Socks. Mine was socks. In middle school, the trend setters wore over the knee socks. No way to support them, but they were long and lacy...because we couldn't wear slacks. Early 1960s. Then...in high school....men's ties. You knew who had Mr. Albertson's science class by who wore the hand tied men's tie. Inside joke that lasted almost 6 months! BTW? Yes, we cut each other's hair. And ironed it with a clothes iron to get that sleek look that Cher had. On an ironing board. Or Mom cut it. Beauty shops? Those were for grandmas who used (gasp) permanent waves!!! We did our own.
Dodi's Restoration and Repair I was a little girl in the 60s and I used to help my teenage babysitter iron her hair with a clothes iron. The tricky thing was to not burn the scalp!
seungminaxi I learned very early in to make sure the iron was set to the lowest setting. The joys of pre-GHD 90s. Apparently something 60s and 90s kids had in common!
I ironed my hair a few times when I was in highschool in the early 2000s, and it really does make it sleek and smooth. You just have to remember to put it on the wool setting or lower.
Fan language was popular in Victorian times, how you tipped/held/placed it told others how you felt or relationship status! They also did it with parasol. Beauty patches in the 18th century were placed on different parts of the face for different meanings! I find history so fascinating
@@hopetikvah4906 thank you for bringing up the language of flowers . It's is so interesting and intricate , I wish we st up practised that side of thing .
Could this be the origin of the head nod bro code? As a tomboy, I learned that chin up nod is acknowledgment, chin down nod is showing respect. Hmmm...
I feel bad for the girls who would just wear bows for the look but didn’t have magazine money (would have been me) “How come I never get dates” “Wait you want a date? But you have a yellow bow”
Those rubber bands were a thing in British schools too! However they had a twist. Each colour represented something different you were willing to do, going anywhere between holding hands to sex. If someone broke one of your bands you had to do the corresponding act with them. I guess these bows are a lot more innocent then that lol
Emily McLuskie they were around when I was in 4th grade in Elementary here in Brazil, and I didn't know what they were for so I got the black one and used it as a hair tie. When I wasn't wearing it, I'd put in on my wrist. God forbid someone snapped that off!
@@amelinataylor464 ***VERY few in the US I literally don't know what y'all r talking about 🤣 But it sounds like they should be banned. Y would u have sex with a guy just because he broke a little band?
People name their scrunchies 🤣 no hate just saying it's going to be hard to remember all their names especially since there's tens of thousands of them lmao
I always feel like the teenage girls who tell reporters that these “codes” exist must be trolling people. 😂 There’s no way a bunch of teenagers got together and decided that bow placement universally meant something.
I agree, and if you look at the article, you see that even if the girls agreed what these things meant, it was an extremely local meaning restricted to just their highschool, or just their little clique.
Well somehow jelly bands became a universal code in the early 2000s so that was somehow organized my the teen masses. And I should know I was a member of the teen masses back when jelly bands were a thing.
Funnily enough, I always enjoyed wearing bows at the back of my head and even when drawing art of myself I draw bows on the back. My gay vibes are stronger than I thought
@xisobelx373 But, what of the periwigged men of the 17th through late 18th century, e.g., Puritans, silversmith Paul Revere and George Washington, who pragmatically tied their hair (to keep it from falling forward) at the back nape? Like all ponytail wearers, before (e.g., ancient Greek maidens running a race) and since.
@@magspies And too this applies to horses who, in parades, by humans have ribbons tied to their "pony" tails? And is their a meaning to docking, curtailment?
@@magspies As likely, e.g., the idea men and their clientele, as here www.change.org/p/carlos-brito-kees-storm-anheuser-busch-budweiser-beer-please-stop-the-cruelty-of-amputating-your-horse-s-tails/u/14815486
In Germany we have these kind of thing with the bows of the aprons of the dirndl. But as we do not wear much dirndl anymore, it is almost forgotten and everybody in Germany just googles how to do it for Oktoberfest or weddings.
Yeah, i think it was back for children, widows and servers, middle for no info or married(heard both), left single and right taken. Also bavarians aren't the only ones, austrians also still wear them and since it is originally just traditional chlothing there are various styles all over Europe that look similar
@@bannanan6941 Yeah we have the same in Austria. I heard that in the middle also meant virgin/never married quite a long time ago. But I actually don't see it nowadays - just on the left, the right and in the back 🤔
It's interesting to think if the article was interpreted correctly. Like how now a days or rather bridging a decade ago news would talk about "what a meme" is. The definition or concept was relatively correct but usually slightly missed the mark on how it was meant to be used. I remember reading something that stated a "meme" was an "inside joke" which could be interpreted loads of different ways but can sort of still be correct. Do you think the young high school girls read that article and scoffed because the news missed the mark on which bow placement meant what exactly? Or like how some people miss understand "netflix and chill" as just hanging out friendly like (despite it originally meaning to hook up.)
Given how rapidly teen fads change (even back in the 1940s) it's hard to imagine a dead tree publication keeping up on the most recent trends - and as the article showed, there were lots of regional variations in meanings (and no handy internet to help unify them a bit).
I live in Austria and we have an other “bow-code”. Firstly ours isn’t with hair bows but the bows you make on your Dirndl (traditional dress). Like if it’s in the front it means you’re a either a virgin or unsure or both. If it’s on the right, you’re single. On your left side it means you’re taken and if you have your bow in the back you’re either a widow or just the waitress.
That last seems prone to misunderstandings. I wonder how much time a waitress at Oktoberfest has to spend listening to very sincere condolences on her loss, and how often some grieving widow is asked for another round. :)
@@oscarwilde3670 I think they meant "unsure about their sexuality *or* a virgin" there. But to answer your question as asked, "virgin" doesn't always equate to "intact hymen" (there are lots of ways to bust them that don't involve sex, it's part of why riding sidesaddle used to be a thing) and if you've gotten drunk or drugged to the blackout stage, you might very well be raped in your sleep and uncertain as to how far things went when you wake up. Because some people are terrible and think unconsciousness is consent.
Oscar Wilde It’s meant more like unsure if she’d want something from you, if you’d approach her. Because like this bow code is mainly meant for people to see which relationship status you have so they know if they would have a chance with you to land in bed or even in a relationship.
I remember the single earring (or odd number on one side) and what side it was on depended on if you were straight or gay. Interesting fact, it was different on the East coast and West coast.
I remember the earrings, but my mom used to get mad when I wore anklets cause that was something prostitutes wore on a specific leg and I never got it on the correct leg.
Frodo's bowwwww 😭 I hate when people post things like that unsourced, why do they do that?? Or worse, add a fake caption to a real pic. Bless you for tracking it down to the source
This is a great video, Rachel! Frodo + hairbows = precious. Though I feel like that group of high school girls pulled the biggest prank on that LIFE magazine writer. Like they didn't expect him to take it seriously.
wait okay this whole concept is already adorable, even though i'm sure the majority of girls just put their bows where they wanted to each day.... but that "not interested in men" thing....could that be a subtle teen lesbian thing? because nothing makes my heart smile as a bi 20-something more than teen lesbians and the camaraderie therein
🌼Calonkat: You're probably right. Articles like these do make amusing fluff filler pieces, esp. in fashion magazines💛. There used to be such a refreshing air of innocence about romance. To me a "crush" will always mean like, attraction & admiration. It does not signal bone-crushing, organ-grinding lust. Found those colored sex bands for middle-schoolers disturbing.😝 Turned what should be special into a transaction w/little value. It was a total🚨beacon to up-&-coming sexual predators. Also encouraged girls to embrace their own exploitation. Gross. 💖 In Victorian times, the language of signals all started as a clever marketing scam to sell more flowers & fans. It simply sparked the imagination of the era & kept growing in popularity.
I remember when I was in highschool. We wore uniforms, so it was how you placed pins on your school skirt, the uniform skirt looked like a kilt and had a giant safety pin on it. Putting beads on it or what direction you had it placed meant different things. It's been 20 years, so I have no memories of what meant what.
🎀 Yes! Or, in a🌡hot🔥 crush of a crowded ball room during Victorian age, would've innocently fanned myself. Depending upon my speed, either signalling💍married or engaged by mistake.😂
Great video! BTW. If you ever go to the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany mind your bow placement, too! We are talking serious dirndl apron business here! The placement (right side, left or front middle) shows if you are "out to get yourself a man", "going steady" or going steady but still out to find a man... I think there is one that indicates you are widowed... not sure, though. And I can't ever remember which placement would be proper for my situation. Don't ever wear a dirndl, either ;)
I think worn on the back indicates a widow if I remember correctly but I'm not form Bavaria and never wore a Dirndl before because people would look funny at me here in Saxony
dirndl bow at the back meant either widow or waitress, though if you spot her with 6 mugs i would still be guessing!! (and making friends with her, cos that's my boat!) front middle: virgin or young left: single n ready to mingle! right: totally taken, look but no touch!
Back means widow and front means virgin (although those two aren't as widely known and also have no actual historical source). Right side (from wearer's position) means married, engaged or in a serious commitment, left side means single. Historically, these two are also unsure because girls in the past probably wouldn't have just been like "yo I'm single hmu" plus, married women had different clothes (ie headdress) anyways. But that's basically how they're used nowadays.
It reminds me of the bow code at a german Dirndl. A Dirndl is a traditional dress from bavaria in the south of germany. Nowadays you wear it to the traditional Oktoberfest. These dresses are having a skirt that you attached with a ribbon/bow. If the ribbon is on the left side it means the girl is single, on the right side she has a boyfriend or is married, in the middle at the front it means she is a virgin, and a ribbon in the middle of the back means that she is a widow. The man don't have such code to their costumes, because a woman never has does the first step (back then). I hope that was understandable, when you look up a picture of a Dirndl it might be easier to understand, how the skirt has to fit, how it is attached. Greats from Germany, love your videos.
Love the wartime stuff! When i was a kid, i found we had a newspaper from Los Angeles, from the last day of the War. Hidden in the back pages was a tiny advert for a racy movie, "Hotel Wives"--"She Wolves on the Loose!"
Sheila Reynolds Yes! Thanks for mentioning that. I’d completely forgotten that. But then most people in my age group during high school weren’t aware of it. lol
The Cladduagh has been around longer tho Usually passed Mother to Daughter Right hand: crown to heart single Heart to heart - in a relationship Left hand: Crown to heart Engaged Heart to Heart - Married
I adore you!! You make me feel less weird for being an old soul stuck in today's society! I'm 20 and I love everything from the 1800's to the 1970's. But my heart lies in the 1920's.
Image of a freshman boy in 1944 finding this article and getting all scared because the girl he asked to the sock hop showed up to homeroom with a bow on the back of her head
Hoi iz Jade i may be remembering wrong, but in the gay community men would put coloured bandanas in one of their pockets to indicate which kink they were into, and depending on the pocket if they were a giver or receiver. it may still be a thing, and it may have spread past the gay community, but that’s just the basics about the bandana code.
that’s called the hanky code! For anyone who doesn’t know It was a big thing in the stonewall era when being gay was very illegal and gay men needed to communicate discreetly if they were looking for a partner so they’d put colored handkerchiefs in their back pockets. Usually anything worn in the right pocket meant “top” and on the left meant “bottom” and the colors were different ,,interests (they were pretty raunchy but still it’s a neat part of gay history)
I figures that the article was put in for a fluff piece to show everyday home life was still going strong while the war waged on. I think we had bright colored jewelry for ours back in my day.
There used to be a code around how fan-wielding ladies used to hold their fans. I saw it in a historical facts book somewhere. I really wish I had a full copy of the code so I could do this at festivals and see who knows I'm signaling in the apocalypse and who knows I'm really just trying to get a refill on my coffee.
Ok I must say your videos randomly popped up on my feed one day and I watched a few but now I’m addicted. I don’t even have similar style as you but you’re just hilarious and your editing is on point. I know how long editing can take so kudos to you and keep doing what you’re doing girl
OMG JELLY BANDS! lol. I remember when it became "news" that they apparently stood for things (which I was unaware of before that moment), and my mother started in on "Do you know what those bracelets stand for?" / "Umm---no?" / "They stand for sex acts girls have done!" / "I don't think so..." / "That's what the news said!"
By the time the news hears about it, the fad is probably over. I remember people fussing about the bracelets code too, because of stuff on TV. I was already out of school by that point, so I missed it, if anyone was actually doing it, and it wasn't just fearmongering. Mostly I remember wannabe gang bangers trying to show gang colours, a lot of their underwear, and often one leg sticking out of their pants. It was pretty ridiculous. They'd do this fake limping thing too. Weird.
I’m so happy to have found someone with (almost) my same body type. I’ve been struggling with body confidence and how I see myself. This encourages me so much. I’ve always loved vintage fashion and it’s definitely what I go for when I dress up to go out. You own it and inspire me to. Thank you
This could not have been more adorable!!!!!! Loved the nostalgic stroll of high school in the 40s! Loved (LOVED!!) your personsal bow definitions. Absolutely squealed over Frodo's bows. ❤❤❤
I remember at my school when I was in year 6 there were those elastic animal/ shape bracelets. You were only allowed to trade and receive the bracelets and the colour and shape represented something. One of them was like “she’s done drugs” or “had the sex” etc. I only ever got one but when I did it was like *i am a cool kid* it was a pastel blue bunny and I have no idea what that means. Probably means *im a bad bitch you can’t kill me*
You are so fun! I am a huge vintage queen and watching you makes me feel like I've found my people! Thank you for all the work you put into these videos
The meaning of the dirndl bow placement is actually just made up. At the time when people still wore “traditional “ garments you could see a woman’s marital status from her clothes and hair anyway. But the bow placement already became a “new tradition “ at the Oktoberfest or other events. It just serves its purpose because everyone who is looking for the bow placement understands the intended meaning.
I also grew up with the jelly bands. I work at a high school and last year the boys would be given scrunchies by girls they were dating or girls that liked them.
Looking at Rachel after binge watching her videos for two days, i think she needs to do a queen of hearts cosplay. Red hair and red lips looks great on her
I literally wore bows every day in High school. To the point it was memeable. I wish i knew this. I had a LDR and would sent postcards with stamps strategicly placed in different ways to convey secret messages, like they allegedly did in the victorian era
As opposed to the modern version that anime fans use? Best girl as "sweetheart" or "favorite of several non-exclusive girlfriends" dates back to the 1920s, maybe before that. I know I've read it in pulp magazine dialogs from that era.
In 1962, the "poodle cut" was all the rage. One's hair was cut rather short, very tight pin curls were set in overnight to achieve the curly do. However, on the forehead was a row of curls that was down on the forehead while the rest of the curls went toward the back of the head. In that space, one placed a little velvet bow. Hence the name, "poodle cut". I despised that hair do, and couldn't wait until it grew out.
I'm a teenager and us highschoolers don't go by codes anymore. Elementary school, though... that's a different story. That bow thing is actually interesting, especially for me who is into fashion and wants to design for dress up games. I do notice though when girls wear bows in the back of their head, they're usually more introverted and when girls wear headbands with bows on the top, they usually act more cute and sometimes flirty. I guess it effects mood more than a code? I don't know
Your detective skills are great, Rachel! And thanks for letting us know Google Books has Life magazine issues; I am sure gonna find some intresting vintage articles there now 😊And Frodo looks ssssoooo cute with those little bows 😍 Thanks for your wonderful videos!!!
Really enjoyed this!!!! Great job!!! I chuckled because my Nana (who was a young girl in the 40s) loved her bows and ALWAYS wore then tied on the right side or on both sides. She adored my grandfather for the 60 years they were married so perhaps that little satin bow had a deeper meaning
Thank you for bringing back a pleasant memory. My Mother graduated from high school, '44. She attended John Marshall H.S. Their rival was Hollywood H.S. My mother no doubt knew those girls since she talked years later how upset she and her classmates were that they were not included in the photo shoot. Competitive times. My mother went on to USC; modeled and was under contract with Warner Brothers, before falling in love with my father, a Marine sergeant sent back from the South Pacific to train and become an Officer.
This is one of the first videos I have seen from Rachel (just found the channel) and scrolling through comments during the video made me wait for the context of Frodo wearing a bow. As I am new, I was not aware her dog is called Frodo. Therefore I was waiting for an image of Elijah Wood, as Frodo, wearing a bow in his hair.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Oh and if your name is Karen, WE GOOD, I LOVE YOU, ISSA JOKE
Can you do a bow collection video? All your bows are so pretty!
Oh yes please 🎀 can you actually use bow ties?
Karen Filippelli?
When I lived in a house with 6 roommates none of them named Karen, we would blame every annoying thing on the non existent roommate karen
yep my name is Karen
Isabella knows what she's doing with wearing that bow to Phineas's backyard.
Lol😂
Thank you
Yes
Nzjzjdjjxjsjfjf
😂
"Is she... you know... wearing her yellow bow in the back?"
😵🤯
I love your profile picture 🤣
Oh explains the bunched up belly button
Katelyn Jacobi -
-a man hater, not looking for someone
Me n the girls wearing yellow bows so we can be perceived as lesbians
As someone with a slight preference for woman and who ALWAYS wore her bow in the back the world is making sense.
*Soooo* much sense for me too, now 😏
Same here
lmao I'm a full lesbian and I've always worn my bows in the back. Oh lord.
You guys are cracking me up - thanks, I needed that!
"bow worn in back means that Betty Dupree is 'not interested in men'" Betty is a massive lesbian and I'm in love with her
What if lesbians made this like a thing. Like wear a bow in the back and boom ur a lesbian
a great lesbian grandma
Me a femme lesbian: I shall now go get a yellow bow and put it on the back of my head
y e s
Plaid is OUT; yellow bow in the back of head is IN
Socks. Mine was socks. In middle school, the trend setters wore over the knee socks. No way to support them, but they were long and lacy...because we couldn't wear slacks. Early 1960s. Then...in high school....men's ties. You knew who had Mr. Albertson's science class by who wore the hand tied men's tie. Inside joke that lasted almost 6 months!
BTW? Yes, we cut each other's hair. And ironed it with a clothes iron to get that sleek look that Cher had. On an ironing board. Or Mom cut it. Beauty shops? Those were for grandmas who used (gasp) permanent waves!!! We did our own.
Oh my!! I hope none of you burned yourselves with the clothes iron. This is really fascinating Dodi, thank you for sharing! :)
Dodi's Restoration and Repair I was a little girl in the 60s and I used to help my teenage babysitter iron her hair with a clothes iron. The tricky thing was to not burn the scalp!
seungminaxi I learned very early in to make sure the iron was set to the lowest setting.
The joys of pre-GHD 90s. Apparently something 60s and 90s kids had in common!
So, what you are telling me... Is that *Cher is responsible for* the *invention* of *hair straightener*?
I ironed my hair a few times when I was in highschool in the early 2000s, and it really does make it sleek and smooth. You just have to remember to put it on the wool setting or lower.
Fan language was popular in Victorian times, how you tipped/held/placed it told others how you felt or relationship status! They also did it with parasol.
Beauty patches in the 18th century were placed on different parts of the face for different meanings! I find history so fascinating
There was also umbrella language and the language of flowers :)
Yeah. It seems the Feminine Semaphore goes back _centuries._ No matter how the forms may differ, you're rarely short of ways to speak without talking.
@@hopetikvah4906 thank you for bringing up the language of flowers . It's is so interesting and intricate , I wish we st up practised that side of thing .
maneatertiff I want to learn my fan language
Could this be the origin of the head nod bro code? As a tomboy, I learned that chin up nod is acknowledgment, chin down nod is showing respect. Hmmm...
*gets two bows and puts one on top of my head and the other on the back*
BISEXUALS UNITE
YEET
YESSS
*surrounds my head with bows* PANSEXUALS UNITE
OH HONEY
I GOT THE TAP WATER
I feel bad for the girls who would just wear bows for the look but didn’t have magazine money (would have been me)
“How come I never get dates”
“Wait you want a date? But you have a yellow bow”
Haha, I am often wearing yellow bows and don´t get a date. There is certainly a connection, right?
@@lowenpfote1052 maybe.... who knows
Nowadays, girls give their scrunchie to a boy when they’re officially together and he wears it on his wrist.
Okay so I said we dont have any codes but yes this is a code
Natasha Reldnach haha really? awwww that’s cute 😊
M M yep! It’s a public/private school thing (I’m homeschooled), but I still see it all the time :)
Dang, that’s actually super cute
Jacqueline Underwood indeed!! I’m too old and crusty for that trend now #crustydusty
Those rubber bands were a thing in British schools too! However they had a twist. Each colour represented something different you were willing to do, going anywhere between holding hands to sex. If someone broke one of your bands you had to do the corresponding act with them. I guess these bows are a lot more innocent then that lol
Emily McLuskie they were around when I was in 4th grade in Elementary here in Brazil, and I didn't know what they were for so I got the black one and used it as a hair tie. When I wasn't wearing it, I'd put in on my wrist. God forbid someone snapped that off!
Same here in the USA! Used to dare boys to pop them all.
In Canada they meant things you had ALREADY done... super subtle way to be like “my bf and I are at third base”
@@amelinataylor464
***VERY few in the US
I literally don't know what y'all r talking about 🤣 But it sounds like they should be banned. Y would u have sex with a guy just because he broke a little band?
Dang, I feel EXTREMELY sorry for all of y'all
The perfect video doesn’t exis-
“Out to get myself a MAIL man,” sincerely dog (2019)
Dog name Frodo
Frodo wearing bows completely made my day! Thanks for always making me smile, Rachel!
At this very moment my 11 year old is wearing a red scrunchie on his wrist. Apparently her name is Emily and it’s none of my business. 🙄
Aww that's so cute
Awe lol 😊 That's super cute!!
My brother had a 3 month relationship with a girl named Calliope. Hes in kindergarten
D'awwww..............
People name their scrunchies 🤣 no hate just saying it's going to be hard to remember all their names especially since there's tens of thousands of them lmao
I always feel like the teenage girls who tell reporters that these “codes” exist must be trolling people. 😂 There’s no way a bunch of teenagers got together and decided that bow placement universally meant something.
I agree, and if you look at the article, you see that even if the girls agreed what these things meant, it was an extremely local meaning restricted to just their highschool, or just their little clique.
Well scrunchies do now
Fr us teens are so chaotic, you cant make a universal code like that
Well somehow jelly bands became a universal code in the early 2000s so that was somehow organized my the teen masses. And I should know I was a member of the teen masses back when jelly bands were a thing.
I won't argue the possibility. Sounds like something I might do.
Funnily enough, I always enjoyed wearing bows at the back of my head and even when drawing art of myself I draw bows on the back. My gay vibes are stronger than I thought
@xisobelx373 But, what of the periwigged men of the 17th through late 18th century, e.g., Puritans, silversmith Paul Revere and George Washington, who pragmatically tied their hair (to keep it from falling forward) at the back nape? Like all ponytail wearers, before (e.g., ancient Greek maidens running a race) and since.
@@JudgeJulieLit Yep, all gay. 😂
@@magspies And too this applies to horses who, in parades, by humans have ribbons tied to their "pony" tails?
And is their a meaning to docking, curtailment?
@@JudgeJulieLit No, horses can't tie ribbons. Human who did it is gay too 😂
@@magspies As likely, e.g., the idea men and their clientele, as here www.change.org/p/carlos-brito-kees-storm-anheuser-busch-budweiser-beer-please-stop-the-cruelty-of-amputating-your-horse-s-tails/u/14815486
In Germany we have these kind of thing with the bows of the aprons of the dirndl. But as we do not wear much dirndl anymore, it is almost forgotten and everybody in Germany just googles how to do it for Oktoberfest or weddings.
I think the Dirndl is worn only in Bavaria.
@@no_brain7947 Yep
Oooo I didn’t know that
Yeah, i think it was back for children, widows and servers, middle for no info or married(heard both), left single and right taken. Also bavarians aren't the only ones, austrians also still wear them and since it is originally just traditional chlothing there are various styles all over Europe that look similar
@@bannanan6941 Yeah we have the same in Austria. I heard that in the middle also meant virgin/never married quite a long time ago. But I actually don't see it nowadays - just on the left, the right and in the back 🤔
Out to get myself a MAIL man was too funny 😂
Sara Beth Jones Frodo modelled the bow expertly! 😂
Yes, it was! 😂😂
“Lemme at im” 😂
Me, a man: *puts a yellow bow at the back of my head*
Why is this so funny
You go,man!!
Lmao
You go guy!
pfff
"What are the kids doing??" I feel like this is me my entire life, even as a kid.
Even when you're part of the generation that created the fad, you're like, "Wtf are you doing? I know you weren't thinking!" 😂
It's interesting to think if the article was interpreted correctly.
Like how now a days or rather bridging a decade ago news would talk about "what a meme" is. The definition or concept was relatively correct but usually slightly missed the mark on how it was meant to be used.
I remember reading something that stated a "meme" was an "inside joke" which could be interpreted loads of different ways but can sort of still be correct.
Do you think the young high school girls read that article and scoffed because the news missed the mark on which bow placement meant what exactly? Or like how some people miss understand "netflix and chill" as just hanging out friendly like (despite it originally meaning to hook up.)
Given how rapidly teen fads change (even back in the 1940s) it's hard to imagine a dead tree publication keeping up on the most recent trends - and as the article showed, there were lots of regional variations in meanings (and no handy internet to help unify them a bit).
time to throw out all my old plaid shirts and start wearing a bow on the back of my head....
🤣🤣
Concept: Plaid bow.
@@AlexaFaie I have one
Lol same
:)
I live in Austria and we have an other “bow-code”. Firstly ours isn’t with hair bows but the bows you make on your Dirndl (traditional dress).
Like if it’s in the front it means you’re a either a virgin or unsure or both. If it’s on the right, you’re single. On your left side it means you’re taken and if you have your bow in the back you’re either a widow or just the waitress.
That last seems prone to misunderstandings. I wonder how much time a waitress at Oktoberfest has to spend listening to very sincere condolences on her loss, and how often some grieving widow is asked for another round. :)
How can someone be unsure as to whether or not they're a virgin?
@@oscarwilde3670 I think they meant "unsure about their sexuality *or* a virgin" there. But to answer your question as asked, "virgin" doesn't always equate to "intact hymen" (there are lots of ways to bust them that don't involve sex, it's part of why riding sidesaddle used to be a thing) and if you've gotten drunk or drugged to the blackout stage, you might very well be raped in your sleep and uncertain as to how far things went when you wake up. Because some people are terrible and think unconsciousness is consent.
Oscar Wilde
It’s meant more like unsure if she’d want something from you, if you’d approach her.
Because like this bow code is mainly meant for people to see which relationship status you have so they know if they would have a chance with you to land in bed or even in a relationship.
"....or just the waitress" was the beat part of that story 🤣
I remember the single earring (or odd number on one side) and what side it was on depended on if you were straight or gay. Interesting fact, it was different on the East coast and West coast.
That was certainly a thing in my youth. Mostly Seventies and Eighties fads, IIRC. Wonder if they retain any meaning these days.
I'm in highschool and earring on the left means you're gay
@@Jazz-nr7nk Nice to see traditions being upkept.
Tara Young in mine it’s an earring on the right
I remember the earrings, but my mom used to get mad when I wore anklets cause that was something prostitutes wore on a specific leg and I never got it on the correct leg.
"out to get myself a mail man" is the look I'm going for
In German Folklore Dirndl Fashion the Bow placement also tells about the Relationship Status
How did I not know about that???
Oh wait... I just remembered that I only owned a Dirndl when I was like... 6 and haven't worn one since xD
@@kidinthekelp5570 And invariably it was tied in the back at the waist.
In some Finnish folklore dresses it was the placement of the knot of the apron, I think.
Bow tied at waist back (as for little girls) means, no relationship?
It still does tho
Frodo's bowwwww 😭
I hate when people post things like that unsourced, why do they do that?? Or worse, add a fake caption to a real pic. Bless you for tracking it down to the source
Is this this straight version of when I'm cuffing my jeans and tucking in my shirts?
I think so
Betty Dupree: am I a joke to you?
I think it is
Betty Dupree: *laughs*
This is a great video, Rachel! Frodo + hairbows = precious. Though I feel like that group of high school girls pulled the biggest prank on that LIFE magazine writer. Like they didn't expect him to take it seriously.
wait okay this whole concept is already adorable, even though i'm sure the majority of girls just put their bows where they wanted to each day.... but that "not interested in men" thing....could that be a subtle teen lesbian thing? because nothing makes my heart smile as a bi 20-something more than teen lesbians and the camaraderie therein
This is the content I signed up for; WW2 fashion, grandma-life and pritty Frodo.
Same here!
I've always thought this sort of article was the result of reporters having a theory and asking just the right questions to confirm that theory.
🌼Calonkat: You're probably right. Articles like these do make amusing fluff filler pieces, esp. in fashion magazines💛.
There used to be such a refreshing air of innocence about romance. To me a "crush" will always mean like, attraction & admiration. It does not signal bone-crushing, organ-grinding lust. Found those colored sex bands for middle-schoolers disturbing.😝 Turned what should be special into a transaction w/little value. It was a total🚨beacon to up-&-coming sexual predators. Also encouraged girls to embrace their own exploitation. Gross.
💖 In Victorian times, the language of signals all started as a clever marketing scam to sell more flowers & fans. It simply sparked the imagination of the era & kept growing in popularity.
40's highschooler hair fashion straight up just being their own improvise, adapt, overcome meme
I remember when I was in highschool. We wore uniforms, so it was how you placed pins on your school skirt, the uniform skirt looked like a kilt and had a giant safety pin on it. Putting beads on it or what direction you had it placed meant different things. It's been 20 years, so I have no memories of what meant what.
I would’ve accidentally worn a yellow bow in the back and wondered why I still didn’t have a boyfriend 😭😭😭
Tøp Clique!!!
🎀 Yes! Or, in a🌡hot🔥 crush of a crowded ball room during Victorian age, would've innocently fanned myself. Depending upon my speed, either signalling💍married or engaged by mistake.😂
Teresa Carle
Oof
@@teresacarle294
Oof
Great video! BTW. If you ever go to the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany mind your bow placement, too! We are talking serious dirndl apron business here! The placement (right side, left or front middle) shows if you are "out to get yourself a man", "going steady" or going steady but still out to find a man... I think there is one that indicates you are widowed... not sure, though. And I can't ever remember which placement would be proper for my situation. Don't ever wear a dirndl, either ;)
I think worn on the back indicates a widow if I remember correctly but I'm not form Bavaria and never wore a Dirndl before because people would look funny at me here in Saxony
dirndl bow at the back meant either widow or waitress, though if you spot her with 6 mugs i would still be guessing!! (and making friends with her, cos that's my boat!)
front middle: virgin or young
left: single n ready to mingle!
right: totally taken, look but no touch!
Great answers! Of course, there has to be something indicating a waitress! I am laughing so much now. :,D
Back means widow and front means virgin (although those two aren't as widely known and also have no actual historical source). Right side (from wearer's position) means married, engaged or in a serious commitment, left side means single. Historically, these two are also unsure because girls in the past probably wouldn't have just been like "yo I'm single hmu" plus, married women had different clothes (ie headdress) anyways. But that's basically how they're used nowadays.
Sooo... did Nick let you know if you're his "witch" or not? LOL :)
It reminds me of the bow code at a german Dirndl. A Dirndl is a traditional dress from bavaria in the south of germany. Nowadays you wear it to the traditional Oktoberfest. These dresses are having a skirt that you attached with a ribbon/bow. If the ribbon is on the left side it means the girl is single, on the right side she has a boyfriend or is married, in the middle at the front it means she is a virgin, and a ribbon in the middle of the back means that she is a widow.
The man don't have such code to their costumes, because a woman never has does the first step (back then). I hope that was understandable, when you look up a picture of a Dirndl it might be easier to understand, how the skirt has to fit, how it is attached.
Greats from Germany, love your videos.
Love the wartime stuff! When i was a kid, i found we had a newspaper from Los Angeles, from the last day of the War. Hidden in the back pages was a tiny advert for a racy movie, "Hotel Wives"--"She Wolves on the Loose!"
Frodo is so adorable in the bows, truly the most handsome bow wearer
Kinda like a claddaugh ring now! Identifies whether you are single, married or available depending how you wear it!
Sheila Reynolds Yes! Thanks for mentioning that. I’d completely forgotten that. But then most people in my age group during high school weren’t aware of it. lol
We had that in the city we lived in... all the Irish kids with Claddagh rings were in the know
The Cladduagh has been around longer tho
Usually passed Mother to Daughter
Right hand: crown to heart single
Heart to heart - in a relationship
Left hand: Crown to heart Engaged
Heart to Heart - Married
*Correct spelling is Claddagh.
Lol guess teen magazines never really changed 😂
Please just goes to show that hard hitting journalism was closer to yahoo news than we thought. It's LIFE magazine for f'ks sake. lol
pay1370 100th like!!
I adore you!! You make me feel less weird for being an old soul stuck in today's society! I'm 20 and I love everything from the 1800's to the 1970's. But my heart lies in the 1920's.
for modern high school thing where i am relationship wise: if a boy is in a relationship he wears a scrunchie, usually a fake velvet one
Uploading 2 days in a row? What a queen
Image of a freshman boy in 1944 finding this article and getting all scared because the girl he asked to the sock hop showed up to homeroom with a bow on the back of her head
There's the bandanna kink code I found on tumblr.
It's strange
Wait what????
Hoi iz Jade i may be remembering wrong, but in the gay community men would put coloured bandanas in one of their pockets to indicate which kink they were into, and depending on the pocket if they were a giver or receiver. it may still be a thing, and it may have spread past the gay community, but that’s just the basics about the bandana code.
Oh yeah I just looked it up and there's a wikipedia page on it
@@toffletorte It is enjoying renewed use and interest! 😁
that’s called the hanky code! For anyone who doesn’t know It was a big thing in the stonewall era when being gay was very illegal and gay men needed to communicate discreetly if they were looking for a partner so they’d put colored handkerchiefs in their back pockets. Usually anything worn in the right pocket meant “top” and on the left meant “bottom” and the colors were different ,,interests (they were pretty raunchy but still it’s a neat part of gay history)
I figures that the article was put in for a fluff piece to show everyday home life was still going strong while the war waged on. I think we had bright colored jewelry for ours back in my day.
There used to be a code around how fan-wielding ladies used to hold their fans. I saw it in a historical facts book somewhere. I really wish I had a full copy of the code so I could do this at festivals and see who knows I'm signaling in the apocalypse and who knows I'm really just trying to get a refill on my coffee.
Ok I must say your videos randomly popped up on my feed one day and I watched a few but now I’m addicted. I don’t even have similar style as you but you’re just hilarious and your editing is on point. I know how long editing can take so kudos to you and keep doing what you’re doing girl
Vintage culture and history is so interesting! Great video!
OMG JELLY BANDS! lol. I remember when it became "news" that they apparently stood for things (which I was unaware of before that moment), and my mother started in on "Do you know what those bracelets stand for?" / "Umm---no?" / "They stand for sex acts girls have done!" / "I don't think so..." / "That's what the news said!"
Marlissa Cunningham yeah. And the news is always accurate.
By the time the news hears about it, the fad is probably over. I remember people fussing about the bracelets code too, because of stuff on TV. I was already out of school by that point, so I missed it, if anyone was actually doing it, and it wasn't just fearmongering.
Mostly I remember wannabe gang bangers trying to show gang colours, a lot of their underwear, and often one leg sticking out of their pants. It was pretty ridiculous. They'd do this fake limping thing too. Weird.
Parents always wig out. No one actually believed that those bracelets meant anything....
This video is so fun. All your videos help me when a get in a mood. They remind me that life can still be lighthearted.
I’m so happy to have found someone with (almost) my same body type. I’ve been struggling with body confidence and how I see myself. This encourages me so much. I’ve always loved vintage fashion and it’s definitely what I go for when I dress up to go out. You own it and inspire me to. Thank you
"if both pant legs are pulled up you're ready to bring about the apocalypse"
*Sam and Dean simultaneously checking their pant legs *
I HAVE FOUND ONE OF MY PEOPLE!
My grandmother told me that wearing a knotted string of pearls meant you were going steady
This could not have been more adorable!!!!!! Loved the nostalgic stroll of high school in the 40s! Loved (LOVED!!) your personsal bow definitions. Absolutely squealed over Frodo's bows. ❤❤❤
I remember at my school when I was in year 6 there were those elastic animal/ shape bracelets. You were only allowed to trade and receive the bracelets and the colour and shape represented something. One of them was like “she’s done drugs” or “had the sex” etc. I only ever got one but when I did it was like *i am a cool kid* it was a pastel blue bunny and I have no idea what that means. Probably means *im a bad bitch you can’t kill me*
You are so fun! I am a huge vintage queen and watching you makes me feel like I've found my people! Thank you for all the work you put into these videos
This is hysterical!! Poor girl who gets it wrong. She may get a man she doesn't want.
It's important to note that this article was written by adults on teens, and we all know how accurate those are
Interesting. Your Dirndl bow Placement also reveals much about you
Funny. When I first read the title I immediately thought about dirndls.😅
I also thought immediately about that :D I used to do it wrong though 😅
The meaning of the dirndl bow placement is actually just made up. At the time when people still wore “traditional “ garments you could see a woman’s marital status from her clothes and hair anyway.
But the bow placement already became a “new tradition “ at the Oktoberfest or other events. It just serves its purpose because everyone who is looking for the bow placement understands the intended meaning.
Every once in a while I come back to watch this because it makes me happy.
More than a year later and this is still my favourite video from this channel XD
"F*** YOU KAREN" I can't 😂😂😂
Love you ❤
I wear a black bow sometimes. The placement varies. I must have left a nice trail of confusion 😂😂😂
I also grew up with the jelly bands. I work at a high school and last year the boys would be given scrunchies by girls they were dating or girls that liked them.
Maksy's hair style is seriously impressive in this video
#lifegoals
Looking at Rachel after binge watching her videos for two days, i think she needs to do a queen of hearts cosplay. Red hair and red lips looks great on her
I literally wore bows every day in High school. To the point it was memeable. I wish i knew this.
I had a LDR and would sent postcards with stamps strategicly placed in different ways to convey secret messages, like they allegedly did in the victorian era
I didn't know the term "best girl" was used in the forties! XD
As opposed to the modern version that anime fans use? Best girl as "sweetheart" or "favorite of several non-exclusive girlfriends" dates back to the 1920s, maybe before that. I know I've read it in pulp magazine dialogs from that era.
In my high school, cuffing your jeans means you're bi-- I don't know if that's a thing everywhere????
Omg I thought that was just a tiktok meme 😳
I just do that cuz I'm short. Lol
rip short people
My pants are just too long so j roll them up bruh😂
That's a fucking law of bisexuals, you gotta cuff them that's the only way to show it
In 1962, the "poodle cut" was all the rage. One's hair was cut rather short, very tight pin curls were set in overnight to achieve the curly do. However, on the forehead was a row of curls that was down on the forehead while the rest of the curls went toward the back of the head. In that space, one placed a little velvet bow. Hence the name, "poodle cut". I despised that hair do, and couldn't wait until it grew out.
She says she’s reading like a grandma, but she’s really just reading like those teenagers
I've always wondered where that picture came from 😂 detective Rachel back at it again with the facts ❣️
I just pointed at the screen and then said, out loud "OH MY GOD, FROBOW" I'm so ashamed.
Don’t be. I think you just saved humanity from the apocalypse.
Well that explains all those yuri manga characters with bows on the back of their hair.
I'm a teenager and us highschoolers don't go by codes anymore. Elementary school, though... that's a different story. That bow thing is actually interesting, especially for me who is into fashion and wants to design for dress up games. I do notice though when girls wear bows in the back of their head, they're usually more introverted and when girls wear headbands with bows on the top, they usually act more cute and sometimes flirty. I guess it effects mood more than a code? I don't know
Nice little tie-bit on history and bows. Thank you for making this as I love history that deal with what was going on and not just war and government.
Your detective skills are great, Rachel! And thanks for letting us know Google Books has Life magazine issues; I am sure gonna find some intresting vintage articles there now 😊And Frodo looks ssssoooo cute with those little bows 😍 Thanks for your wonderful videos!!!
We love a granny Rachel! (I say as I sit here knitting a Harry Potter sweater summoning up Molly Weasley vibes)
As a lesbian, I feel like I need to wear a yellow ribbon on the back of my head at all times from now on.
I'm laughing. I'm crying. I learned something. And I had to pause this three times to catch my breath. Thank you Rachel. This was fantastic
Really enjoyed this!!!! Great job!!! I chuckled because my Nana (who was a young girl in the 40s) loved her bows and ALWAYS wore then tied on the right side or on both sides. She adored my grandfather for the 60 years they were married so perhaps that little satin bow had a deeper meaning
Bwahahahaha "Bitch I dare you!" I think this might be my fav video of yours yet! You bring so much sass and fun to everything. Also Frodo 💕💖💖💖😍
that title has given me Oktoberfest flashbacks... the placement of your bow on a dirndl is such a THING and it's super ridiculous
The title made me immediately think of Ribbons Down My Back from “Hello, Dolly!”
Omg this is just like scrunchies! I love it!
Thank you for bringing back a pleasant memory.
My Mother graduated from high school, '44. She attended John Marshall H.S. Their rival was Hollywood H.S. My mother no doubt knew those girls since she talked years later how upset she and her classmates were that they were not included in the photo shoot. Competitive times. My mother went on to USC; modeled and was under contract with Warner Brothers, before falling in love with my father, a Marine sergeant sent back from the South Pacific to train and become an Officer.
The only thing I can think of is a mood ring. That should change it’s colour according to your feelings at the time
What about the "I'm just trying to keep the hair out of my face" signal? 😜
in ireland the way we wear claddagh rings is how you tell someone’s relationship status
Literally CACKLED For a good minute straight at your “new bow placements” this is amazing.
You turning around and saying 'Bitch i dare you' is everything i didnt know i needed in life xD
As someone who wears bows in her hair nearly every day, I might really need to rethink their placement! LOL
“Out to get myself a mailman!” 😂😂😂
I am back of the head with three huge yellow ribbons 😂
My people 😎
This is one of the first videos I have seen from Rachel (just found the channel) and scrolling through comments during the video made me wait for the context of Frodo wearing a bow. As I am new, I was not aware her dog is called Frodo. Therefore I was waiting for an image of Elijah Wood, as Frodo, wearing a bow in his hair.
Everything about this video just made me smile. Thank you Rachel!
Me: She's gonna mention the sex bracelets...
Her: "Those jelly bracelets. I don't remember what they mean."
Me: yuuuuuup
SEX BRACELETS?