Fashion in the Weber books

Fashion in the Weber books
Lenora Mattingly Weber was wonderful at describing clothes, from the classic black-and-white look of Jennifer Reed to the more flamboyant outfits worn by Dulcie to the infamous sweater that Adair painted for Beany. Here we'll discuss some of the more creative outfits and the possible meanings behind them.

Beany

Mary Fred

Elizabeth

Dulcie

Kay

Miggs

Sheila McBride
Sheila McBride's weight was a major (and weirdly handled) topic in "Leave It to Beany," so her clothes were discussed in that same awkward way.

Here's an example of Beany being pretty fashion judgey on poor Sheila:

"Anyone so short and stocky should never wear a dress which fitted snugly and with a drape effect at the side. The dress was blue (basement blue, Mary Fred always called that shade of bright, deep blue). And the boxy, short coat over the dress should have been worn with a pencil-slim skirt. But it was her hair, her black hair done up in a mass of little sausage curls, that made Beany sum her up and dismiss her as gruesome.' "

And one more example:"'Beany fought desperately to recover her poise, to re-shift her mental images. But each look made her heart sink deeper. It wasn't only the blue dress (But oh, those blue glass earrings!) Maybe Uncle Matthew had bought her that dress, thinking sequins were pretty.(But oh, those sausage curls!) Yes, maybe some clerk had sold Uncle Matthew that dress and Sheila hadn't wanted to hurt his feelings (But oh, those wabbly, spike-heeled pumps!)'"

Cynthia Hobbs
Cynthia Hobbs accompanied Beany and the Miss Opal crew to California in "Beany and the Beckoning Road." Beany is originally quite jealous of Cynthia with regards to Norbett, so notices her fashion with a keen and jealous eye."'Cynthia wasn't wearing a white sunback dress now with gold belt and sandals, but a full, green cotton skirt with pockets as big as mail pouches, with a matching crew shirt with diagonal stripes of rose, lavender and the apple green of the skirt. Her sandals, Beany noted, had the same pastel shades, and part of Beany's mind was thinking irrelevantly, I can never match thngs that perfectly. But then, I don't shop at exclusive stores.'"