Prescription Wiglets, West Covina, CA, 1967
The optimistic, billboard scale signage marking a prescription drug counter is an unexpected backdrop of a wig bar in a big box discount retail store. A beautiful, bewigletted wigtender (if those aren’t words they are now!) stands by ready for the lovely ladies who may wander by the wigbar and want to try one on for size.
Behind her, a big pastel-buttoned cash register divides a sloppy selection of the styles of the day displayed under plastic and uncombed on skin-tone wig heads stenciled with blue eye shadowed blank stares and pale pink lips. Piled beside her across the counter divide are “100% human hair ‘moderate’ wiglets” just waiting to be styled, crowned and bobby pinned high atop the head of every hair hopper in town. The wiglets are bargain priced at $6.88. I’m not sure “moderate” refers to the price, size or quality.
Wiglets make me think of Bob’s Big Boy waitresses. During my teenage years in the late 70s my friends and I often hung out at the local Bob’s in my hometown of Ontario, CA. The waitresses that served up those delicious triple-decker combo platters and chocolate shakes in silver goblets all wore wiglets. It was the Farrah era long after the late 60s heyday of wiglets had passed. We always wondered why they were all so out of style.
Finally, one day I just had to find out so I politely asked, “Why do you all wear wiglets?” She said it was because the Bob’s Big Boy employee handbook clearly stated that no hair could touch the collar of their uniform and the easiest way was to remedy that was to pin it up under a wiglet. Well, that’s explains everything. God forbid one of those waitresses should drag their fashionable Farrah-do over a sesame seed bun, through the french fries and into Bob’s own blue cheese dressing drowning that lillte iceberg lettuce salad! That would be as terrible as their wiglets were wonderful!
Here’s to all those prescribed wiglet wearing waitresses and YOU!
I never knew that about Bob’s Big Boy. As always, your slides are a wonderful window back in time.
I love your slides. In the wiglet slide you can almost smell the Lysol and mothballs. Thank you for sharing.
My mouth dropped open when I saw this week’s slide, it’s so beautiful. I can so feel that place.
I was also a teen in the late 70′s; I didn’t hang out at Big Boy; I was a Big Boy waitress – with Farrah hair, which had to be pony tailed and pinned up. I’m not commenting on the panty bit.
It was my only waitressing experience, and it ended abruptly when I marched in one Saturday and told the manager I quit. When she said “you can’t do that!” I said “watch me” and I threw my balled up Big Boy uniform at her.
They had what they called Fanny Fabric service – when the fanny hit the fabric, you needed to be at the table in 30 seconds, with water, silverware and menus. Some people are not made for food service, and I’m one of them.
No wigs in my Big Boy tale, sorry.
My 84 year-old mother, Mary, STILL HAS and ZEALOUSLY GUARDS her “wiglet” & “WIGLET-HOLDER”.
The creepy looking “wiglet-holder” with its’ “as fake & plastic as Aunt Barbara’s face” with SOLID BALSA WOOD SKULL (to PIN THE WIGLET TO) – - – Still makes me shudder!
I was a short cook at Bob’s Big Boy in Fullerton in the early 80′s as a teen. There were wiglets but I will not comment on the panties.
I love this one! Outstanding! Probably somebody taking a photo of her friend or daughter who worked the counter, or a store manager getting a shot of the display. It’s just not a photo most people would think to take, which is one of the things that makes it unusual, besides that Charles-Phoenix-time-capsule quality. I love it.
Not only were wiglets required, but I heard they also had to wear clean panties. How they checked for that is anyone’s guess.
MMMMMMMM and iceberg salads too!
What a wonderful time we live in.
This slide reminds me of a favorite family photo from my childhood where my mom, at least 2 aunts and a cousin all sporting wiglets watched as the gift opening frenzy ensued on Christmas Day. Too bad it’s not a slide – I’d send it to you!
Bob’s Big Boy and those fabulous wiglets – whether achieved with an updo or an actual wiglet were all the talk amongst my lady friends. If the Big Boy wasn’t enough of a reason to go to Bob’s, then surely the unplanned “bad hair” displays would do the trick. I guess all we have to look forward to these days is the unplanned-for mullet sighting. (I still remember the Father & Son with matching mullets several years back). Truly a sight to behold-!