I didn’t actually have my own closet in Upton, I shared one with Brad. Back in the 50’s and early sixties, there was a dress code we had to follow. Not just at school, but all seven days a week, and it was not negotiable. There were school clothes, play clothes, and Sunday school clothes. Each had its own guidelines and required special times to go out clothes shopping at a store. There were no enclosed malls then, in fact one of the first shopping centers was built not far from where we lived. It was called Shoppers World in Framingham. Mom’s favorite department store was Sears and Roebuck. You could buy anything there, either by visiting the store or from the voluminous catalogue. Clothes, lawnmowers, musical instruments, toys, appliances, furniture, sporting goods, even aluminum siding for your home could be purchased there. Mom went clothes shopping with us twice a year: Before school and before summer. She was always mindful about hand-me-downs, which came in handy having three boys. School clothes and Sunday school clothes were bought at the same time. We each required two pairs of shoes, brown for school, black for church. An additional piece of footwear required later were sneakers, which were only brought in and worn on gym days. Church shoes required polishing and shining. For school, boys had to wear long pants, chinos or corduroys, and collared shirts (no t-shirts allowed). For Sunday, dress shoes and black pants, a white dress shirt with cufflinks, tie and tie bar, and a sport jacket were required. If it rained, we all had to have galoshes or rubbers, which were worn over our shoes to protect them. And of course the yellow rain coat. Every boy I know had these in their closet. At school and church, girls had to wear dresses at all times. After-school and summer clothes were interchangeable. Blue jeans, khakis, or shorts, t-shirts (no advertising or logos then) or flannel shirts, and Keds or P.F. Flyer sneakers, though usually in the summer we didn’t wear shoes at all. We all either wore leather belts or suspenders. We also had some special winter clothes in the closet that included snow pants, sweaters, and boots. We had a washer and dryer, but Mom, like most housewives, hung our laundry out to dry on the clothes line with clothes pins most of the year. At the time the program was easy to follow and rarely challenged. A decade later though, the same kids will be wanting to break the rules, and push the clothing design envelope.

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