Today’s Secretary in September 1953, or Oh, Those Spiffy Suits
Yesterday at work, someone flagged me down and lent me some magazines that he had come across and feared would otherwise be trashed. They are all issues of Today’s Secretary from 1953, a magazine which was put out by Gregg Publishing which came out of the Gregg shorthand system invented in the late 19th Century by John Robert Gregg and used well into the 20th Century to take down dictation.
So, in addition to articles on how to manage your boss-- “Is Your Boss A Name Spouter?-- and on how secretaries are essentially personal assistants-- “Do it Gracefully”--, there are multiple shorthand articles for practicing that skill, included a short story written in shorthand! Plus articles under the subheading “Secretarial Skill Builder” for practicing typing and transcription--all important skills before PCs.
Now, what did they wear? The spiffy suit on the cover on the model was designed by Joselli and done in worsted flannels by Deering Millikins. It came in oxford gray, medium gray, brown or blue, all sober colors meant to convey that the woman wearing them was a serious and competent worker. It sold for $50 back then or $491 in today’s money. Which means it was supposed to last at least 2 years and get worn day in and day out to work. Notice it was fitted as was the style in the early 50s, and detailed with slot-seam trimming at the yoke and the hipline which was an unusual feature, in addition to turn-back cuffs which were very common in the 1950s. The skirt was “pencil slim” they tell us, but another fashion section shows a suit with a flared 6-gore skirt, so either style was fashionable.
The least dressy fashion shown in the magazine is this plaid skirt with a shirt with matching bow on the shirt put out by Campus Casuals which implies that it was for young women just coming out of college and into the work force. The shirt has French cuffs and cuff-links which made it a bit more formal too, but clearly if she persevered she was supposed to end up in a suit. The Simplicity Patterns sections offered another blouse and skirt, a dress, and a low-cut dress with a matching jacket that might be worn after work with the jacket off. That kind of combination dress and jacket was a common work-to-evening-out look in the 1950s for office workers, and still could work today.
I will share some more from this magazine, so stay tuned.
