Classic Endorsement: Jean Shrimpton in 1967 for Lambretta Scooters

Lambretta Scooter 1967 and Jean Shrimpton

(Originally published for Vintage Fashion at The Examiner.)

Italian motor scooters Lambretta (by Innocenti) were a popular alternative to the Vespa, also Italian, in the 1950s and 1960s. The ideas and principles that guided what the Lambretta would become were originally conceived in the pre-WWII era.

Lambretta 1967 Calendar
Gennaio/Febbraio|January/February

The scooter was designed by Corradino D'Ascanio, who was hired by Innocenti to create a motorbike that could appeal to both men and women. D'Ascanio's solution was a vehicle with a 'pass-through leg area design' to allow women wearing dresses or skirts to ride.

Lambretta 1967 Calendar
Marzo/Aprile|March/April

By 1967, Lambretta hired Jean Shrimpton to pose for their calendar to memorable effect. Jean Shrimpton was known for her beautifully balanced features, her great poise, and for being the premiere representative of Swinging London and mod fashion.

Lambretta 1967 Calendar
Maggio/Giugno|May/June

Shrimpton was the right model to globally endorse the Lambretta as a sleek vehicle of choice for the youth and mod culture of 1967. Shrimpton's stature in the fashion world drew attention to the elegance and design of the Lambretta.

Lambretta 1967 Calendar
Luglio/Agosto|July/August

The Shrimp, as she had been monikered, was styled in miniskirts and colorful ensembles for the Lambretta calendar. She posed next to each scooter as if she and the scooter were modeling together. Again, this pointed to the beauty of the Lambretta itself. Shrimpton's beauty and relaxed poses were well in synch with the elements of fun, freedom, and functionality inherent in the use of motor scooters as a mode of transport.  

Lambretta 1967 Calendar
Settembre/Ottobre|September/October

Despite countless fashion shoots and magazine covers, the images of Jean Shrimpton posing with Lambretta scooters for their 1967 calendar remain some of her most iconic.

Lambretta 1967 Calendar
Novembre/Decembre|November/December

A Potentially Cruel Summer for Denim Overalls (a.k.a. Support Your Local Dungarees)

(Originally published for Vintage Fashion at The Examiner.)

Summer is quickly closing in on us. The first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere this year begins at 1:04 AM Eastern Time on June 21st. We're not quite there -- but at this time of year (the tail end of spring) it's especially difficult to hear Bananarama's 'Cruel Summer' without imagining hot summer days. And denim overalls.

The British trio filmed their iconic 'Cruel Summer' video in New York City in the summer of 1983. They filmed it in August, when it was over a hundred degrees. It was their first visit to NYC. People who've been in New York in August can attest that the humidity there can be cruel.

Summers are not as heated and oppressive in other parts of the U.S. In northern California -- specifically in foggy San Francisco -- summertime tends to be colder than spring. Therefore, summers in San Francisco can be considered somewhat cruel. Even natives have trouble accepting the strange climate in the city by the bay, despite being privy to it year after year.

The idea of wearing minimal clothing for three months is generally appealing, and what a 'cruel summer' is, in terms of climate, can largely depend on one's geographical location: is it cruel because it's too hot, or not hot at all?

This summer might also be a cruel one for denim overalls. An injustice of sorts has befallen the lowly overall, and here's why. Rompers have been a spring and summer staple for years, and denim overalls made a bold comeback more recently. This past winter, an almost overzealous case for denim overalls (for adult women) was being made around the globe.

In the UK, for example, denim overalls were already on sale in various shops by March. Citizens of Humanity denim overalls appeared (as worn by denim editor Kelly Connor) in Vogue's Jeanius series in April; Connor made a case for dressing hers up in order to be wearable and more grown up. Having received so much attention, and so early, denim overalls seem a little 'over' already. Otherwise, this would've surely been their summer.

All any pair of denim overalls asks of anyone is to be worn for a little fun, relaxation, or goofing around. Their origins are the opposite: denim overalls were work clothes. Manual work clothes, at that. So in the summertime, denim overalls long to be worn how Banarama wore them: like three rag dolls kicking, jumping, and slouchily skipping along -- after having been stuck in an oppressively hot city when everyone is away on holiday.

Meanwhile, willing participants in cooler climates feel the cruel irony of longing to wear those overalls the way they wish to be worn. Come June, July and August, remember: if you're able to wear a pair of dungarees just to kick back, you should. Loose-fitting overalls everywhere will appreciate the support.