Fashion

Sweaters and Knits Elevated
(Holiday, 1952)

The new women’s sweaters will probably disappoint collectors of pin-up art. They are designed, oddly enough, to appeal to women – the women of taste and discrimination who will wear them.

Nose-Bobbing
(Click Magazine, 1938)

In the parlance of today it is politely called Rhinoplasty but back in the day, the verb bob was in use – which meant to cut short and no matter what you call the procedure, you’ll see that the gent pictured in this photo-essay needed a nose-job PRONTO!

The Invention of Rayon
(Literary Digest, 1937)

This magazine article reported on the Miracle Fabric of the 1930s: rayon – and rayon cannot be deleted from any study dealing with Thirties fashion any more than the word polyester can be separated from a discussion of 1970s fashion. The article presents a history of the fabric but makes it quite clear that the fabric was immediately embraced by all the fashion houses at that time.


Read about the 1930s revival of velvet.

Click here to read about feminine conversations overheard in the best New York bathrooms of 1937.

Goodbye to the Pompadour
(Click Magazine, 1944)

A late-breaking news report from the fashion editors at Click Magazine announced that the pompadour hairstyle has been given the brush-off: grab your combs, girls, because parts are back in style…

During the Second World War, hair dye was not simply used by women;click here to read about the men who needed it.

Flapper Poesy
(Literary Digest, 1922)

More juvenile flapper verses revealing that the flapper is as old as history itself – and far more meddlesome than her male counterpart.

Click here to read a FLAPPER MAGAZINE review of an anti-flapper movie.


Click here to read an article about the demise of a popular 1940s hairstyle.

Japan’s Rebellion Against Western Fashions
(Current Opinion Magazine, 1922)

Contrary to the headline written above, this interesting article does not simply discuss the (temporary) Japanese rejection of European and American clothing in the Twenties but also touches upon earlier days when Western styles were fully embraced by the nobility of that country.

There is in Japan a growing revolt against European clothing…The Japanese have endured agonies in their efforts to get our hats, our trousers, our corsets…

Japan’s Rebellion Against Western Fashions
(Current Opinion Magazine, 1922)

Contrary to the headline written above, this interesting article does not simply discuss the (temporary) Japanese rejection of European and American clothing in the Twenties but also touches upon earlier days when Western styles were fully embraced by the nobility of that country.

There is in Japan a growing revolt against European clothing…The Japanese have endured agonies in their efforts to get our hats, our trousers, our corsets…

Campus Fashions for Autumn
(The Diamondback, 1949)

Designing women are working toward the return of the chemise dress, the raccoon coat, the slicker rain coat, the ankle bracelet, multiple chains of beads, etc. Anything they have forgotten, your imagination may safely supply.

Important in high fashion this year are the scissors skirt, long and impossibly tight, the winged collar, featuring a neckline that juts off at a terrific angle, the bat collared suit – which looks more like a cartwheel than a costume. One can happily assume that these creations will never take on the campus…. Safer predictions are that the campus co-ed will take to tweed suits, especially those trimmed in velvet…

The Short Hair of the Late Forties
(The Diamondback, 1949)

The shingle cut, the feather trim, the French Scissors cut or the cherub cut – no matter which you choose – a short hairstyle flatters your face…. When the American college girl first began to clip her long tresses, the general reaction was one of general horror. Now that the surprise has worn off, the various advantages of short hair become apparent: trim locks are cool, easy to take care of, smart looking and stylish.

The Dress-Reform Movement and Male Attire
(Literary Digest, 1929)

A few short paragraphs from a late-Twenties issue of Literary Digest recalled the terribly unproductive plans of the short-lived dress-reform movement and the frustrating nature of the human male in most matters sartorial:

The male is a shy creature, and has always been particularly fearful of appearing conspicuous…


Click here to read an editorial about the need for reform in men’s attire.

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