair of older girls or, simpler beauty advice, was followed from magazine articles. Sisters, mothers and friends passed on beauty tips to each other.

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Many girls also had small journals that had small locks. They recorded information about school, friends, family and boys they liked. A diary was more intimate and significant. It was fun to hide the little key. Growing up had a lot of teen magazines as well. Girls read stories about movie stars, music, fashion and romance. Sometimes they cut out pictures and paste them on the wall of their bedrooms. Girls from the 1950s and 1960s recall a time when screens were not the norm and when there were more small traditions. At the time, paper dolls, charm bracelets and handwritten notes, diaries and slumber parties were simple pastimes, but they made memories that lasted a lifetime.

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