Thursday, July 26, 2012

Hostesses with the Mostesses

It's time for more vintage photos from the Disneyland Wardrobe Department!

All of today's outfits were worn by Disneyland "hostesses". I assume that a hostess would escort important Disneyland guests throughout the park. Sort of like the Ambassadors, only they didn't travel as much. Please let me know if I am mistaken!

This first costume is from April 1966. Our hostess looks very demure, and somehow reminiscent of Jackie Kennedy (in spite of it being 1966). All she needs is a pillbox hat. The purse contained nunchuks, because you just never know.



Now we've moved to June, 1969.  This outfit seems to anticipate the red, white, and blue bicentennial craze of the mid-70's. But you don't have to salute her unless you want to. Her purse was full of buckshot. Wham!


Look at how different this particular costume is, even though it is the winter outfit for 1969. Completely different from the one worn just months before. The black gloves are an interesting touch. In her purse? Delicious caramels. 


Thanks as always to Huck for these wonderful images!

11 comments:

MIKE COZART said...

In the mid 60's the Disneyland wardrobe department was headed by poor management and a great deal of costumes during this time were literally bought from local Anaheim stores and suppliers and just slightly altered. Even accessories and details were bought of the rack. Even many of the fun Tomorrowland 1967 costumes were just existing ski fashions from a supplier in Washington State -just special ordered in requested color combinations. You can see "off-the-rack" look in the 1966 costumes --probably a dress purchased at a local supplier. John Hench knew the costumes were getting pretty bland so a new team was brought on to help Disneyland out and gear up for Walt Disney World. So that 1969 costume shows the new changes taking place for Disneyland wardrobe. By 1970 MOST of the Disneyland costumes were being re-designed in conjunction with costumes anticipated for the new park in Florida. Also the big change was that the costumes designs for entertainment and parades would be headed by Jack Muhs and Tom Pierce would head designs for attractions and operations --both hired by John Hench and Dick Nunis. They were brought on from WESTERN COSTUMING in LA. Pierce actual assisted Renie the original opening day Disneyland costume designer! So if you think some of those 70's park costumes look like costumes from the WILD WILD WEST TV show, there's good reason!!

TokyoMagic! said...

Well built, handpicked.....handbags.

Anonymous said...

wow, packing nunchuks...that's the hostess with the mostest.

Bill in Denver

K. Martinez said...

Nice set! Wasn't sure if you had anymore of this series. Thank you Huck & Major.

Melissa said...

Hey, it's Sandy again! Hi, Sandy! I love seeing some of the same models reappear in different costumes.

Wow, Mike, cool info! I always loved the costumes from TWWW. Even when they verged into historical inaccuracy, they were always beautiful to look at (and easily justified by the show's delightful weirdness).

Irene said...

Excellent information on the background of the costuming. Thanks Mike!

Irene said...

And as an aside, that first dress and look is almost identical to what I wore in June of 1966 when I graduated High School!

Major Pepperidge said...

Mike, as always you are the man with the info! I remember reading about the "Wild Wild West" connection when I was researching the Golden Horseshoe Revue. It's funny that you say that they bought stuff off-the-rack, or even from ski shops, because some of the costumes really look like that. Thanks!

TokyoMagic!, I pointed out the purses because it almost seems like they would be unnecessary encumbrances rather than useful accessories. UNLESS they carried something unusual inside!

Bill, if you've ever tried to use nunchuks, you will know how true your statement is.

K. Martinez, I have a few more from Huck, so stay tuned!

Melissa, wouldn't you love to know where Sandy is today?

Irene, somehow I would have expected fashions for girls to start getting a bit more "groovy" by 1966, but maybe that was still too early. And of course graduation is generally a pretty conservative affair!

David said...

There was some film my late dad took of my mom in the late 1960's where she was still dressed up in that Jackie Kennedy look (but that was the Midwest, as well). Both the top and the bottom pics were still influenced by her look, it seems.

Yeah, today's DL employee can't carry weapons, though those flashlights, wielded the right way, probably would hurt. LOL

Anonymous said...

Caramels, in the hands of the third young lady, would be weapon enough.

Well built and hand-picked, no doubt.

Major, these are always fun. Thanks to you and Huck, and Mike C.

I remember some costumes looking like ski jumpsuits, wonder if that's why. Wonder why I remember that...sigh.

JG

Katella Gate said...

No snark today, but many thanks to Huck for sharing these remarkable photos