The Girl's Own Annual

Louisa Amelia Jane Vintage Fashion Store

1911 Snapshot Girl's Own Annual

This fabulous book arrived in yesterday's mail and joins four others I have in this series.

The Girl's Own Annual is not for children, as I mistakenly assumed from the title, but a magazine for older teen girls and young single women. It's a treasure trove of fashion illustrations, ladies wear, beauty advice, needlework patterns and edifying articles as well as "moral" fiction. It is edited by Flora Klickmann, whose needlework books I also collect, and about whom I have blogged before.

The Edwardian period is my personal favorite for vintage clothing - beautiful, feminine garments, often handmade with outstanding workmanship, like these gorgeous lacy bloomers.

Edwardian bloomers

Chemisette / Guimpe

Firstly, I learned that a chemisette was also known as a "guimpe." See my recent blog post mentioning chemisettes.

Here are some charming suggestions for guimpes which a young woman may choose to make:

For those who don't know, a guimpe, or chemisette, was an insert to be worn underneath a low necked dress for modesty. Chemisettes are usually open at the side seams. These guimpes appear to have side seams stitched, and all have high collars, so maybe that was the difference. A young girl or woman could choose whether she preferred lace insertion, embroidery or tucks.

Women were trained to be proficient in needlework from their early childhood and their accomplishments are amazing to modern women. I have a school workbook which sets out lessons for children, and most women these days would struggle to cope with the lessons for eight year olds.

If I'm ever lucky enough to find one of those short over blouses, centre and centre left, I will now know what they are.

Garments for girls

Here are some pretty garments for girls to make:

No doubt they mean older, teenaged girls, but you see what I mean.

1911 beauty advice

Beauty advice was also included and is often fascinating, including how to style your hair.

Here are step by step instructions for creating a soft pompadour or Psyche knot.

Who needs Youtube?

Oh alright then . . .

The finished result - very Grecian, hence the reference to Psyche.

Ladies' Hats for motoring

From the sublime to the ridiculous, I was amused by these suggested hats for motoring. Remember that cars in 1911 were all open topped, so were breezy all year round and must have been an ordeal in winter. Better than taking ages in a horse and cart, or horse drawn omnibus. Not only breezy, but dirty and dusty. I have seen numerous patterns for motoring dusters, a jacket worn over one's clothes to protect them from dirt.

You could see these hats as an evolutionary stage between the bonnet and the beanie.

Here is the motor coat

From the amusing to the poignant. I was touched to see this delightful series of portraits of the children of the Russian royal family. They were executed six years later along with their parents during the Russian Revolution.

Anastasia, the subject of much speculation and legend as to whether or not she may have survived, is shown top left. She was played by Ingrid Bergman in the 1956 movie.

Edwardian hats and bridal veils

And of course, some wonderful Edwardian fashions. I was particularly taken by the hats and the bridal veils.

This is my oldest fashion magazine so far.

I can write it all off as research.

Louisa Amelia Jane Vintage Fashion Store