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Anyone remember fibre glass curtains?

(32 Posts)
polomint Sun 21-Jul-24 17:23:33

I put on a new pair of gardening gloves today and when I took them off my hands were tingling. It put me in mind of how my hands felt when I touched my fibre glass curtains many years ago. They were in fashion in the 1970s I think. I had a pair in my bedroom and also my living room

Astitchintime Sun 21-Jul-24 17:50:15

I certainly do polomint and dreadful things they were too. Whoever thought they were a good idea never had to shorten the wretched things! Mum never bought any for our house but I do recall being asked to alter several pairs for the neighbours who thought they were the best thing since sliced bread.

Urmstongran Sun 21-Jul-24 18:06:51

My mum used to have 2 pairs in the mid 60’s for ‘summer’. She’d take them down and wash them in sudsy water in the bath where, because she, my dad and family and friends ALL SMOKED in the house, the bath water would turn brown.

Goodness only knows what our lungs were like …

Lomo123 Sun 21-Jul-24 18:27:05

Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about them. My late Mil used to have them and insist on giving me her old ones. They had the strangest feeling.

polomint Sun 21-Jul-24 18:33:05

I thought they were the bees knees at the time! How foolish we are when we look back at what we thought was fashionable

rafichagran Sun 21-Jul-24 18:36:37

I have never heard of them,anyone got a photo they don't mind sharing, I just can't picture them in my mind.

Urmstongran Sun 21-Jul-24 18:42:06

Google them?

rafichagran Sun 21-Jul-24 18:49:18

Urmstongran

Google them?

Yeah could do, just wanted to see some 70's one's in situ.

Granmarderby10 Sun 21-Jul-24 18:51:13

Seem to recall some horrid orange ones in somebody’s house, just why!🤮 what we’re their virtues?

JamesandJon33 Sun 21-Jul-24 19:14:33

I seem to remember them Didn’t they fray if cut . Though I am sure I never had them. I would have disliked the feel

lemsip Sun 21-Jul-24 19:18:33

yes I had fibre glass curtains in my new house back in 1970. They were beautiful, off white with occasional roses on them.
back in the day they were fashionable.

lemsip Sun 21-Jul-24 19:24:21

just like any curtains,

Visgir1 Sun 21-Jul-24 19:43:42

I didn't but I do now.
Shiny things if I remember correctly? I can't remember if my Mum had them or other family members?
I agree what was the point of them being made in fiber glass?

DanniRae Mon 22-Jul-24 06:58:15

I thought they were ok at the time. Not sure what the benefits were except I don't think they needed ironing. Thinking about it I remember they always seemed to be a sort of a dreary floral design or mine were hmm

lemsip Mon 22-Jul-24 07:20:56

I wouldn't have bought 'dreary' ones . why would you?

NotSpaghetti Mon 22-Jul-24 07:34:58

Yes. They were shiny rafichagran like a shiny sateen or satin. Not soft but not "crunchy". Some of the modern polyester curtains look just like them now I think of it.

Grannynannywanny Mon 22-Jul-24 09:15:30

Just recently I was browsing on Debenham’s website at girls dresses. The appearance of this dress fabric reminded me of my Mum’s fibre glass curtains in the early 70s. We had them on all 3 bedroom windows . They had a peculiar puffy appearance and hung rather like this dress. I remember I disliked the feel of them.

mae13 Mon 22-Jul-24 09:27:30

Fibre glass fabric - very efficient at causing all manner of skin problems. Nasty stuff. Back at school our class built a fibre glass dinghy from a kit. We all came out in a painful yellow rash - bloody awful memories!

keepingquiet Mon 22-Jul-24 09:32:21

Oh yes! They had a unique look and feel- quite horrible really, and cheap. Maybe this explains my fixation with having good quality curtains now!

vintage1950 Mon 22-Jul-24 09:36:24

Yes, I do remember. They were heavy and stiff. Perhaps that was the selling point.

MissInterpreted Mon 22-Jul-24 09:51:35

I'm sure my mum had some, a horrible flowery design, I think - but I can't remember what they felt like to touch.

NfkDumpling Mon 22-Jul-24 10:16:52

We had some awful ones in orange, brown and creamy yellow. geometric design and the latest fashion. Horrible they were. But they didn't fade in the sun!

NotSpaghetti Mon 22-Jul-24 12:47:30

I helped build a friend's canoe out of fibreglass but we had to wear gloves, do it outside and wear a mask for sanding.

midgey Mon 22-Jul-24 15:25:13

My old neighbour still has his mother’s fibre glass curtains in place!

Whiff Tue 23-Jul-24 01:17:06

That's a blast from the past those curtains and bri nylon sheets both vile things now . But the height of fashion then.