Operation Rogue Gone Retro

The 1950's is such a romanticized point in history. The fashion, the music, drive-in movies, classic diners, and the icons people still worship to this day.

The men were, well...gentlemen. Hardworking, chivalrous, and charming, and ladies were held to even higher standards. Natural maternal instincts, elegant, and, of course, were never crude. "Fart" wasn't in a 50's woman's vocabulary, and neither were the curse words we throw around so carelessly. Times were definitely different back 70 years ago.

But also back 70 years ago, schools were segregated, as were churches and hospitals. African Americans lived in poverty and their establishments were in a state of disrepair. Men were returning from the war and were settling back down into their jobs, while women were told to go home; to go back to being housewives and mothers. There was no need for them to have jobs now that the menfolk were in the states.

Equality was, and still is, a "dirty" word. Making men and women, and black and whites, equal was inconceivable to many.

Why I am taking the dive from being a modern woman to a vintage doll.

Simply because I want to. I want to neither demonize or romanticize the era. I want to give it a reality check and see if it's really possible for punk rock to go sock hop. Is it? Who knows!

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Welcome to Operation: Rogue Gone Retro. For two weeks, I'll attempt to live up to the ideals placed on housewives in the 1950's.

Why only two weeks? Two weeks is my baseline number. If I can make it past two weeks, I'll happily do so, and keep you posted every step of the way.

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I’ll be basing what a 1950's housewife was expected to be based on these references:

~The Good Wife’s Guide (Housekeeping Monthly, May Issue, 1955)

~The Homemaker’s Creed (Betty Crocker)

~The Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette (Nancy Tuckerman and Nancy Dunnan)

~Favorite Recipes of America Box Set (Favorite Recipes Press)

~Amy Vanderbilt’s Complete Cookbook (Amy Vanderbilt)

Along with other resources

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Through my research I found that the classic 1950’s housewife had 5 basic goals:

~Maintain an immaculate, comfortable and beautiful home

~Create tasty and healthy meals for her family

~Manage the household income in a thrifty way

~Look beautiful for the Mister

~Help support the Mister by providing a cozy environment for him to recuperate

Over the next two to three weeks, depending on when I’m ready to dive headfirst into this, I will do the above as a 1950's housewife likely would have, using the technology and means that she had. This means I will be:

~Waking up before the sun rises

~Doing an exercise regime each morning

~Following a beauty routine that fits with the times (Yay, acne!)

~Rocking a house-dress and heels every day

~Ditching modern day cooking gadgets(goodbye for now microwave and dishwasher)

~Recreating vintage recipes that totally won’t give me clogged arteries

~Caring for the home using only what was available 70 years ago (Going to miss you, Swiffer)

Don't worry, I will still be using my laptop and phone to post updates daily, despite swearing off other luxuries.

See you in the 1950's!

~Madi