by David Cardillo, DDNP Staff
“The Practical Ways Women Dress Nowadays As Observed By A Woman Who Remembers What Her Sex Once Put Up With And Were Put In,” comes from the Every Evening Wilmington Daily newspaper, in July 1922; and features several fashion plates as illustrations to demonstrate how women’s clothing styles had changed over time. “Fashion plates” is this month’s theme for the Chronicling America #ChronAmParty hashtag. I really had no idea what a “fashion plate” was before starting this post, and I was half-expecting to see something about collector plates some people have on their dining room walls.
Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.), 19 July 1922. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87062237/1922-07-19/ed-1/seq-5/>
Instead, it was pleasantly surprising to learn that fashion plates were wood carvings or cuttings of images made from drawings of women in dresses, little boys in pantaloons, and little girls in hoop skirts. Benefitting from having a younger sister, I remember plastic plates that one could trace to design clothes for Barbie and Ken, or the assortment of Disney Princes and Princesses.
via shopdisney.com
This particular article from July 19, 1922 of the Every Evening, Wilmington Daily Commercial was written in part as a criticism of women’s fashion and lack of functionality, such as large “walking dresses” that were anything but easy or comfortable to walk in. The article does have some interesting points about women’s fashion being a sign of the times and of women’s roles at that time. But it wasn’t just women’s fashion that was problematic, as the author cites watching toddlers trip and fall over their clothing. Little boys with collars so starched they couldn’t bend their head, let alone run and play.
Despite all the criticisms, the article’s author mentions the John Wanamaker catalog at the end (the catalog having the images of dresses and such available thanks to fashion plates).
Interestingly, the article does not mention the lack of pockets in most women’s fashion. Though this issue seems to have made some progress, as my three-and-a-half-year-old niece enjoys showing off pockets in all of her pants, jumpers, overalls, and shorts. So, there is hope.