By Amelia Tarallo
Hometown Weekly Correspondent
On Thursday, visitors of the library observed Karen Antonowicz’s presentation on Cocktail Culture: The Mad Men Era. The audience was temporarily taken back into the days of the 1940s and 1960s.
Karen Antonowicz, who gave the talk, dressed in cocktail culture style: a 1960s peach suit with a green hat. Antonowicz has taught college courses about the history of fashion and is also the owner of Nostalgia Antiques and Collectables.
The presentation covered men and women’s clothing, accessories, and even appliances that were popular during the days of cocktail culture.
Owning a store that specializes in everything vintage gives Antonowicz the opportunity to see what fashion trends are coming back into style. ”The stiletto is always going to be there. It's a classic,” she observed, “a lot of structured bags this year."
The presentation surprised many audience members. One viewer was shocked to learn that a garment that appeared to be a pink skirt was actually a petticoat. Others were flabbergasted by the size of a tiny handbag with secret compartments that held lipstick, blush, and cigarettes.
Comparing the fashion trends between then and now, Antonowicz believes that the biggest difference is people's motivation to dress in style. "People cared what they looked like … not as much anymore," she said. "People dressed as a form of respect, but anything goes in this time period."
Still, Antonowicz knows that there are a few who try to keep up the days of cocktail culture and purchase vintage clothes from her store.
