Newspaper Fashion Editors in the 1950s and 60s Kimberly Wilmot Voss Newspaper Fashion Editors in the 1950s and 60s Women Writers of the Runway Kimberly Wilmot Voss Nicholson School of Communication and Media University of Central Florida Orlando, FL, USA ISBN 978-3-030-73623-1 ISBN 978-3-030-73624-8 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73624-8 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifcally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microflms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. 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The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland This book is dedicated to all of the newspaper fashion editors who shaped the dress of their communities only to be forgotten by fashion and journalism historians when the women’s pages ended. It is also dedicated to journalism students who embrace soft news when hard news is often emphasized. As always, it is dedicated to my husband and editor Lance Speere, as well as our children, Curtis and Paul. It takes a family for a book to be completed—especially during a pandemic. PREFACE Long neglected by journalism scholarship, the content of the newspaper fashion sections and the women who oversaw the sections were signifcant to their readers and the booming fashion industry of the post–World War II era and should be worthy of historical study. This book will explore the complexity of the fashion sections and the important reporting the women did in their jobs. Fashion editors worked in the women’s pages of newspa- pers. Overall, it was the place where most women journalists worked for decades—from the 1880s through the early 1970s. When the women’s pages turned into lifestyle sections, many fashion editor positions were eliminated at metropolitan newspapers. But prior to the loss of the wom- en’s pages, the post–World War II years through the early 1970s were considered the Golden Era. These sections spoke to local women in a way that other media did not. This examination of fashion journalism focuses on mainstream newspa- pers. Women’s Wear Daily (sometimes known as the WWD) is a fashion- industry trade publication sometimes called “the bible of fashion.” It provides news about trends in men’s and women’s fashions, beauty col- umns and retail information. Its readership is made up largely of retailers, designers, manufacturers, marketers, media executives, and advertising agencies. Because the audience is different, WWD is not included. (It is worth mentioning that several newspaper fashion editors did work at WWD early in their careers, such as Marian Christy, Nina Hyde, and Eugenia Sheppard.) Newspaper fashion editors had many duties. They pulled wire copy, interviewed local women about their fashion choices and visited local vii viii PREFACE stores to see what was available. They also traveled to national and inter- national fashion shows, interviewed designers, and offered their opinions on trends. Many of them also served as beauty editors—writing about new products, weight loss options, and the popular hairstyles. The editors interacted with each other and were able to network at a time when they were usually excluded from journalism organizations. Most fashion editors stayed in their position at their newspapers for many years and became experts on what their readers were interested in. It was what would be described today as “hyper-local” reporting. In their communities, they addressed everything from dress codes to gender-based concerns over wearing pants. They covered the debate over skirt length and the wearing (or not wearing) of bras. These topics were social, political, and commercial. They defned time periods, gender roles, and regions of the country. They did all of this while applying the ethical guidelines of their feld and working to keep advertisers at arm’s length. As journalists, all of this work was done while on deadline. It is worth men- tioning that these editors were almost all women—the only exception found was Richard Cobb, whose name was mentioned covering fashion in 1958 and 1959.1 These women were typically not allowed in the newsroom. “We were in some dark little corner of the Times,” according to New York Times fash- ion editor Phyllis Levin. The male journalists from downstairs rarely vis- ited. “It was as if we kept the measles up on the ninth foor,” she said.2 This was true at newspapers across the country where the women’s section was considered different than the traditional news departments. Part of this was considered a way of “protecting” women who could not handle the swearing and rough language of the newsroom. The time period for this book begins during World War II, as American fashion was developing. Newspaper fashion editors had new topics to cover from rations to new non-European designers. In the postwar con- sumer age, the increase in advertising caused the sections to be thicker. These large sections meant more fashion coverage. The sections included changes in styles, fabrics, and fewer hats as the years went by. The 1960s, of course, led to increasing fashion changes based on the growing youth generation. During this period, several signifcant American fashion shows were held, including one in Moscow and one at the White House. The third signifcant show was known as the Battle of Versailles. Held in 1973, it pitted French designers against American designers in front of an impressive audience. It was clear that the Americans had won. PREFACE ix Here is where the book ends—as American fashion had achieved domi- nance and the women’s pages had ended. This book writes the fashion editors and their work into history. FASHION EDITORS STUDIED The goal of this book was to include as many fashion editors who would represent American newspapers. Well-known New York fashion editors were the frst to be included—such as Eugenia Sheppard and Virginia Pope. Next were the signifcant Washington, D.C., fashion editors—such as Eleni Epstein, Nina Hyde of the Washington Post, and Dorothy LeSueur of the Washington Post. (The signifcance of these women was reinforced by their roles in the 1968 White House Fashion Show.) In terms of fnd- ing and recognizing fashion editors across the country, the fles of the fashion winners of the Penney-Missouri Awards were examined. These awards were the top prizes for women journalists in the 1960s. More names were culled from stories written by fashion editors, who often would mention their fellow editors from other newspapers in stories about fashion show coverage. Another resource was Annie Lee Singletary’s book about covering fashion, which included the names of numerous fashion editors. Finally, Boston fashion editor Marian Christy wrote a book about her years as a fashion reporter that was invaluable. (She went on to be known for her celebrity interviews.) The goal was to provide as much information about these women as possible but it was not always easy. Some seemingly signifcant fashion edi- tors did not leave much of a trail. For example, fashion editor Madeleine Corey, of the Providence Journal-Bulletin, regularly covered fashion shows and wrote fashion columns. Yet, it was diffcult to fnd much material about the Rhode Island fashion editor. Corey’s name was mentioned often in news stories about covering fashion shows but there was not much more in the historical record. There are few clips available, for example. Luckily, her state’s journalism hall of fame provided details about her career. She was described as famous for her fancy hats and fur coats as for her ability to skewer poor clothing trends. Corey’s former editor, Ted Holmberg, who worked with her for 20 years said: “She always wore hats. I don’t remember ever seeing her without one. She had a great sense of humor about herself. She took the proper things seriously, and didn’t let the rest of it bother her.”3 x PREFACE In addition, there is little available about Penney-Missouri Award- winner Vivian Kawatzy of the Milwaukee Sentinel who covered important fashion news. Only a few articles were available—but no obituary that would list important details about her life. There were a few letters that she wrote in the Penney-Missouri Award papers that provided some understanding of her career. In many ways she represents the important women in journalism fashion who have not become part of the histori- cal record. MATERIALS Most helpful in discovering the work of newspaper fashion editors were the Penney-Missouri Award papers available at the National Women and Media Collection (NWMC) in Missouri.