Figure 1.-- |
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The most obvious source of fashion and clothing information are of course fashion magazines. They are not, however, the only source of such information. Fashion asrticles are often carried in a wude variety of magazines and publications, including newspapers. In addition, a new publication genre appeared in the 19th century--the woman's magazine. These often include articles about fashion as well as child care--issues that often touched upon clothing issues. In some cases it is difficult to know how to classify some magazines.
Magazines are a unique part of the social history of any country. The first magazine was pyblished in America before the Revolution in 1741. The early magazines did not have long runs. The first examples usually lasted only a few months. The best known early publisher was Benjamin Franklin. Historians know of almost one hundred magazines addressing a wide range of issues and subjects which appeared during the 18th century. Few had any truly national following, in part because of the cost s of distribution. The first mass circulation magazines appeared in the later part of the 19th century. Some magazines achieved circulations of up to 750,000 subscriptions, especially in the general boom following the Civil War (1861-65). Magazines which initially targeted at people of means. Several factors led to the boom in magazine publishing after the Civil War, including: rising incomes, technical advances in publishing, lower postal rates, and advances in public education crearing more readers. The production of attractive, but inexpensive issues fueled rising subscription rates. The perfection og photolithography at the turn of the 20th century was an especially important development. With mass circulation, the content of magazines shifted from a concentarion on education and information to an increasing emphasis on entertainment. As with newspapers, higher circulation rates meant more revenue from advertising revenue. This allowed publishers to sell magazines for less than the cost of production, bringing prives down to a level virtually everyone could afford.
A number of American literary, phot-journalist, and other magazines offer helpful infotmation about contemporary boys clothing. The 19th century magzines were primarily literary magazines with fascinating drawings. Journalitic magazines began to appear in the 19th century when the technologu for publihing photographs helped add drama to the magaines. Some like the Saturday Evening Post combined literature and a journalism. Eventually Time, Life, and Look became mainstays of the American household.
Ladies magazines have been publishing the information of interest to women for the past two centuries with "sucessful formulas" that keep women reading. With increased subscriptions by the 1890's, the ladies magazine expanded the capacity for communication from
one community of ladies to all communities of ladies
throughout America. And, although they created this large audience they still maintained their "small town" attitude of community and caring in their writing. The early trendsetters in publishing have now evolved into the brilliant magazines of today like BUST, Bazaar, and Martha Stuart's Living. The magazines of the 1990s, however, have much less
about boys'clothes than the earlier magazines or even the magazines of a generation ago.
Apparently the modern woman is less interested in children's clothes.
This magazine was introduced in 1938 by Paul Rand and included collage covers, a unique photogrpahic approach that helped change the look of fashion cover design in the decades to follow.
We do not have a great deal of information about The Boys' Outfitter yet. We know they began publishing in 1919 after World War I. We do not know how long it was published. The first six issues of The Boys' Outfitter ran from September
1919 to February 1920. The magazine was Full of wonderful advertisements showing the latest boys' fashions, knicker suits, short pants, washable suits, norfolk suits, also blouses, hats and other accessories. There are also advertisements showing how boys' full-length stockings were held up with "suspender waists" for boys. (This was apparently the origin of the derisive term "pantywaist"). There were lots of articles about selling to boys (and mothers) and about the coming trends, what boys were wearing in England and France, store displays, etc. They were pushing the "new" short pants style. The magazine was full of illustrations and photographs.
No information available yet.
Parents' Magazine for its first few months was
published as Children, the Magazine for Parents. Especially in its early years it had frequent sections on fashion, including boys' fashion.
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The Delineator was founded and closely associated with Butterick Company--one of the most well known companies making home sewing patterns. According to Metropolitan Monthly [February 1874], the Butterick company
started printing patterns in 1865, issuing a Metropolitan Monthly as a
means of illustrating and advertising their patterns. In 1872 they started
publishing their Delineator to provide more scope in a larger publication
for there patterns with many more pictures in all categories and sizes. The Delineator achieved immediate popularity at a cost of 15 cents per issue
or a years subscription offered at $1.50 that included a choice of bonus patterns to a value of $1.00. Prices of individual patterns ranged from 20 cents to 40 cents with a deluxe version sometimes reaching $1.50. By 1883, the circulation was 155,000 copies per month, and 10 years later in 1893 it had reached the staggering number of 500,00. Circulation was worldwide, including 85 countries in such exotic and out of the way places as Ceylon, Chile, Hong Kong, Congo, Curacao, Fiji Islands, Siam, etc. In 1905 the Delineator was
still selling for 15 cents per copy, the same as 1872. According to the same
article Butterick was producing about 15,000 patterns a day, and sending them
out to all the places mentioned.' The Delineator was graphically reserved,
and used stylized representations of contemporary women. It was run by the inventors of the pattern and initiated the fusion of the sewing pattern and magazines. The Delineator, as with most fashion magazines, primarily focused on women's fashions. There was for the time, however, unprecented coverage of children's fashions--including boys' clothes. The magazine is the single most important source of information on late 19th and early 20th Century children's fashions.
Demorest's Monthly Magazine first appeared as Mme. Demorest's Mirror of Fashions. It was a beautifully decorated quarterlyand sold for 10 cents. It competed with Sarah Josepha Hale's Godey's Lady's Book. The magazine was founded my Nell Curtis, a milliner. Curtis had married Williams Jennings Demorest, a widower merchandiser in 1858. Hale with assistance from her black maid Kate, developed an innovative way to to cut and assemble dresses from patterns using thin paper. They received medals at a Philadelphia exhibition for the process. As a result, patterns were included in Demorest's from the beginning as a promtion to ordering such patterns by mail. This proved very popular and fashions designers were added to the staff to produce trendy fashions, often drawing on French styles. Curtlis was an eraly equal opportunity employer, hiring both black and white women at equal salaries. Complaints from clients were ignored. Curtlis in 1879 simplified the name of their magazine to Demorest's Family Magazine. I'm not sure when they ceased publication, but note an issue as late as 1896.
No information yet.
The concept of the ladies magazine was first developed in Ameica by Sara Josepha Hale, editor of Godey's Lady's Book. She has been referred to as the Òdoyenne of 19th century manners. From 1837 to 1877 she slowly, with gentle words, aimed to make-over the Victorian personality and pave the way for the modernization of women. As editor she set the first trend in ladies magazines by developing "departments" such as health and fashion, which became known as a "formula." Unfortunately Sara would not see the real efforts of her hard work after retiring in 1877 and then passing on. But her influence appears to have transformed the generation coming of age in the 1880's when girls were reported to have started batteling their way into colleges in large numbers. By then it was apparent that a "modern" woman in America had been born. She was riding bikes, playing tennis, going to college, and becoming doctors and writers. With all these new changes in women, magazines had a lot to report on. After Godey's fell, changes in technology developed new
formulas for magazines, and fashion played a large role in this with the invention of the sewing machine & the sewing pattern. Godey's devoted some attention to children's fashions and issues. While a relatively small part of the magazine. The relative rarity of photographic images in the early years of publication make Godey's an extremely valuable resource.
Good Housekeeping first appeared May 2, 1885. It was one of of several popular women's magazines established suring the 1880s and 1890s. The magazine provided information about running a home and raising children. This the modern Good Housekeeping conytinues today. The Good Housekeeping seal of approval was developed to assure housewives of a product's value. Letters from readers were an important facet. The early magazine, however, also included a broad range of literary offerings. Good Housekeeping was founded by journalist-businessman Clark W. Bryan in Holyoke, Massachusetts. The magazine moved to Springfield, but by 1911 the circulation was only 0.3 million. This changed when it was purchased by the William Randolph Hearst and moved to New York. The citculation was soon in the millions of copies. Many well known writers have contributed to Good Housekeeping, including Somerset Maugham, Edwin Markham, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Frances Parkinson Keyes, and Evelyn Waugh. Following the death of President Calvin Coolidge his widow, Grace Goodhue Coolidge, memorialized him in its pages. In an efforts to stay close to its audience, Good Housekeeping accepts articles by ordinary readers who are not professional writers. No one individual is more associated with Good Housekeeping than famed American children's illustrator Jesie Wilcox Smith. Over two decades, Good Housekeeping brought her work into millions of Americans homes every month (1917-33). In all she did more than 200 covers for the magazine.
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Harper has played an important role in American publishing since the early 19th century. Several different magazines have had the Harper's title. Harper's Magazine first appeared June 1850. It was founded by the important New York book-publishing firm Harper & Brothers. It was a immediate success. The first press run was only 7,500 copies. They quickly sold out. The publishers within 6 months were printing 50,000 copies for each issue. Harper's was founded as a literary magazine. When the magazine was founded, it mostly carried English literary work that had already been published. Harpers soon began to publish American matrial, bith art work and literary pieces. Contributors constitute a Who's Who of 19th century American letters, bothe authors and political figures. Contributors included Horatio Alger, Stephen A. Douglas, Theodore Dreiser, Horace Greeley, Winslow Homer, William Dean Howells Henry James, Jack London, John Muir, Frederic Remington, Booth Tarkington, and Mark Twain. The publishers created departments to report on different topics and issues of the day. Important new books were announced. Major accomplishments such as the first trans-Atlantic cable. Inventions were also noted and Thomas Edison was a popular figure. A major issue covered in detail was women's rights. Harper's was actually several different publications. The publisher next founded Harper's Weekly Magazine (1857). The publisher conceived it as a family newspaper. This was followed by Harper's Bazar. This was more of a fashion magazine. This magazine offered not only the latest fashions and patterns, but also literary work and cultural articles. The concept for the magazine was a German fashion Der Bazar The publishers promoted Harper's Bazar as a family publication. Publication commensed after the Civil War (1867).
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.
The Ladies' Monthly Review was publoshed by the The Butterick Publishing Company (Limited), in London amd New York. I'm not sure when they began publishing, but we note issues at least as eaely as 1894.
The Ladies' Standard Magazine was published by the Standard Fashion Company, New York and Chicago. We are not sure when they began publishing, but note issues as early as 1893.
McCalls has been a leading fashion and women's domestic magazine. It was founded in the 19th century, although I have only limited details. It was founded as The Queen about 1880. It was at first primarily to sell patterns. The title was changed to The Queen of Fashion. The tirle McCalls was adopted about 1897. McCalls did not become a major mass-market publication until the turn of the century. The circulation peaked at 6 million in 1960. The content varied over time, but fashion was always an important element. The magazine included the work of impotyant authors like Willa Cather, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gelett Burgess, Ray Bradbury, Jack Finney, Anne Tyler, Tim O'Brien, and many more. Two of the major editors were: Harry Payne Burton (1921–28) and Otis L. Wiese (1928–49). McCalls was a major company publishing home sewing patterns. McCalls because it published an important woman's magazine could easily market its home sewing patterns. We have found a few McCalls patterns from the early 20th century. An example is a tunic suit which McCalls calls a Russian suit. The patterns at the time cost 10-15 cents. Notice that there were outlets in New York, Chicago, San Franciso, and Toronto. The Toronto outlet shows how closely tied the American and Canadian economies were and helps explain similarities in American and Canadian fashions. A McCalls pattern published in 1908 is another example. We note that by 1916 that they were publishing a catalog of their patterns which appared to emphasize clothing for women and children. McCalls continues to be a major factor in the pattern and home sewing business. The McCalls webite for Spring 2002 reads, "McCalls introduces the newst designs in glamerous evening and bridal dressing. Browse through the McCalls website and you'll find a great selection of brightly colored children's and infant's wear, cozy sleepwear, fleece-wear, and women's/large sizes. You'll also find fun accesories, home decorating, crafts and even Renaissance costume patterns!"
I have been unable to find any details on Modern Pricilla. We do know that it was popular fashion magazine in the 1910s, but do not know when it was first published or how long that it was published.
No information available yet on the United States woman's magazine, New Idea. I do know it was published around the turn of the century and included extensive fashion information. The 1903 illustration on this page is a good example of the fashion illustrations available in New Idea.
Parents' Magazine for its first few months was published as Children, the Magazine for Parents. Especially in its early years it had frequent sections on fashion, including boys' fashion. Parents Magazine is the leading family magazine in the United States for parents. It provides practical advise, tips, techniques and advice from America's foremost childcare experts. As originally conceived it was primarily pitched to mothers. This is probably still the case, although men are playing an increasing role in raising children. The magazine was founded in 1925. The magazine is still being published. Besides the articles with advise on child raising, there were many advertisements of products for children. This included clothing and patterns for making children's clothing. A HBC reader notes that there were many ads in the magazine for underwear--apparently a major shopping concern for mothers of the period. Or at least the advertisers who used PM thought so.
We note a magazine titrled The Parents Review. We do not have much information about the magazine. We believe it was founded in 1889. We are not sure about the publishing run. As the title indicates, it had articles iseful to parents. As is generally the case for parent-orinented the articles were centered primarily on information for mothers. This included articles on clothing and fashion. A readers reports on an interesting article on children's clothing
written by Helen M. Wilson, M.B. "???????" was published in volume 4, pp. 913-919. The year was 1893-94. Much of the article is quite general and deals with such subjects as the necessity of keeping children warm enough and wearing clothing that is not too tight. There is more emphasis on girls than on boys because of girls' greater concern with fashion, but the article contains some interesting historical details that apply to both genders and that reveal certain prevailing attitudes about the
way to dress boys and girls in the final decade of the 19th century.
Peterson's Magazine was a monthly publication very similar to Godey's. Often, these magazines were bound together in book form, an entire year (12 issues) per volume. Each issue had a hand painted, fold out fashion plate, several other black/white
prints of fashion, and a pattern for needlework. Most issues gave a small scale diagram for clothing. Also included are articles on fashion, health and other items of interest. There is also a steel plate to illustrate a story and many pages of literature and poems, the bulk of the magazine.
We know very little about The Putnam. It may be more of a catalog than a magazine. We notice information about a child's sailor suits, three-piece suits, and little junior suits in the Spring & Summer 1895 issue..
This Crowell Publishing Company publication focused on women's issues, fashion, and homemaking as well containing excellent fiction and interesting period. The magazine was founded in 1883 and published until 1957. It was one of the most important American women's magazine. At its peak it had 4 million subscribers. Many respected authors contributed both fiction and non fiction on a range of topics.
It was particularly known for wondurful covers done by important artists and illustrators.
The most important editor was Gertrude Battles Lane who served in that position for the longest period (1911 -41). During this period the format of each monthlyb included two serials, four to five short stories, six specials, and a variety of departments which changed over time. Advertising declined in the 1950s, presumably as companies began shifting some of their advertising budget to television. Crowell-Collier sold the American Magazine in an effort to save Collier's Weekly and the Companion. Finally the company was forced to close both.
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Vogue has always been fashion oriented. Few magazines have had such an impact on American fashions, especially after te purchase of the magazine by Conde Nast in 1909. He heloped direct the magazine to be the leading periodical addressing high society fashion in America. The focus has always been on women's fashions. By the 1930s, however, Vogue was giving considerable attention to children's fashions. Attention to children's fashions appears to have declined since the 1970s, perhaps the impact of the Women's Movement. Fewer women are now so concerned with children's fashions as was the case of stay-at-home moms. Women's style and fashion continues to dominate Vogue. These fashionable articles never in the 1990s address childrens clothes, nor do children normally appear in the magazine. The social sections sometimes show the children of the rich and famous--but almost always in long baggy pants.
A a new publication genre appeared in the 19th century--the woman's magazine. These often include articles about fashion as well as child care--issues that often touched upon clothing issues. In some cases it is difficult to know how to classify some magazines so we have included them with the fashion magazines above. We will list here non-periodical home making guide books that can be purchased. Some of these dealt with fashion. Others provided a information on a range of other issues touching upon fashion and children's clothing, such as hair styles and care, breeching, washing, care of clothing, selecting age appropriate clothing, dressing sibling alike and many other pertinent subjects.
Some caution must be used in assessing the clothing styles displayed in fashion magazines. Often these fashions are idealized styles, reflecting more how mothers wanted to dress their children than how boys actually dressed. This is not to say that the fashions ha no influence. The influence, however, appears to have varied over time.
Besides the fashion magazines we discuss here, there is also a great deal of fashion information in newspapers. These were ads by deparment stores and other local merchants. We note some in the late 19th century, but many more in the 20th century. We have arrchived these ads along with the catalog in the catalog and periodical advertising section of HBC. An interesting question is where the art work for these ads came from. Some large department stores may have had art departments. Smaller stores may have commissioned the art work. This of course would have been expensive. We note a group called the "Fashion Review Service". This group provided advertising cuts to small clothing and department stores that could not afford their own art staffs. We do not know a lot about this group, but they appear active in the 1920s-30s. Many large newspapers also carried articles on clothing and fashion. This is a topic we have not yet persued, but hope to eventually ad some of these articles to HBC.
Guimpe frock for a girl, with pattern diagram, Apron for a girl from 2 to 4 years old, Harper's Bazar, February 16, 1895.
Shirt waist and trousers for a boy from 11 to 12 years old, Frock with large collar for girl from 14 to 16 years old, Harper's Bazar, June 15, 1895.
Pique frock for girl from 5 to 6 years old with pattern diagram, Gingham frock for boy from 2 to 4 years old with pattern diagram, Harper's Bazar, June 15, 1895.
Misses dress, with straight, full skirt, Girl's middy costume, The Delineator, March 1896.
Child's double-breast Waverly suit, Child's standard suit, Boggs & Buhl, Spring & Summer 1892.
Child's Rennert suit, Child's sailor suit, Boggs & Buhl, Spring & Summer 1892.
Child's sailor suits, Three-piece suits, Little junior suits, The Putnam, Spring & Summer 1895.
Selection of boy's suits, Boggs & Buhl, Autumn & Winter 1895-96.
Children's caps and bonnets, Boggs & Buhl, Autumn & Winter 1895-96.
Boy's ties, ladies' collars and trimmings, Boggs & Buhl, Autumn & Winter 1895-96.
Boggs & Buhl, Autumn and Winter Fashions 1895-96, Allegheny, Pennsylvania.
Brokaw Bros., Fine Clothing, Spring and Summer 1892, New York.
Besse Syndicate, Spring Catalogue, 1897, Foster Avery & Co., Portland, Maine
The Delineator: a Journal of Fashion, Culture and Fine Arts, Butterick Publishing Company (Limited), London and New York. 1894: March, May, July, August, December 1895: May, July, September, December 1896: February, March, July, December
Demorest's Family Magazine, Demorest Publishing Company, New York. February 1896, August 1897
The Direct Supply Company, Spring and Summer 1896, New York.
E. Butterick and Co.'s Catalogue for Autumn 1893, Butterick Publishing Company (Limited), London and New York.
H. O'Neill & Company, Spring and Summer Catalogue, 1892, New York.
Harper's Bazar, Harper & Brothers, New York. 1893: March 13, September 2 1894: February 17, June 16, July 14 1895: February 16, March 16, June 8, June 15, July 27 1896: May 30 1897: June 26
The Ladies' Home Journal, September 1898, The Curtis Publishing Company, Philadelphia.
The Ladies' Monthly Review, October 1894, The Butterick Publishing Company (Limited), London and New York.2.
The Ladies' Standard Magazine, October 1893, Standard Fashion Company, New York and Chicago.
Metropolitan Fashions, December 1896, the Butterick Publishing Company (Limited), London and New York.
The Putnam, Spring and Summer 1895, Chicago.
Weldon's Ladies' Journal, August 1897, Weldon and Company, London.
The Young Ladies' Journal, March 1, 1895, E. Harrison, London.
Mrs. C.V.G.- Dress a boy a year old exactly like a girl, except that he may wear a round lace cap, in place of an infants' cap bonnet. (2) For a fall cloak and cap have white, blue, tan or brown. [Ladies Home Journal, September, 1993]
Mrs. J.C.- Your little boy's white serge sailor suits can be dry-cleaned by a dryer or washed at home, using the same precautions as you would for nice underwear. The blue can be treated in the same manner. [Ladies Home Journal, September, 1993]
Although not devoted specifically to fashion magazines, reserachers interested in magazine history will ant to look at Frank Luther Mott’s five-volume History of American Magazines (Harvard University Press, 1930-1968) an wonderful survey and a good beginning point. A helpful work with additional information is Theodore Peterson’s Magazines in the Twentieth Century (University of Illinois, 1964).
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