Maybellines "It Girl" Clara Bow unleashes the excitement of the Roaring 20's.

Between 1922 and 1929, Clara Bow's vitality and sexiness defined the liberated woman of the 1920s. Clara Bow (1906-1965) became one of Hollywood's brightest lights during this time. Click highlighted words to see and read more about Clara Bow. 

'The "It" Girl'.  "It" symbolized the tremendous progress women were making in society. 

 

Maybelline in 1922 came out with their own "It Girl" with an illustration of Clara Bow and coining the slogan "Eyes that Charm!  This ad influenced liberated young girls to take up the challenge of the 1920's and recreate the image of Women by wearing eye-makeup on the street. 
 
No three sisters were more influenced by the "It Factor" then my grandmother Evelyn and her sisters Verona and Bunny.
 

My great aunt Bunny at 18 in 1921 made a statement with this picture as she blatantly flaunted her acceptance of wearing makeup in broad daylight after bobbing her hair, raising the hem of her dress and rolling up her stockings.
 

Bunny in black silk

Bunny with rolled up stockings.

 Clara Bow brought an excitement to the screen and girls went bonkers taking on the spirit of the Roaring 20's.  Evelyn and her sisters were no exception and jumped on the Band Wagon right from the start.

The three sisters, Evelyn, Verona and Bunny in short black silk dresses and fully made up eyes were the torch bearers of their generation.  City girls, born in Chicago, educated as well as talented musicians and dancers they turned heads as they walked down the street or cruised in their daddy's flashy convertible.  The Boecher Girls were definitely influenced by Clara Bow and considered themselves having "It" as well!

Tribute to Clara Bow: The Pointer Sisters sing I Get So Excited  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rKPshnd_J8

Read more about the It Girl Clara Bow and the Boecher sisters in The Maybelline Story.

Check out this post I did on Clara Bow.

http://www.maybellinebook.com/2012/09/it-girl-clara-bow-passed-away-47-years.html

Vintage Maybelline Marcel Wave,

My grandmother, Evelyn, and her two sisters, Verona and Bunny, spent their whole lives decked-out from head to toe and learned the art of finger waving a Marcel Wave, in 1927.

Having the right tools, a lot of gel and strong fingers were the secret to having the perfect, Marcel Wave.

My great aunt Verona and Bunny were experts at finger waving each other's hair, into ideal Marcel Waves. 

Bunny, the youngest of the sisters, was a spitfire, with a personality that jumped right off the page, and

 was always head of the curve, when it came to

the latest fashion craze

Here are the three girls in 1929, all Maybellined up, with Marcel waves, and chic little hats, going to lunch at

 The Italian Village, a new restaurant that just opened

 in Chicago, in 1927.

Keeping up a fashionable appearance took a great deal of time and energy, not to mention expense, but for City Girls, it was second nature.  I grew up with my grandmother, Evelyn, (Nana,) teaching me to pin curl my hair when I was 6 years old.  I remember her scolding me when I complained, about how hard it was.  She'd say "It hurts to be beautiful darling."  I suppose she was right.  It was worth it to be beautiful, as I look back now. 

Here's Verona and Bunny walking State Street in Chicago, shopping for more, more, more fabulous shoes, hats, coats, dresses and of course Maybelline, as they head into the 1930's.