LFLB History Museum

Irene Castle was a household name long before she moved to Lake Forest. She and her husband Vernon Castle were famous ballroom dancers in the 1910s, lighting up Broadway and appearing in silent movies. Women across the country mimicked Irene Castle’s “bob” hairstyle, held in place by a “Castle Band.” Her fashion trends gave rise to the flappers of the 1920s.

Irene Foote (1893-1969) and Vernon Castle (born Vernon Blyth) married in 1910 and took society by storm as dance team. They popularized the foxtrot and tango, as well as dancing to ragtime and jazz rhythms.

In 1914, Irene Castle had to have her appendix out. Though long hair was the norm, she decided to cut hers short so it was easier to take care of in the hospital. Before it had grown back, a friend convinced her to go out in public for a dinner, so she put a necklace across her forehead to keep her hair in place. That hairstyle, known as a bob, became very popular, and the bands called “Castle Bands.”

Image from Castles in the Air, by Irene Castle.

After Vernon Castle died in a World War I plane crash, Irene married Frederic McLaughlin of Lake Forest, renowned polo player and coffee executive. By the 1930s, the McLaughlins resided on Old Mill Road with their two children.

In World War I, Frederic McLaughlin served as a major with the Blackhawk Division. In 1926, he became the first owner of the Chicago Blackhawks hockey franchise. His wife Irene was credited with designing the team’s first sweater.

Irene and Frederic McLaughlin at the East-West polo match in 1933. Image from Castles in the Air, by Irene Castle.

While living in Lake Forest in 1928, Irene Castle McLaughlin and her friend Helen Swift founded Orphans of the Storm, an animal shelter and adoption center initially located in Deerfield. The shelter celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2018.

Her ardent love of animals had long roots. In her dancing days, she was known for touring the world with her pets in tow.

Irene Castle: The Flapper Philanthropist