The Vintage Site

In years gone by there were countless reasons to throw a party. Why not April Fool’s Day?

At least the April 1912 edition of Ladies’ Home Journal thought this was a great idea.

All the foolish treats you’ll need for a vintage April Fool’s Day Bash

On the page I have posted above, there are numerous little dishes that fit the “foolish” theme of the day (although many of these seem a little creepy to me). Pictures are above, but here are your options:

“Dunce-cap creams are ice cream cones filled with whipped cream containing chopped nuts and candied fruit”

“Fools’ caps are hot potato cones filled with minced creamed chicken”

“The All-Fools cake is a mock cake holding nonsensical flavors”

“The ‘Haystack’ is an ice cream hidden in browned cocoanut”

“Apple Fools” are baked apples with meringue features and caps”

“A ‘Jester’s Stick’ is one of candy with tiny bells attached, while a candy wafer supported by four ‘jackstraw’ candy sticks forms an edible table that holds a dunce cap or other place-card. Nut meats may be hidden under the cap.”

“‘Cooky Clowns’ are decorated with white icing and chocolate applied with a brush”

“‘April Apples’ are scooped apple shells filled wth a vegetable or fruit salad”

Finally, here is a photo of the decorated table that party guests would enter the room to find. The “April Fool” part was that all the food was disguised so that it looks like there is nothing there to eat!

April Fools Day table with all food hidden

“On the April-Fool Table no article of food or service is visible. The pointed caps hide croquettes, the knives, forks, and spoons are wrapped in napkins and stood upright, and the ‘gold bricks’ contain bonbons.”

So there you go! If you’re looking for an original vintage, old-fashioned party idea, it’s the perfect time to put this one into practice.

“The essential principles in the diet are protein, carbohydrate, fat, mineral matter, vitamins and water.”

So claim the authors of this interesting little article that appeared in the October 1926 issue of McCall’s magazine.

Those authors are E. V. McCollum and Nina Simmonds. I was surprised to find out that E. V. McCollom was Elmer McCollom, who according to Wikipedia was a faculty member in agricultural chemistry at the University of Wisconsin and later worked with Herbert Hoover’s U.S. Food Administration. I could not locate much information about Ms. Simmonds, unfortunately, but it does look like she authored various papers with McCollum and also contributed to a book called “Woman’s World Book of Diet and Beauty.”

The article stresses the importance of a balance of all the various parts of a diet in order to live a healthy life. The authors go so far as to state that, “Many a woman who constantly feels ill and who pities herself, bemoaning her sad fate in being a member of the weaker sex, would have a very different outlook on life if she had adhered to a diet which was so balanced as to promote health.”

The following tips from Dr. McCallom show how anyone can achieve a balanced diet:

Tips for a balanced diet from Dr. McCollum

1. Build up the daly menus around a quart of milk for each member of the family.

2. Use eggs and meat frequently, but not excessively.

3. Serve salads twice a day to insure such raw vegetable foods as fruits, tomatoes, celery, lettuce, onions and so forth appearing regularly in the menu.

4. Serve one leafy vegetable, such as beet-tops, kale, spinach, and so forth, each day.

If you meet these requirements you can eat whatever else you desire.

(So even though kale seems so trendy today, even our ancestors eighty years ago saw its appeal.)

I find it very interesting to compare these ideas with the real food movement today and the movement away from processed foods for many people. In any case, Dr. McCollum lived a long (88 years) and healthy life…

The bandeau set

“Every woman likes her undies to be just a little more exquisite and to have just a little more chic than anything else.”

Thus states the December 1928 issue of The Woman’s Home Companion magazine.

The bandeau set shown here was actually available as a pattern and from the description, it seems to be a very easy set to make. (The magazine actually suggests it as a good last-minute gift to make for a friend.)

“The dainty lace bandeau of this set has a covered elastic band at back so that the fitting need be no problem. To avoid any suspicion of bulk the brief panties are simply made on a fitted yoke at front and held snugly with elastic at back…The materials from which one may choose are this year more varied than ever and in a profusion of soft colors.”

Fomal Negligees

The picture on the left is of two “Formal Negligees”, also from the same issue of the magazine. These two are described as follows:

“Transparent printed velvet in soft color combinations bordered with finely pleated chiffon is effective in the negligee sketched at left. That at right is of glossy satin bordered with wide lace that droops at back.”

“Negligees run pretty much to the same form year after year but always they must defer to certain qualifications. They must be easy and comfortable but they should also be a little exotic, a little more luxurious and feminine than anything else.”

We also get a back view of the two gowns to help visualize what the entire outfit would have looked like. (And it looks like the patterns cost 45 cents!)

Look at the bottom left of this gorgeous magazine cover, and you will see an article inside that I was very curious about.

It is called “How to have beautiful hair”, and was supposedly written by Pauline Starke. In the heading of the article, she is described as a “picture star.” A quick search of the internet proves that she was a WAMPAS Baby Star in 1922, and had a role as a dance extra in D. W. Griffith’s Intolerance before moving on to some starring roles in silent films. She was still acting in movies by the time this article came out in 1930, but after this year there are very few movie roles showing up under her name. I am sure she had beautiful hair, although ironically quite a few of the pictures I found of her show her wearing various styles of hats!

After stating that “Woman’s hair is yet her crowning glory, and her beauty depends much on the lustre and strengh of hair,” Pauline offers us the following tips (I have compiled some of the highlights from her article here):

1) Hair and scalp must ALWAYS be kept clean.

Starke explains that “of course” we can’t wash our hair every day, so instead we must brush it well to remove dirt.

2) This tip is especially for those girls with naturally curly or wavy hair:

“Everyone knows that naturally wavy hair becomes curlier on rainy days. Therefore, if you have the slightest suggestion of a wave in your hair, dampen it with hot water on rainy or foggy days, forming deep ridges with water-wave combs and letting them remain until the hair is dry. You will be surprised how beautifully wavy your hair remains for days afterwards.” The same treatment applies at the seashore and before a steamy bath.

Pauline of the beautiful hair.

3) “After shampooing the hair add a half cup of vinegar to the final rinse or squeeze half a lemon into the final rinsing water.”

“This will make your hair beautifully fluffy and glossy when dry.”

4) “If the hair has become dry, massage a little olive oil well into the roots”

…do this “every night and follow by brushing well with a stiff brush.”

5) A really good shampoo for all, but especially for fair and auburn hair:

“Take the yolks of two eggs and beat them up lightly with two tablespoonfuls of lukewarm water, add a tablespoonful of bay rum, and a teaspoonful of finely shredded Castile soap.”

6) Here is an “absolutely harmless shampoo” for blondes, to brighten their hair:

“Steep equal parts of honey and rhubarb stalks in three parts of white wine. Let it stand for twenty-four hours. Strain and use as a lotion, wetting all the hair. ” Let this dry in the hair, and leave on all night before rinsing out.
To finish, Pauline ends with this reminder:

“Nothing is more unattractive than colorless, lacklustre hair. A charming face may be spoiled by an unattractive coiffure… To be beautiful is neither a privilege nor a luxury, it is a necessity. BE BEAUTIFUL.”

 These colorful blouses were the latest style for women.

At least, that is, according to the Delineator magazine in May 1901.

Back issues of the Edwardian magazine the Delineator are a wonderful source for learning more about vintage fashion. Besides these gorgeous illustrations of styles for which you could purchase patterns, there were also pages of descriptions to better explain every little nuance of each piece of clothing.

Some novel Shirt-Waists or Blouses, 1901

For instance, here is what the writer has to say about the vivid little number on the bottom left, or number 186X:

Tucks are introduced very effectively in this smart blouse, which is illustrated made up in Persian panne velvet, machine-stitching supplying the finish. The fronts are tucked in yoke outline, the tucks at the centre extending to the bottom to suggest a vest. They pouch becomingly and display a left side-front closing. Tucks are also taken up in the back and the extra fulness gathered at the waist-line. The sleeves droop over strap-bands, and the collar of tucked material is encircled by a bat-wing tie which matches the crush belt.

Not only that, but the magazine also supplies the reader with other possibilities for fabrics and colors you could use, if the original doesn’t suit your fancy:

More vintage shirt-waists

In white lawn, with insertion run with black velvet ribbon, the mode will be charming. Novelty Oxford, mercerized chambray, satin dimity, mercerized mousseline, and all the new silks are also suitable, and a belt and stock of Liberty ribbon in one of the pastel shades will add to the general effect.

Somehow reading all of these descriptions makes vintage fashion seem more real to me, and makes me long for the magical ability to actually buy some of these patterns! Here is one more page of black and white illustrations of still more shirt-waists, from the same magazine.