Mitchell’s Joan Anderson embraces story through vintage clothing

The third account in a series centered on Mitchell region collectors is the editor’s note. Do you have an intriguing set? Contact the Mitchell Republic at 605-996-5516 or message us at: [email protected].

MITCHELL — For some, attire is a fashion statement. It is a post on a person’s taste and style and, in some cases, even their money or social status.

For Joan Anderson of Mitchell, it’s a look back in history.

” A woman at the South Dakota Historical Society advised me not to try to clean it up or remove the staining.” That’s part of what it is”, Anderson told the Mitchell Republic about an apron when used by her mother. It was next to the water bottle with a spoon in my grandmother’s house, which had it. That’s how you would find your drink – use the bucket”.

One of the many vintage and antique clothing pieces she has tucked away in several corners of her home is the belt. The belt, which Anderson said she remembered her mother using to crib eggs to take into the home in Westbrook, Minnesota, is hung on the wall in her home, but others are kept cautiously in several closets and furniture.

It’s a variety that includes products that her family has passed down as well as those she discovered at flea markets or that friends and acquaintances have offered her in recognition of her interest in the subject.

She has spent decades putting together the pieces for a wooden set, which she believes may have fostered by her passion for knitting, which she practiced and taught as a lifelong FCCLA instructor in Minnesota and South Dakota.

More of her selection can be seen in a wood closet on the second surface. Her father Jim’s family’s wedding dress is hung it with care. Near it hangs a bridesmaid’s dress from her family’s bride and her family’s bridal dress itself. The items date from 1942 and 1944, between, and are in as good of a situation as 80-year-old normal fiber clothes.

Going up is her father’s marriage coat, which dates from 1901 and looks like it could have only come off the plate. She claimed that is a testament to the standard of attire of this time, especially in comparison to contemporary clothes.

Clothing from the long-ago time portrayed by Anderson’s selection were made to last, be repaired, and even be altered to fit a growing belly. That’s not as many the case nowadays.

” We’re a throwaway society. I remember when I was teaching, I did a stain removal system. The kids were supposed to do some research and try to replace it after I put a drop of ketchup or ketchup on a small piece of fabric,” Anderson said. One of my pupils inquired as to whether individuals actually do this. And I said,” What would you do if you had purchased a$ 56 sweatshirt of a name brand?” And she vowed to dispose of it.

Anderson, age 77, has no desire to give up everything, though some of her selection may need to relocate as it grows.

There are other specific family memories. Her husband’s bible dress, even dating to 1944, is on screen. Two of his sisters and the woman’s daughter, Sarah, were likewise baptized wearing the item. Along with the home belt, Anderson has some monthly Easter clothes worn by her mother.

The household items are more important than just show. Over the years, her home has dressed up in the attire for traditional seminars or events, including one for Eureka’s 100th anniversary party in 1986, where Anderson taught for three years. A picture shows Jim in Anderson’s father’s marriage coat and Anderson and their child in turn-of-the-century attire, looking much like they might include in 1901.

Her collection has even been used as costume in time piece plays, giving the performance an authentic feel.

Anderson moves into a room and opens an additional dresser. Clothing is not always related to her home in this area. Some of the products were purchased by friends, while others Anderson picked herself from several sources, including a Chicago flea market when she resided there.

One of her three-pieces from the 1890s was a friend in Sioux Falls who gave her the dress. The size of the outfit, which fits many of her collection’s pieces, suggests that people were usually smaller than they are today.

” Glance at how little the neck is,” you ask. My compassion. And this must have been a large lady”, Anderson said. ” And the quality – it’s totally lined, and the joints are overcast”.

A quick glance through another wardrobe reveals classic shoes, including the piece Anderson is pictured wearing in the 1986 picture with her husband and daughter. There are also antiquated clothes of all kinds and nearly brand-new hand muffs.

Another striking part hangs on the rear of a bedroom door. A woman hired to combat the medical lack that existed before and during World War II would have worn a Cadet Nurse Corps dress, which was once owned by Eunice Hass Rupp and passed on to Anderson through Rupp’s daughter. It features a dress, bag, seal and perhaps a coast to complete the outfit.

Over 100, 000 people volunteered for the system, which was approved by the US Congress in 1943.

” I think ( the program ) ran from about 1942 to 1948 to help with the shortage of nursing because of the war. This was a component of it and belonged to the family of one of my dear friends,” Anderson said.

Anderson makes an effort to accurately record the source of each item and a little about its history. She has also examined the evolution of the apparel industry.

She said it has opened her eyes to how customers presently view fashion and clothing differently. In world today, everything is a much bigger role than it was in the past, with even the style of homes changing as a result.

” My mother had four daughters, and they shared one room, and each had one box in the drawer for their clothing. Now we’re in an age where you have your own area of clothing, a walk-in bedroom kind thing”, Anderson said.

The concept of disposable clothing has also been influenced by fast-paced fashion trends over time. Anderson poses a contemporary shirt. It costs$ 10, and it’s unlikely to last even a fraction as long as the vintage clothing she keeps in her closets.

The fact that it is made of 95 % rayon, a synthetic fabric, is also concerning to Anderson. She said that synthetic fibers like rayon and other synthetics have a greater impact on the environment than natural fibers like cotton in terms of both how they are produced and recycled. It’s a complex problem, especially in China, where 26 million tons of mostly synthetic clothing are thrown away annually, with the majority going to landfills because it’s not as recyclable as cotton-made goods.

She claimed that the typical American discarded 80 pounds of clothing annually. Consumers between the ages of 18 and 24 typically purchase clothing once every two weeks.

It’s a discouraging thought, Anderson said.

“” I’m concerned about all this stuff ending up in the landfill. What will we accomplish? ” Anderson asked.

Anderson finds comfort in the fact that the items she values will likely be around for decades, even if some of it has already passed its 100th birthday. She stated that she will likely continue to speak about the collection and might even wear some pieces on occasion for demonstration purposes. They still have a story to tell, she said.

At some point, she’ll likely find a new home for it all. She’ll either pass it along in the family or, as her daughter Sarah has already done, share it with her. Or she’ll locate a place where she can be appreciated, perhaps a museum or historical society. She knows it will continue to be difficult to let go, but she is aware of it.

In some fashion.

The phrase “downsizing” is still fresh in my head. It’s scary,” Anderson chuckled”. But it’s not going to end up in the landfill.”