Figure 1.--The Dutch woman's magazine "Libelle" offered many knitting and sewing patterns. Here is a sleeveless sweater for which a pattern could be purchased in 1949.
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Figure 1.--The Dutch woman's magazine "Libelle" offered many knitting and sewing patterns. Here is a sleeveless sweater for which a pattern could be purchased in 1949. |
HBC still has only limited information on Dutch fashion magazines and store catalogs. Two of the most important Dutch fashion magazines are Libelle and Margriet. Libelle was founded in 1933. We know that they were very popular after World War II in the late 1940s and 50s. A Dutch reader tells us that Libelle is a magazine for woman which has a special fashion section in it which often included patterns. They not only offer knitting patterns, but all kinds of sewing patterns for mothers and grandmothers to sew at home. Both magazines were very popular in the Netherlands as well as Flemish areas of Belgium. Libelle still exists today, but Dutch mothers now have a much wider range of publucations to choose from than was the case in in the 1930s-50s.
A Dutch reader tells us, "I'm pretty sure there was a Femmes d'Auhourd'hui in Belgium during the 1950s. There was a French edition and a Dutch one, the latter being called Het Rijk der Vrouw ('Women's Realm'). I don't know if they were an originally Belgian publication or a French publication adapted for Belgium. The Dutch language edition was very widely read in Flanders but never got quite popular in Holland. My mother's maids and cook were avid readers, there was always a supply of recent and back isues in the servants' quarters, but my relatives in Holland didn't know it. I think this goes to show
that, as I've written before, although Belgium and Holland share a language, their life styles were noticeably different in the 1950s and 60s and that this was especially true for clothing. Holland was already very receptive to American styles whereas Belgium still very much looked south to France for its fashions."
Libelle was founded in 1933. We know that they were very popular after World War II in the late 1940s and 50s. A Dutch reader tells us that Libelle is a magazine for woman which has a special fashion section in it which often included patterns. They not only offer knitting patterns, but all kinds of sewing patterns for mothers and grandmothers to sew at home. Libelle was very popular in the Netherlands as well as Flemish areas of Belgium. Libelle still exists today. The magazine has an internet site, but as it is in Dutch, we can not read it. It appears to be evolving into a life-style magazine and does not give the same attention to fashion as they once did. There are today far fewer patterns, reflecting the fact that fewer Futch mothers now sew their own and their children's clothes.
HBC at this time has little information on the Dutch woman's magazine Margriet. We do not know when it was founded. We do know that it continues to publish currently. The magazine has a website, but as it is in Dutch, we are unable to read it.
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