Figure 1.--Here we see a "Ladies Home Journal" 1915 paper doll cut out. It was the monthly feature in what the magazine call the children's page. They were not always paper dolls, but this was a popular item. Apparently they were built around the various members of Betty Bonnets's family. I'm not certain just how accurate they are historically, but some appear to be reasonably historical for 1915, with one exception--the hosiery. |
Here we see a Ladies Home Journal 1915 paper doll cut out. It was the monthly feature in what the magazine call the children's page. They were not always paper dolls, but this was a popular item. Apparently they were built around the various members of Betty Bonnets's family. The boy depicted in 1915 was brother Bob. Notice it was done in black and white. Color printingwas still expensive.
As the oldest still publishing, most respected women's service magazine in the country, The Ladies' Home Journal has always focused on issues of crucial importance to millions of women. Since its first issue in December 1883. This long history make The Ladies Home Journal and invaluable source of information on American fashion trends. Its covered an incredibly wide range of topics beyond just fashion, from the latest medical research and consumer news to parenting know-how, workplace survival, good skincare, nutrition facts and much, much more. It was The Ladies Home Journal who sucessfully merged the elements and produced the right formula, becoming the top ladies magazine in America. The Ladies' Home Journal both empowered women and applauded their growing power. We also notice patterns offered in the magazine.
The Ladies' Home Journal had a monthly feature in what the magazine called the children's page. They were not always paper dolls, but this was a popular item. Apparently they were built around the various members of Betty Bonnets's family.
This was a series of paper-doll cutouts with changes of clothing in the 1910s. Most of these were figures of girls, but they occasionally included boys' clothes also.
Here is an interesting example of a boy paoer doll that appeared in the Ladies' Home Journal (November, 1915, p. 26) entitled "Betty Bonnet's Brother
Bob." The undressed figure of Bob at the center shows a boy of about
11 or 12 wearing only a sleeveless black outfit which I think is meantt to be a swim suit. He wears black ankle socks.
The base image for paper dolls commonly showed the character in underwear. We do not know a lot about paper dolls yet, but this seems to have been a common convention. This is interesting because standards of modesty were much higher in the late 19th and early 20th century than is the case tody. Of course period underwear was commonly more modest than many modern summer outfits. And of course underwear was commonly depicted in mail order catalogs. We are not sure why brother Bob is shown in a swim suit.
The base figure was normally done in underwear so that the various costumes with flaps can be superimposed on the least-clothed base figure.
The various costumes provided for brother are interesting. I'm not certain just
how accurate they are historically, but some appear to be reasonably historical for 1915, with one exception--the hosiery. Eight different outfits are presented so that children can cut out the figure and the various costumes. The costumes vary from dress-up clothes to sports costumes.
At the top left we have Bob's regular school clothes--a dark
above-the-knee knicker suit. Notice that Bob in this presentation has
bare legs with only black ankle socks, which is almost certainly
incorrect for a boy of his age, who would almost certainly have worn
black long stockings, especially at school. I have never noted in the 1910s photographic record boys wearing ankle socks with kniker suits at school.
The light-colored play suit slightly to the right consists of only a short-sleeved shirt and knickers--again with bare legs and the same black ankle socks. This is possible, but we think long stockings even for play were more likely. Actually many biys in the south might play in barefeet, especilly in the south or rural areas. This might actually had been as common as ankle socks. At least we note few examples in the photographic record of boys wearing nickers with ankles socks during the 1910s.
The costume to the extreme right in the top row shows a semi-historical dress-up costume. It consists of an apparently satin Faunterloy suit with elaborate lace
collar, a wide sash around the waist, knee pants, and white long stockings. Bob also appears to be wearing some sort of fancy shoes with bow decorations. He is carrying flowers in one hand (as though he were a flower boy or page in a wedding) and a three-cornered hat in the other hand as though he were representing an 18th-century gentleman. Notice also what looks like either a white wig or perhaps some sort of
alternative collar. The artist in this case seems to have made Bob's dress-up costume for some ceremonial event a mixture of 18th-century boys' dress and a Faunterloy suit (a totally unhistorical combination). Few boyswould have had a costume like this, unlike some of the other outfits which were common.
In the second row, Bob wears a long-trousers white sailor suit with short sleeves and a dickey. Note that here he is carrying a toy boat. A Sailor hat is provided at the lower left.
In the bottom row, at extreme left, Bob wears a riding outfit that consists of a
Norfolk-styled jacket with shirt and tie, breeches, and riding boots.
He carries a riding crop in his hand. This is another outfit only a chikld from a wealthy family would have.
Next comes a tennis outfit with dark sweater and what looks like white knickers. Using the base image he would be wearing black ankle socks. Ankle socks are possible for tenis, but black ones seem unlikely.
The third outfit in the bottom row shows Bob dressed up for winter wear wearing a boy's overcoat over a formal suit with either knickers or knee pants and black long stockings and hightop shoes. This outfit seems quite accurate historically for a boy in 1915. The suitcase at bottom would seem to go with Bob's
travelling outfit--the one with the overcoat. Well to do boys at the time hd overcoats not heavy jackets for formal occassions.Or perhaps it suggested that he attended a boarding school.
The final outfit to the right is another sports costume, showing Bob
dressed for hockey. Here he wears a heavy coat-type sweater with a
shawl collar, black above-the-knee- knickers, and black long stockings.
Actually, boys dressed for hockey in 1915 would probably have worn
short pants over long stockings rather than knickers, but Bob may not
be wearing a team uniform so much as just wearing outdoor play clothing
for a pick-up game.
Notice that various hats are provided for almost every costume. In 1915 no boy was considered completely dressed for the outdoors withous some sort of headgear.
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