All posts filed under: 20th Century

Bathing beauties of 1906 from the Girls Own Paper

Are you thinking ahead to the ‘By the Sea’ challenge for the Historical Sew Fortnightly? I certainly am! I’d love to make a full, ridiculous, Edwardian or Victorian bathing costume, or a Regency chemise for sea bathing at Bath or Brighton, but I feel I ought to make something late ’20s or early ’30s, because it’s been on my to-do list for over a year (for two Art Deco Weekends), and (more importantly) I already have the fabric. So I should probably be good, and do that, and save the super silliness for later. But, oh, the temptation! My desire for silly turn-of-the-century bathers is further fueled by this delight from the collection of 1906 Girls Own Papers I just bought. Look at these bathing belles: Aren’t those bathing frocks fabulous? I’m particularly taken with the model who is bending over to adjust her hem. I love the petal sleeves, and the simpler, shaped rather than gathered, skirt. The spotty kerchief is pretty cute too. And the images are fantastically detailed. The lone maiden with …

What your well dressed domestic staff should wear, 1906

Published by The Dreamstress

I recently acquired a large collection of loose sheets from the Girl’s Own Paper from 1906 and 1907 (Pre-Flora Klickmann era). I think I actually have full issues – I just need to sort them. In the meantime I’ve been having fun with the fashion drawings. This illustration on what your household staff should wear is particularly timely for this fortnight’s HSF Peasants and Pioneers challenge. Here is a closer look: I love the cook’s linen dress, and the parlourmaid’s white batiste apron (very doable, and both aprons are relatively usable in a modern sense). I also love the idea of a magazine giving fashion advice for the what the well dressed maid should wear!

Dressing Deco in modern clothes

Published by The Dreamstress

As you may expect, I sewed most of my Art Deco Weekend wardrobe, but one thing I really wanted to do this year was to show that it is possible to wear amazing outfits that really capture the spirit of the early ’30s even if you can’t sew, and don’t have the budget for real vintage pieces.* So I put together a quick little ’30s inspired outfit with items from my wardrobe and thrift shops. I looked at a number of ’30s images for reference, particularly those of backless 1930s outfits. The emphasis on the shoulders and back is such a characteristic of early-mid ’30s fashion, and it’s something you see both in beachwear and in evening wear (also, I rather like my shoulders). I was hoping my outfit would capture both the glamour of the evening dresses, and the effortless casual elegance of the daywear. I was also inspired by 1930’s colour: rich but muted dark pastels. The end result? I’m rather pleased! The parasols are both from an oriental shop, the hat is …