Evander Childs High School - Oriole Yearbook (Bronx, NY)

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ENCORE The other night I had a dream. I was sitting in the Gvander auditorium all by myself, decked out in lull Senior regalia. Greai orange-and-black letters on the closed curtain spelled STYLE SHOW. On each side of the curtain, at the very edge of the shage, sat the Senior Celebrit ies, waiting. The curtain parted. Before me was the exact replica of the auditorium in which I was seated, crowded wivh children flaunting various elementary school gradua- tion pins marked ' 43. The scene changed. There were the youngsters again, proudly displaying their G.O. pins. You were Forced to use a microscope to see the pins that term. The saddle-shoed freshies obviously envied the black clad seniors. That was the year the potato sack sweater was in vogue. It was quite chic for a size nine ciirl to come to school in a size forty-two sweater. Boys also dressed a trifle oddly. Their trousers looked like long sleeved blouses with a chain hung on them. The fellows were modest, though, and de;nurely covered their l nees with long yel- low and purple plaid jackets. Remember the zoot-suit? Bow ties were the rage, especially the kind that, tucked under the jacket, would serve also as shoulder padding. So this scene came to a close. The Evander curtain parted again, and before me, my sophomore year unfolded. The children had grown! Fiendi ' :h chiders of freshies now, they wore loafers, minus heels, in place of the formerly loved saddle shoes. The high pompadour of the freshmen girls was replaced by the Flat top, the hair-do named for the Dick Tracy character. Girls carried the first issue of the Teen-aqs bible well concealed, for the teachers collected copies of Seven- teen instead of comic books. With a mighty wail for Frank Sinatra, (who nearly visited our school), the cur- tain rang down on our sophomore year.

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1 CLASS FAVORITES Favorite Favorite Favorite Favorite Favorite Favorite Favorite Favorite Favorite Favorite Favorite Favorite Stage Actor. Clifton Webb Stage Actress Helen Hayes Ingrid Bergman Movie Actor Gregory Peck Movie Actress Ingrid Bergman Playwright Eugene O ' Neill Play Born Yesterday Movie Play .Gone With The Wind Musical Comedy Oklahoma Opera Carmen Opera Star .Lily Pons Short Play Studied in School Emperor Jones The Valiant Long Play Studied in School Macbeth Z gVAKiBgB SUeeT SHOP

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I, the Evander Senior of January, 1947, still sat in the darkened auditorium viewing the changes in costume as the style show progressed. With our Junior year, the G.O. pins reached the mighty diameter of one inch, and we flaunted them on sweaters which had begun to fit. Our plaid skirts had innumerable pleats, and our bobby socks gave us the striven-for appearance of having elephants ' legs. Boys ' trousers looked like trousers again, and boys wore the heavy raincoats which we girls had thrown away when we adopted our sleek, shiny ones. Kerchiefs which now covered our heads were a startling white. From the front of them now peeped carefully cut and waved bangs. The boys ' finger-tip length jackets were replaced by long dark blue coats. The last half of our junior term introduced us to a new era of feminine styles. Bangs were still with us, but they were accompanied by psyche knots which in emer- gencies served as earmuffs. The bobby sock was no longer in fashion, and in its stead were stockings and ballet slip- pers. A few lucky ones wore nylons. NYLONS! Cap sleeves had come in. Belts appeared again. And I, the audience, softly sighed in remembrance as the scene ended. Our Senior year. . . . Straight bangs, and hair, free- flowing hair. Everything was worn tight; and girls once again looked like girls. Tight skirts with coquettish slits on sides or front. Sweaters tucked inside, and wide, wide, belts that cut us in half. Turtle-neck collars, and with them the well-named choker and the dog collar. Gold jewelry. Then our final term in September. We fashion trail-blazers received the tres, tres, chic orange-and-black senior cap, for which we had slaved . . . Boys wore suits again. Girls wore dresses instead of sweaters, pan-cake heels, make-up, belted coats, toppers, and the blimp- inspired, push-up sleeves. Then we shopped for our prom attire. Prom day arrived. Girls stayed home from school that day with sore throats and headaches — promitis. But that evening we were radiant. There were bustles and off-shoulder decolletes, and even gloves. We loved it! A week later we all tore our hair into queer messes, but we passed the Regents!