History and High Heels: The Oldsmobile & Classic Style

This day in 2004 was the date when the last Oldsmobile came off of the line at the Lansing, MI plant. For 106 years, Americans were able to enjoy the timeless automobiles manufactured under the name Oldsmobile, after its creator Ransom E. Olds (1864-1950). In 1897, Olds was just a simple engine maker from Ohio who came up with a brilliant idea to start his own car production company. By 1901, this company was known as Olds Motor Works and he sold 400 of the Curved Dash Oldsmobile (seen below) in the first year. His company boomed with sales as demand increased for horseless carriages. In 1908 his brand was brought under the GM umbrella and became a top-seller for the corporation. Throughout the mid-1900s, Oldsmobile became geared towards middle-class families with a classic design for reasonable prices. However, in 1980s sales began to wane away from their traditional design and finally in 2004 the company announced they would be producing their last batch of cars. By the time that final Oldsmobile rolled off of the line, they had sold over 35 million automobiles to the public.
Facts from history.com

This weekend, I actually was discussing classic cars with a friend as we were driving through Leawood, Kansas. We had just spotted what looked like a 1950 Oldsmobile parked in a driveway and subsequently began wishing that modern brands would remake that classic style. There's just something that draws me to those clean lines, traditional style, bold colors, and chrome accents. As I was thinking about it, those very descriptors are easily able to be converted to my own style. Throughout my fashion journey so far, I have found that the best way to start a fashionable wardrobe is to begin with the basics. Picking pieces with simple, clean, tailored lines and traditional style that will work well from season to season is the way to go. It's from here that you can expand to bolder colors, frilled detailing, chrome accents, or other fun accessories. Yet, the basics of your wardrobe are like homebase. Return to them with regularity and you never will go wrong. Sometimes, it's good to pause and remember that classy never goes out of style.