Photo scanned from LOOK. Original caption: Seen through the glass walls of MGM director Chuck Walters' house at Palm Springs: a girl in velvet lounging knickers, topped by a striped shirt.

I love documenting the evolution of tomboy style on this blog with little bits of history here and there—and while I wish it was all about horse riding and mountain climbing—the style took shape in less adventurous and exotic measures as well. I picked up a 1956 issue of LOOK Magazine over the weekend and turned to an article titled Glamour for showcase living. The idea being that with the advent of contemporary architecture, housewives were now "on public view" with those large open window panes popular in modernism. There was a new need for house pants that were comfortable and looked sharp.

"For life in the goldfish bowl, lounging pants are ideal. Spectacular, varied and comfortable, these pants—all designed in California—are a fashion ally of the picture window and the glass wall. Girls who take shelter behind opaque walls will look smart in them too." —LOOK Magazine, October 15, 1956.

We can't judge too harshly though, loungewear of the 21st century basically starts with an S and ends with a nuggie.