Comments on: Life at Macy’s from Life at Google

By: Alex Photographer

Alex Photographer — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:52:37 +0000

@Grace – I didn’t realise that, that white dresses are a relatively recent phenomenon. I suppose it’s a bit like the red chubby Father Christmas that is a Coke marketing tool from the turn of the century (1900′s not 2000′s )

I always enjoy the documentary work of the 30/40/50′s – it was an age that looks so much like it could be today, but is utterly removed from modern life.

By: Driver Photography

Driver Photography — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:38:30 +0000

For me this brings back memories of being dragged around the shops as a kid, not my fondest memories but truly excellent news if the photo archives are being made available

Thanks
Tim

By: Pat

Pat — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 07:15:24 +0000

Great candid shot of people going about their everyday shopping. He seems to be in complete raport with his wife.

Thank you for sharing that.

By: Grace

Grace — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:54:29 +0000

Why do you find this image so heartbreaking?

Daniel is right. People used to wear their best dress or suit for weddings, but didn’t buy special one-occasion dresses. Fashion historians trace widespread adoption of white wedding dresses in the US to the movie, Father of the Bride. Wearing your mother’s or grandmother’s white wedding gown was a way to show off your status as old money elite.

Before fast fashion and cheap imports, US women bought one or two dresses a year. Or they might have made one and bought one. Some would never have store-bought dresses. Mrs. Benot looks merely thoughtful because this is a big decision for her.

I think the dress and shoes look lovely and I would be proud to wear them today.

It’s so hard to find nicely set pleats now that they old guard has mostly retired. There is only one retail pleater left in my hometown of LA.

By: Daniel Rosenblatt

Daniel Rosenblatt — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 00:00:02 +0000

It’s a beautiful photograph. Two things strike me: (1) the wedding dress in not white, which points to the surprising newness of the “traditional” white wedding; (2) the Benots seem “ordinary” in a way that few people are these days. I think we’re now all part of some sub-culture, whereas they seem not to be, at least not consciously.