First Glance for Spring Attire

“She shows her curls and wears a ruffle on her sleeve. Her skirts are long-but not too long. She knows cotton is a smart fashion fabric but not expensive-so she wears cottons and cottons mixtures that are flattering but kind to her purse. She buys cotton with a reputation and a future-cottons that keep their shape and color, no matter how often they are tubbed and and sunned. She dresses her children in them, and makes herself a dozen cotton frocks for morning, noon and night. She goes forth in the new Fruit of the Loom cottons and cotton-and-rayon mixtures! She looks and feels-and is-a very smart lady!”

I’m not a great lover of cotton frocks. Although, there are the cotton dresses for sports and those that are for day wear that are attractive and pleasing, yet some that remind me of humdrum house dress For my most undesirable of the regular ol’ tasks, but one has to admit, this fashion illustration is inspiring. With the right fabrics sewn in the perfect designs they’ll be so lovely to wear. I have plenty of cotton fabrics and Rayon-cottons, so as a design challenge I've decided to make all four of these amazingly beautiful frocks. The key here is to use only the things I have and recreate the designs as exact as possible. 

Aren’t they lovely, all of them! Such perfection for Spring 1931....So now to the design table!

Julia's Report on Paris Fashion

     Here for you my dears is a little treat. And quite a treat! But not before a little background story. Julia Coburn, our author here for the article, an important figure in the fashion world and I'm certain you'd know who she was and become instantly thrilled that the latest fashion magazine had her article. She also co-wrote books on how to dress, and how to act in certain clothes and the proper things to wear and when. These books I'll share a little later! 
     A Kansas City native Julia was born in 1898, studied at a ladies' college and later lived in New York. Her letters to magazines indeed claimed to be straight from Paris and this is true. She lived in Paris for three years and often went to and from quite often, and with children and a husband. The articles she supposedly wrote were in a way her articles. She would send her notes to the magazines fashion department editor (she too was also a fashion editor) and someone would write the article on her behalf. I do wish we could see those notes of hers! 
    So here is another article by the great Julia Coburn. Enjoy!
           *I gathered my information from "The Smart Way To Dress" by Julia Coburn and Alice Blinn 1937