Cover – May 1897   (Click on any image to see a larger view)

As you can see this issue of The Standard Designer that has just arrived at the Archives is a bit worse for wear.  The cover has been taped several times, and has seen a lot of hard usage.

Luckily the wonderful illustrations and the pages inside have stood up a bit better. Though it’s clear that whoever the original owner was, spent many hours pouring over the most current fashions of the month.

This issue also contained all four of the colored plates, which still have lovely bright colors despite some staining and wear.

Over the next few weeks we will be taking an in-depth look at the contents of The Standard Designer from May 1897.  I will be posting many of the fashion illustrations and descriptions – so stay tuned!

The right figure in Fashion Plate # 1 shows Standard Pattern # 3545 (Ladies Blouse Waist) and # 3547 (Ladies Five Gored Skirt – with Spanish Flounce which may be omitted).

“Blue and white foulard was the material used to make this charming combination of garments which has resulted in a stylish toilette suitable for afternoon wear.  Fine swiss embroidery and blue satin ribbon were the trimmings employed, and the belt and collar are also made of ribbon.  The skirt is an exceptionally graceful model, and is particularly well suited to thin fabrics.  The waist also appears to great advantage either in wash goods or silk.  A detailed description of the waist pattern, prices, etc. will be found on page 28; a similar description of the skirt will be found on page 23.”

“The spring season shows in the fashion world a great leaning towards the smart blouse waist.  In the accompanying illustration we have arrived at a most happy combination of a trim, neat-sitting back, with a blouse front.  The model preented is one of the pretiest designed this season, and as here shown s developed in figured batiste, trimmed with narrow lace about the collar and wrist.

“This waist is mounted on a lining fitted by centre-back, side-back, under-arm and shoulder seams, also by double bust darts.  The liningis overlaide to yoke depth, and the body portions of the waist which are fitted by under-arm seams, are attached to the lower edge of this one-piece yoke by gathers.  At the waist line, back and front, the fulness is confined by a double row of shirring.  The sleeves are two seamed and close fitting to ablve the elbow, where they expand into graceful fulness and are gathered into the arm-holes.  They are finished at the wrist by a facing.

“A band collar finished the neck and a plain belt encircles the waist.  The one-piece collarette is laid in a triple box-pleat on either shoulder and attahed to the neck edge of the waist.  The closing of this garment is effected down the centre of the front by means of hooks and eyes invisibly placed.  The smaller view depicts the waist minus the collarette.  Silk, flannel, chambray, gingham, organdie, dimity, mull, etc. may be used to develop this waist and lace, braid, gimp or insertion may be used to trim.  Figure views on pagees 10, 13, and 18 show different developments, more or les elaborate, of this stylish design. 

“The pattern is cut in ten sizes, for ladies from thirty-two to forty-four inches bust measure, and costs 20 cents.  The medium size requires four and one-half yards of material twenty-two inches wide; three and three-eighths yards of material thirty-two inches wide; two and three-eighths yards of material forty-four inches wide; or one and seven-eighths yards of material fifty-four inches wide.  As represented ten yards of lace edging was used to trim.”

Next Post – more detail about the waist, and images of the skirt!

     This odd little booklet came from the “Misc. Fashion” files.  One of those items that is somewhat difficult to actually pin a label on.  At first glance one would suppose it would be chock full of all sorts of hints and information about clothing yourself or your family on a budget.

   Despite the title, it appears to be an advertising give-away, most likely from a tailoring shop, as on the second page we find: The magazine is eight pages in length, with black and white illustrations through out – except for the color front and back covers.  The box on the front cover is imprinted with the Berry-Ball Dry Goods Co.  Which indicates that this was a magazine that was ordered from a central clearing house, where it was imprinted with the purchaser’s company name.

  However, despite the title – there is very little about Dressing Well For Little Money.  A few of the written pieces exhort men to consider purchasing their suits of “good taste and quality” ready-made.   And there is very sound advice regarding the “Whole Cloth Back Suit” – wherein the back of the jacket is made in a single piece, in order to avoid ” . .  the breaking of the stripe or check”.

The majority of the page space is  filled with light humor in the form of jokes, short tales of about two paragraphs long, and some pithy observations on the nature of life.  Such as:

A Few Buts

          A man demands that a woman shall always be well dressed.  He is a perpetual victim to the click of high-heeled       shoes and the frou-frou of silk skirts, and to his private code, considers mother hubbards and curl papers as suffcient grounds for divorce.  But - he expects his wife to achieve the miracle of first-class clothes on an eighth-class income.

          EVERY man demands that a woman’s heart shall be an ice-bound fortress, diffusing a cold storage atmosphere that will give every other man who approaches her frosted feet.  But - he wants her to turn into a seething volcano of red-hot affection when he draws upon the scene.

All in all – it’s an odd little bit of printing.  If you’d like to take a look at the magazine in it’s entirety – you can download it in full (for a small fee) – by going to this link:  DRESSING WELL DOWNLOAD.