This is another title that just tickles me pink. I do wonder if The Girl’s Own Paper was using it in the modern sense (as in ‘the child in all of us’ etc.) or that they meant ‘girls from 8-18’ or (worst of all) ‘anyone unmarried’. Whatever the case, I’d certainly wear some of these styles!
Styles for girls of all ages, Girl's Own Paper, Dec 1911
First some blouses for older girls:
I love that the one on the right is described as a 'severe style'!
The blouse patterns are all (according to the magazine) based on the same basic shirt pattern, and can be made in any fabric, though hand-embroidery is most effective on linen.
What is she looking at?
Then some littler girl’s clothes:
Fashionable indeed! That's quite a hat!
And a sailor frock for school girls (aren't those details scrumptious?)
And finally, a well fitted coat for someone of indeterminate girlishness:
The seaming over the belt = totally fabulous!
the picture of the “well- fitting” coat makes me want to sew it! it looks fairly straightforward to put together… although i’m thinking the simplicity is deceptive = )
I’m really thinking about that one myself. How would you do that seaming? Are they just decorative panels, so that the belt slips through them like loops? Or are they integral to the cut and fit of the coat? THAT would be tricky!
I think I have hat envy!
Aren’t they just fabulous? One of the things I really want to do this year is to spend more time making hats to go with outfits.
I think the sailor frock is a sweetie. I do like the way those bits come down over the pleats in the front. That would be a fiddly thing to make. Looks as if you make the pleated bit, then top-sew the upper bits (dags?) to the pleats, then trim back underneath and finish. No sign of a heavy pleat-line under the upper section. It would have to be a lightish material.
I think you are almost absolutely right. I suspect the pattern would be cut so that there wasn’t any under-trimming to do, both to save fiddlyness and fabric. At least that is how it is done in the few 1910s patterns I have seen with instructions.
These are so pretty!
Glad you like them. I hope I’ve given you lots of food for design though 🙂
Going through my (french) old fashion ppers, I noticed the term “fillette” (litterally little girl) used for girls up to 16. I’m under th eimpression you stayed a “girl” until you entered the world and were sort of “available” for mariatl purposes. Maybe not married, but ready to consider courting and engagement.
Interesting how long they use little girl. Based on the way ‘girl’ is used books of this period I think even girls who were courting were called ‘girls’. Maybe it was up until marriage?
I just looked it up at Le Grand Robert, and it says translated ‘a girl 11-14.’ Then, it says something swell, and something our 13-year-old selves can all relate to: ‘une jeune fille peu-formee.’ Hahahahaha!
My red holiday coat as seaming over the belt. It looks really polished on–until you sit down!