Last night I was strolling thru Etsy trying to do some shopping for VIVA and I stumbled upon this amazing item for sale…
Rock ‘n’ Roll Pins
“Everybody’s wearing them…everywhere! Necklines, on pockets, on lapels, on belts and on socks”
Now it’s not the clothes pins that amuse me (seen those a million times), it’s what the Rock n Roll pins suggest you do with them. You can wear them on your neckline, socks, lapel or wherever you deem fit. Clothing Pins as Clothing Accessories! Interesting, I have never heard of this trend or even seen it in pictures till now. In fact, my extensive research into wanting to learn more had me come up empty. No information on this anywhere.
February 2025 Update:
First up here a friend of mine found actual tiny clothing pins with fun mid-century advertising design (love the atomic look) and passed them onto me. Aren’t they adorable?
Secondly, I heard from a reader who shed some light on these pins. Here is what she said…
” Hi! it was an early rockabilly trend in the late fifties. It is mentioned in Rita Mae Brown’s novel Rubyfruit Jungle. This extract describes a junior high school in 1958 or so. “I didn’t mix with anybody. I knew I wasn’t rich but then I wasn’t walking around with little plastic clothespins on my collar like all the red-neck girls either.”
What’s interesting is that it was an affordable fashion statement, hence available to “poor” kids at the time. The boys are described as wearing ducktail hairstyles, and denim jackets adorned with bloody eyeballs drawings.”
HOW INTERESTING! Thank you!
QUESTION TIME: So I’m throwing this out to you all-wise and awesome vintage friends, can you tell me more? Or will this forever just be a cool trend that will remain a mystery till the end of time? Share in the comments section below.
Liz 🙂
FURTHER READING: Vintage Fashions 1920s – 1960s (Archived Blog Posts)
Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay, are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
