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Ladies, I heard it the other day. Donovan’s soft voice sang, “Wear Your Love like Heaven” on Youtube. I was taken back to psychedelic posters, mini skirts, and girlfriends crying over the rumor, “Paul is dead”. Here are eight items that might also bring you back to the late 1960’s…

Jean Nate Lotion – Don’t tell my mom, but I’d “borrow” that green bottle with its black top frequently from her shelf in the linen closet. “After Bath Splash” smelled clean and lemony and at twelve, was the height of glamour and sophisticated womanhood. Okay, the bees swarmed around me when I played softball, but it didn’t matter. I loved it.

Yardley lipstick – I once visited this British-based cosmetics store with my seventh-grade friend Stephanie near Manhattan’s Rockefeller center. We were thirteen and swooned over rosy blushes, black eyeliners, and frosty pink lipsticks. Pictures of Jean Shrimpton, Pattie Boyd, and Twiggy stared back at us with their wide, knowing eyes, and pouty mouths. The smell in these shops was sweet, almost like bubble gum. I still can’t see a certain shade of pink without thinking back to that day in 1968.

Embroidered Bell-bottoms – A family of five teenage sisters lived up the street. To my young mind, they were the height of “far out” with their long, flowing hair and blasé cool. They sat around on summer afternoons embroidering jeans with colorful flowers, birds, and big, bright suns. Incense filled the air. Grace Slick sang, “Don’t You Want Somebody to Love?” The other day I saw a picture of these faded jeans from the 60’s, like a dusty relic from yesteryear. It brought me back to those afternoons.

Peasant blouses – These were usually white, comfortable, and bohemian. My girlfriends would walk around barefoot on warm summer roads wearing these tops, sometimes under denim overalls. We’d carry transistor radios playing WABC from New York with Cousin Brucie and the ever-joking Dan Ingram. Wearing these blouses, my friends and I felt part of the hippie counterculture – rebellious, liberated, and devastatingly hip — even though we were in eighth grade.

Ironing Our Hair (or using round empty orange juice cans) for straightening — Alas, I never had the straight, long tresses other girls grew effortlessly. Mine were too temperamental — flat and boring on cold days, frizzy and out of control on hot. Ironing my hair always scared me. What if I set myself on fire? But sleep on huge, torturous rollers that kept me up all night with the hope of a perfect ‘do? Done. My father would shake his head in horror.

Slathering Johnson’s Baby Oil on at the beach… followed by a fold-out reflector — Good God, what were we thinking? I always wondered why I came away looking like a cooked lobster, instead of the bronzed goddess I was going for. My dermatologist is still thanking me.

“Playboy After Dark” – This TV show would be on in the wee hours while I babysat the kids next door. At fourteen, I’d stare in wonder at this adult world where beautiful women mingled with handsome men atop some penthouse, city lights twinkling outside. They had good musical guests and everybody (including Hef) would end up dancing “The Pony” or “The Hitchhiker.” Sayings like “Groovy” and “Do Your Thing” were thrown about. I couldn’t imagine anything more mod.

Tab and Fresca – These fizzy diet drinks were usually consumed around the pool by moms, while smoking long, thin Virginia Slims cigarettes (“You’ve come a long way, baby.”). I never understood why these older women seemed so fixated on calories and losing weight, but Tab and Fresca sat in the fridge of every mom I babysat for. Sigh. Now I understand.

And then this era ended.

Some say the Manson Murders broke the spell of the sixties. Innocence was lost. And even though the Vietnam War had waged for years, this grisly event chilled the nation. Living a sheltered life, I’d never heard of the brutality taking place one night in August of 1969. In a way, my innocence was lost too.

Half a century later, I’ll see long, straight hair, a bottle of Johnson’s baby oil, or a picture of Fresca and think of that time. I’ll remember borrowing my mom’s Jean Nate and my poor father’s confusion over choosing hair over sleep. Maybe its because we were all happy back then. Maybe because my father was young and still alive. Life was good.

Even today, so many years later I’ll hear, “Wear Your Love Like Heaven” and smile.

 

Where you a chick in the 1960’s? Comments are always welcome and please share, if so inclined.

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Comments(52)

    • Arlene

    • 5 years ago

    Talk about dancing, remember we had those beige overcoats and we’d sing (and dance) “Button up your overcoat” while waiting for the bus? That was fun. And I’m not sure about you, but I remember hiking up my skirt sometimes before getting on the bus because my mom didn’t let me wear miniskirts.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 5 years ago

      Arlene, So funny! I remember those days. I’m sure I wore my skirts much higher than my parents wanted. We shared many years at that bus stop. Such a nice memory.

  1. Laurie, THIS IS THE BEST POST!! I loved and identified with every word. The baby oil, Tab & Fresca, peasant tops and flared jeans, ironing our hair and wearing orange juice cans in our hair while we slept. Not long ago Sandy Linter sent me a photo of her from 1969. I emailed back that she reminded me of Grace Slick. For the next 10 minutes we were both listening to White Rabbit and Somebody to Love. You’ve taken me back there, again! Thanks so much! xoxox, Brenda

      • Laurie Stone

      • 5 years ago

      Brenda, My pleasure! So glad to hear of another “Sister of the Orange Juice cans!”

  2. Ahh Laurie, you really took me back. I don’t know how we slept in those rollers! My teens were a bit insane but, not in all of these fun ways until I met my love. We married in 1968 and I never looked back. I have to share this!
    b

      • Laurie Stone

      • 5 years ago

      Barbara, Thanks so much. I’m relieved I wasn’t the only one sleeping on ridiculously big rollers!

  3. Wow! Other than the Jean Nate Lotion, I remember all of these… and hiking my skirt up. Although plenty of my friends had to iron and bleach their hair, I was fortunate to have straight, blond hair, which, of course, I wore parted right down the middle. I liked it then, but would now give just about anything to have to some waves.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 5 years ago

      Janis, Sounds like you were one of those girls the others envied with straight, blond hair! I would’ve paid money for that.

  4. Great recall of these brands and details, Laurie! I definitely remember the baby oil and sun reflectors….my skin shows sun damage today! This was fun to read…let it be known, we 60s girls we were the first to wear bell bottoms! LOL

      • Laurie Stone

      • 5 years ago

      Joan, Yes, we own the bell bottom thing and so many other fun sixties moments.

  5. I was definitely a girl of the 60s and remember everything you mentioned especially the Yardley lipstick. I could never understand why anyone would wear white lipstick but they did. Jean Nate, baby oil at the beach, go-go boots and fishnet stockings. I never liked the Tab or Fresca but worked at A & W Root Beer for a while.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 5 years ago

      Rebecca, Fish net stockings! I forgot about those. Even owned a pair. Also remember A & W. Yum.

  6. So many memories. Mostly of wanting to appear grown up and cool! Hipster Bell bottoms and tucked in, form fitting tops. 10 and my first ‘boyfriend’ that I met at the movies on Saturday afternoons. My sister was deeply into makeup and Fresca and straight hair and ohnson’s baby oil. I tried Desperately to be like her. Yep, the memories!

      • Laurie Stone

      • 5 years ago

      Diane, So glad so many women relate to these memories. They were good days, even though in some ways, short-lived.

  7. I was the girl embroidering bell bottom jeans. And Jean Nate body splash! Wow. Takes me back.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 5 years ago

      Jennifer, So funny to relive all these memories.

  8. If I could go back to any time in my life it would be then. Hands down.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 5 years ago

      Carol, They were fun days, weren’t they?

  9. Give me a head with hair, long beautiful hair.
    Shining, gleaming, steaming, flaxen, waxen. The 60’s gave us some fun music.

    I was born in the 60’s but still remember some of those fun trends. Hair curlers made of orange juice cans??? That’s one I’ve never heard of. Fun stuff!

      • Laurie Stone

      • 5 years ago

      Ellen, OMG. You brought back so many bus rides singing that song! What ever happened to the Cowsill’s?

  10. Haha nope – i was born in the ’70s and am def a child of the ’80s – BUT I grew up drinking Tab and Fresca right alongside my mama, and still love both…

      • Laurie Stone

      • 5 years ago

      Flossie, I never see Tab and Fresca up north anymore, but maybe I’m not looking hard enough. I can see how the 80’s would’ve been a fun decade to be in high school.

  11. Atlantis. My favorite Donovan song. It is!

      • Laurie Stone

      • 5 years ago

      Carol, Play that song in my car all the time! Love when the drums come in at the middle.

    • Ellen Smith

    • 5 years ago

    Great piece Laurie! I think I had high waisted bellbottom jeans with a red velvet heart right on the front. I did have the long, blond “ zipper head” middle part hair that I’d wear with two strands pulled back in two skinny little braids, sometimes held together with a feathered roach clip. Tab was God awful! But I loved Fresca (still do) and I’d add Orange Crush, Bubble Up, and Grape Nehi. And I couldn’t have been more proud of the purse I made out of my old brown corduroy Levi’s, cutting the legs off, sewing the bottom, using a leg as the strap and cinching the waist with a favorite bandana! (It even had compartments due to the pockets)
    And the music! Still love it all!!

      • Laurie Stone

      • 5 years ago

      Ellen, I forgot about the purses made out of pants! Those were great. You were no doubt one of the cool chicks of the 60’s…70’s?

  12. OMG so much fun! I’m a girl of the 70s yet all rings true for me. Thanks for taking me back.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 5 years ago

      Barbara, I think the 60’s and early 70’s were similar and then in the late 70’s, disco came along. Before then, it was very much Beatles and Donovan.

  13. What a trip down memory lane! Thanks Laurie. I used to iron my hair and when I smelled burning hair I knew I was done!

      • Laurie Stone

      • 5 years ago

      Haralee, Laughing. Yes, the “burning hair smell” was a good indicator your hair was straight! Mission accomplished.

  14. I was….and still am, really. Honestly,would do it again in a heartbeat!

      • Laurie Stone

      • 3 years ago

      Carol, The 60’s were an amazing time and compared to nowadays, seem almost quaint!

  15. Oh, the memories!
    I remember saving up to buy my first pair of ‘hipster’ jeans. I thought they were SO COOL. And wearing them made me so.
    It was a fun time for me. Discovering the radio. And the hits that played non-stop–except at the top of the hour when the boring old news came on.
    Trying to copy my sister who was trying to copy everyone else. We were quite a train! 😉

      • Laurie Stone

      • 3 years ago

      Diane, Fun times and I can’t imagine how hip and cool Sally must have been. Such a fun big sister!

  16. I was born at the end of the 60s but so love the remnants of that decade. Baby oil, Jean Nate, peasant blouses, bell bottoms, and Fresca all bring a smile to my face! Thank you for sharing! 🙂

      • Laurie Stone

      • 3 years ago

      Karen, Glad you could relate!

    • Pam

    • 3 years ago

    Oh, yes, I can relate to much of this! I DID iron my hair, and I tell my grown kids about it, wondering why I wasn’t more worried about catching my hair on fire. I loved the bell bottoms and the peasant blouses and the frosted lipstick. My daughter, now 27, loved some of those things too. Much of it came back, but never as well!

      • Laurie Stone

      • 3 years ago

      Pam, Glad to meet a fellow ’60’s chick! It was a great time, indeed.

  17. This brought back memoires of using baby oil as sun lotion (I think my mother recommended it!) and a certain psychedelic multicolored shirt, of which I was very proud!

      • Laurie Stone

      • 3 years ago

      Susan, Still can’t believe we slathered on that baby oil! What were we thinking?

      1. What were we thinking! The ozone is so thin today, we could never get away with doing it now. But we really didn’t back then, as many people with skin cancer can probably trace it back to bad sunburns they acquired from applying grease to their skin!

          • Laurie Stone

          • 3 years ago

          Susan, So true. I still have parts of my skin damaged by sun in my teens!

  18. I as a little girl in the 70’s and a teen on the 80’s. Loved it but had a deep appreciation for the 60’s. Thanks for sharing this.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 3 years ago

      Lauren, They were a special time, no doubt.

      1. I’d go back to the 80’s in a heartbeat!

          • Laurie Stone

          • 3 years ago

          Lauren, They were also a fun decade!

  19. Reading this has sent me back. Lying on the deck, slathered in baby oil. My first radio blasting out the ‘toons’. My big sister on the next towel over, showing me how it was all done.
    Happy sigh.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 3 years ago

      Diane, My dermatologist is still thanking me.

  20. I’d go back to that era in a heartbeat. I loved every bit of it.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 3 years ago

      Carol, Compared to now? It feels almost quaint.

  21. I can admit that Tab and Bell Bottoms were part of my 60’s memories – thanks for sharing all of these memories.

      • Laurie Stone

      • 3 years ago

      Antoinette, You were a true chick of the 60’s!

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