About Nancy and fashion through the decades: First Appearance.

We remind you that in honor of the upcoming birthday of Nancy Drew, we will publish short articles and interesting facts from the past of the book series during the week.

Nancy Drew Through the Decades

The original fifty-six Nancy Drew books were published beginning in the 1930s and ending in the 1970s. Though Nancy herself is timeless, the world around her was ever changing.

1930s

With Eleanor Roosevelt leading the way for social reform and Amelia Earhart breaking aviation records, it was clear to Nancy that women could do whatever they set their minds to - including being a teenage sleuth!

Though they were venturing into areas of life previously open only to men, women were still mostly wearing skirts and dresses. They wore bias-cut belted dresses in flowing fabrics such as crepe and satin. Their hair was styled in soft waves close to the head, and they often wore hats tilted daringly to the side.

Nancy and her friends loved listening to the swing music of Benny Goodman & His Orchestra and other big bands. She and her pals knew how to do all the popular dances, such as the lively jitterbug, the Big Apple, and the fox-trot.

The movies of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were popular, but it comes as no surprise that Nancy was a big fan of films about good guys versus bad guys, such as The Public Enemy starring James Cagney.

When curling up with a good book, Nancy chose Agatha Christie mysteries or Dashiell Hammett detective stories.