I was given this photograph by my colleague Tony Dash. It is un-dated and credited to Dave Fobister. This fantastic study in handbags and furs shows the proper zebra crossing at the bottom end of Bold Street, the long gone shrubbery at The Lyceum and is also noteable for the fact that they are all crossing unperturbed by both signals declaring WAIT.
Alan, we think we have a theory on the date…..
According to my mum…….
The ‘Sack’ shape coat (as it was known) as seen on the lady in the foreground came out in 1957, and brought with it a less full skirt than those seen in the earlier 50s. The very late fifties and certainly early sixties saw the emergence of the ‘Pencil Skirt’. The lady to the far right of the image for example is wearing a pencil skirt; and she is perhaps the most ‘fashionable’ and modern of the ladies in the group.
The lady in the foreground is wearing pointy glasses and her hair is influenced by a beehive (both from the late 50s) however that doesn’t necessarily date this image as 50s.
The scene is definitely taken at a time before Andre Courreges’ famous Paris Fashions show which brought geometric shapes and lots of White to ladies fashions (in 1964). Incidentally ‘tights’ also came in in 1964 (possibly made more popular by rising hem lines). Courreges’ look, and Mary Quant’s mini skirt would not be seen on High Streets however, until much later (1967).
The lady with the fur is perhaps the embodiment of Bold Street fashions of the pre (Swinging) Sixties era; think of Bold Street with its multiple furriers, and expensive dress shops. This is the last era when older ladies spent more on clothes and were more fashionable than their younger counterparts. The expensive shops catered for richer ladies, and fashions moved slower than they do today.
From looking at the fashions, what we are probably looking at is 1961 or 1962 (not more than a couple years in either direction at least). Some of the ladies are wearing late 50s fashions in the early sixties. The lady on the right has a more modern but yet very smart and classical look of the early sixties.
If anyone could identify the car in the background, that might prove or disprove this theory.
And if that is a Ford Cortina in the background, then that would date it 1962 or 1963… (Cortinas came out in ‘62)