The Vintage Site

This page from the August 1921 issue of the Woman’s Home Companion magazine offers some ideas for lighter house dresses for the summer. The author rationalizes that since you now have the help of electric appliances to do some of the heavy work (as shown in this entry on this website), and since it’s so hot outside and in, you may as well wear something light and pretty. As the article states,

“Electric washing machines! Vacuum cleaners! Fireless cookers! And hot weather! Consider this array of reasons for a little lighter housekeeping, and see if you can’t find a reasonable excuse for a little lighter house dress. If you don’t need to get down on your knees and scrub the floor in it, why not choose a dainty lawn dress or a thin cotton crepe or voile for your summer house dress? You’ll feel so cool and pretty in it that it will make your light summer housekeeping a pleasant diversion.”

“Here are six other Armstrong’s Linoleum pattens that are very appropriate for hall floors. Order from your merchant the pattern of your choice by the number shown beneath it.”

“Welcome!” says this Hall Floor. Its rich, warm, brown tones convey a feeling of cordial hospitality. And it shows how well high-grade linoleum and good fabric rugs go together. Any of the Armstrong’s Linoleum patterns reproduced below would be equally effective.

I love everything about this Armstrong’s Linoleum ad from 1919. The huge hallway has a rich, welcoming look to it. The furniture and decor is formal, let still airy and spacious. And the illustration itself is gorgeous. As soon as I turned to the ad, the black and white pattern choice jumped out at me. It seems that in the late teens, black and white strips and/or squares were popular in both decor and clothing, and it’s one of my favorite styles of all.

And am I the only one who hates seeing an offer for a brochure in a vintage ad I particularly like? For instance, this is what is being offered here to readers:

“The Art of Home Furnishing and Decoration” By Frank Alvah Parsons, President of the New York School of Fine and Applied Art. Sent, together with de luxe color plates of fine home interiors, on receipt of twenty cents.”

I have been known to hunt down some of these especially tempting booklets on ebay or elsewhere online, and I have a feeling this would be a really good one.

Wow, this is a harsh one.

This little cartoon poem was found tucked away on one of the final pages of the August 1925 issue of McCall’s magazine, in a short feature called “The story of Plain Jane,” by Louise Thomas. It’s an advertisement of sorts for the various booklets McCall’s offered to help their readers improve themselves. To summarize the point of this cartoon, you only need to read the rhyme that accompanies the first panel:

“This is the story of Plain Jane. At least, her friends all thought her plain because she did her hair this way – which, you’ll agree, is not AU FAIT. Her figure, too, was not the kind one sees in circles most refined. In short, Jane’s life was far from gay until she learned, one happy day, how one may charm with dashing looks just like the girls in story books.”

The cartoon goes on to assure the reader that “…if a lady longs for charm whose hair is queer, whose looks alarm, who does not have a single beau, with careful study she may gain true love and beauty, like Plain Jane.”

Here you go – all six panels of the McCall’s cartoon. Be sure to read the verses to each!

Frame 1

Frame 2

Frame 3

Frame 4

Frame 5

Frame 6

Click the thumbnail image to view the original article.

In this amusing illustrated article from the September 1909 issue of the Ladies’ Home Journal, women are viewed from the back in order to judge them on the appearance of their clothing. Each pair of women shown here demonstrates one good and one bad example of neat and tailored style. The writer seems so horrified by some of the poor choices that she turns to very emphatic language. I particularly liked her complaint about one of the hats one misguided woman has chosen to wear, which “is nothing short of a freak.”

Admittedly, I had a hard time determining which was the good example and which was the bad in some of the illustrations, but it seems that the one on the left is always the good one and the one on the right is always the bad. With that in mind, please read and enjoy the article as presented here. To make things easier to see, I have separated the one long page into three smaller sections, but you can click on the thumbnail scan of the full page at the end of this entry if you’d like to view it that way.

You can see the quote that refers to the top two hats in the picture above, but here is what author Marion Wire has to say about the bottom two women in the image above:

“You may see the two girls below in any audience. The first one has been careful in the selection and arrangement of her dress, while the other one shows a decidedly vulgar taste in the use of rhinestones, false hair and coarse lace.”

Now on to the next set of women:

Here are the author’s views on the top two women in the above image:

“Unattractive as is the picture on the right it is only what is too often seen. A stout woman should never accentuate her generous proportions by wearing a large hat of abnormal shape, nor shorten her height by a raised belt and a waist divided into sections, and she should always have a wrap for street wear. See how different the woman on the left appears. The long lines of the coat tend to make her look taller, and the hat is most appropriate.”

(As a side note, it’s interesting to compare what the Journal advised “stout” women about their dress three years later, as seen here.)
As far as the bottom pair of women in the above image:

“The well-dressed woman below evidently uses her mirror. If the other one realizes how she looks from the back is it possible that she considers the effect good? The difference is not one of money, but of care and taste.”

Finally, we’re on to the last group:

What the article has to say about the top two women in the image above:

“Every girl would appreciate how much better she will look if she will attend to the small details of the back as well as the front of her dress, being careful to fasten every button or hook, to see that all the edges meet, to put her clothes on straight – in short to make herself look trim and neat. The graceful shirtwaist girl shown above, and the untidy person over on the right illustrate this point beautifully by comparison.”

Concerning the women in the middle of the above image:

“This showy person on the left is a type which suggests a preference for quantity rather than quality. The lines of her suit, of the most extreme and gaudy style, never were graceful, and her back looks positively crooked as she tries to walk, with her trailing skirt gathering up the dust. Contrast the simply-gowned woman next to her. In every line of her costume she shows good taste and a feeling for proportion, harmony and fitness.”

And about the tiny pictures on the bottom:

“The bottom of the skirt and the shoes are most important and should always be carefully looked after. Ragged skirt braids, and flashy shoes run down at the heels indicate the general slovenliness of some women.”

And as promised, here is a tiny scan of the entire page if you would like to click on it and read it that way:

I thoroughly enjoyed this little article and I hope you did too!

“Have you ever scored yourself on good grooming, everyday beauty habits, and your charm and disposition? We offer three kinds of score cards: Everyday Reminders, Last-Minute Check-Ups, and Your Charm Analysis. Be honest and check your rating. Nobody needs to see your score but yourself. If you’re not satisfied with your record, put the score card away, and come back to it in a month or so and see how you’ve improved. No girl can make a perfect score, but it’s amazing how a very little improvement will give you much more confidence and poise.”

This is the introduction to a personality quiz (the article bears the title “Your Personality Score”) that was found in the February 1939 issue of McCall’s magazine. The magazine invites you to find out your “personality score” based on three sets of questions. These are not what we might think of when we take a personality quiz in a magazine for fun today; these seem to reflect more on how concerned you, the reader, are with personal cleanliness and image. But you can see for yourself. Here are the three sections full of questions, along with what your results say about you.

Let’s begin with section one, “Everyday Reminders.”

Everyday Reminders

This section of the test includes questions like, “Do you brush your teeth nightly?” “Do you always carry a clean powder puff or clean cotton fluff to apply powder?” and “Do you give a thought to your posture at least once a day?” For this part of the quiz, a score of “40 or under needs real work, if you expect to be dainty and attractive.”

Moving on, part two concerns “Last-Minute Check-Ups”:

Last-Minute Check-Ups

This portion asks how many things you watch before going out, such as: “Does my slip show?”, “Are my stocking seams straight?” and “Is my nail polish chipped in places?” If your score is less than 10, “watch yourself.”

Finally, here is the third and final part, “Your Charm Analysis.”

Your Charm Analysis

In this last section we must answer questions such as “Can you show off your bureau drawers to a visitor, any time?”, “Have you learned not to interrupt a conversation?” and “Can you face the fact that improving your looks and adding to your charm is entirely up to you?” “If you can’t honestly answer “yes” to at least nine of these, you had better make a closer analysis of your personality traits.”

So, how did you do?

*******

Retro 30's Milkshake Postcard by christine592
Make your own custom photo postcards on zazzle.

“Mention SHORTCAKE… and even the men become interested in this new modern method of cooking.”

This wonderful ad, which I found in my copy of the June 1929 issue of the Women’s Home Companion, has a lot of things that make it worth a look. First, there is the great illustration and color. Second, there is an old-fashioned strawberry shortcake recipe that looks super easy to follow. And third, the message of the ad, which echoes what many of the magazines of the time often suggested, the fact that it was natural for “the man of the house” to dictate a lot of what the woman cooked or how things were done around the house. Here it is treated in a bit of a humorous manner:

“In fact, that’s the only danger about talking about strawberry shortcake and this new modern way of cooking with a choice salad oil.
Because once the man of the house discovers that it’s easy and convenient to make shortcake this way – and discovers also how more than usually good to eat it is – he is going to demand it more often than ever…”

“Wesson Oil, you know, is pure and wholesome. It’s light in color – crystal clear – and exquisitely delicate in flavor. And it gives to whatever you bake with it – cake, muffins, biscuit, cookies, waffles, pie crust – that light, delicate, fine-textured quality that you expect from anything so fine and delicately flavored and good-to-eat as Wesson Oil itself.”

The complete Wesson Oil ad

But regardless, the recipe itself does look pretty simple and quick. It’s interesting to me that the recipe for the cakes includes no sugar at all – that is found only in the sugared berries that we are told to cover the shortcake with. So if you’d like to try your hand at an old-fashioned, vintage dessert, this might be a good one. The recipe is as follows:

In the October 1904 issue of the Delineator magazine, we find a very detailed and well-illustrated article entitled “The Fountain of Youth.” With a quick glance at the title, you may think this is going to be about one of those early 1900′s cure-all potions that claim to keep you looking young at any age, but a closer look at the accompanying images and you will realize that is not the case. This article is actually referring to the practice of physical culture to keep your body healthy and looking good. Topics discussed here include the correct way to stand and to walk, the positions used in swimming, and even how to use barbells (or broomsticks, which the author states work just as well).

So let’s get started – I have included many of the illustrations along with a brief excerpt of the accompanying text here.

Walking and Standing:

“Very few persons, who have not been trained, stand properly. If one wishes a test as to her correctness in this matter, let her take a moderately heavy book and place it on top of the head, and balance herself to carry it easily. The head will come in a line with the rest of the body, the chin will be drawn in, the chest will be thrust forward and the stomach back, the knees will be straightened and the heels placed together, the feet spreading so that the toes turn outward. How different is this from the slouching attitude which so many habitually take.”

“Walking, almost the commonest act of life, is likewise seldom properly done. As in standing, the chest should be expanded and carried well forward, as if a rosette were upon it, which had to be supported and carried there. Balancing firmly upon one foot so that ear, shoulder, hip and ankle come in a straight line, the walker should extend the other foot, the toe touching the ground first and the foot coming gradually into a position of support as the body is swung forward for the next step, the supporting foot in its turn rising from heel to toe to be swung forward.”

Positions for Swimming:

“For all around muscular development, swimming has no equal. It calls into play all the muscles of the body, of the head and especially of the neck, the extremities and the trunk….One who is delicate should not stay in the water too long; about twenty minutes is the limit.”

How to use barbells:

“The practice with dumbbells and Indian clubs of varying weights has gone rather out of fashion, as it has been demonstrated that as good results can be attained without them, when the tension or contraction of the muscles is attained through voluntary exertion in what are called “resistance” exercises. A very good exercise, however, is that of the barbells, the balls of which are very light. A broom handle will do almost as well.”

Extreme Tendencies

The July 1914 issue of McCall’s magazine coincided with the start of World War I. From this point on, there were many changes in women’s fashion as skirts eventually got shorter and new shapes of dress took hold. I find the year 1914 fascinating as a bridge between the late-Edwardian, Titanic-era fashion that came before, and the World War I era fashion that would soon appear.

The Three Smart Silhouettes

Of the blue dress on the left of the above illustration, the magazine states:

No. 5981, Ladies’ Waist (15 cents) – Allover lace and blue taffeta collar and double cuffs make this waist a fitting exponent of a charming costume for aternoon teas and simple evening affairs. The pattern for this model may be obtained in six sizes, thirty-two to forty-two bust. Size thirty-six requires two yards of thirty-six-inch material for the waist, with short sleeves.

The cape effect in coats

And here is some detail of the skirt on the above right:

No. 5611, Ladies’ One-Piece Skirt (15 cents) – This serviceable skirt, developed here in white serge, is excellent in linene, pique, or taffeta. Made of white serge or pique, and worn with loose blouses of colored linen, this is a costume for outdoor sports. Made of charmeuse or taffeta, and worn with a smart little bright-colored coatee, in a brilliant color, it is suitable for more dressy occasions. The pattern cuts in six sizes, twenty-two to thirty-two waist. Size twenty-six requires two and five-eighth yards of thirty-six inch material. The width of the skirt at the bottom of hem is one yard and three-eighths.

Serviceable gowns for summer wear

What do you think of 1914 fashion? To me these silhouettes seem very experimental and almost avant-garde. Although aesthetically they are not my favorite, I am always pulled back to them regardless because they are so original.

Frocks for Noon and Afternoon

Safe-Keeping your teeth by the Colgate Method.

An instructional ad appeared in the February 1923 issue of the Woman’s Home Companion magazine. The ad is for Colgate’s Ribbon Dental Cream, an early version of toothpaste that was popular in the early part of the century. I love the detailed illustration of the 1920′s packaging and the tube it came in!

There are five rules for good teeth and good health presented here. So basically it is like a 1920′s primer on how to brush your teeth! In case you’ve been wondering if you’re brushing your teeth in a correct vintage manner, here are the rules:

Rule 1: “Wash” your teeth thoroughly. Don’t scour them. Washing cleans safely. “Scouring” cleans harmfully. Scouring scratches the enamel, the enamel protects the teeth, and you can’t grow new enamel! Colgate’s Ribbon Dental Cream contains no harsh grit. It cleanses and polishes by washing without scouring.

Rule 2: “Wash” your teeth after each meal. When you eat, particles of food lodge between and around the teeth. Remove them promptly before they ferment in the high temperature of the mouth. Fermenting food causes cavities in the teeth. A clean tooth doesn’t decay. “Wash” your teeth regularly, carefully, and thoroughly. Wash them just before going to bed.

Rule 3: Use a safe dental cream. Powerful drugs in a dentifrice injure the mouth and throat. Avoid any dentifrice so strong that it cannot be used safely several times a day. Select an established, tried-and-tested dentifrice with a reputation for merit. You can use Colgate’s during a long life without in the slightest degree injuring the enamel of the teeth.

Rule 4: As advised by many dentists, after you use the tooth brush, finish the cleansing by rubbing both upper and lower gums with the tip of the forefinger covered with Colgate’s Ribbon Dental Cream. That massage helps to keep the gums firm and healthy.

Rule 5: Some people try to doctor themselves, but even they don’t attempt to be their own dentist. See your dentist regularly, twice a year at least.

So, how well does your tooth care match up with Colgate’s vintage advice?

Below is the complete ad: