Sunday, October 23, 2011

Paper doll dress up

This is too weird. A ready-to-print Mary Wollstonecraft in underclothes, with a selection of dresses to cut out and try on. I don't recall any detailed description of her wardrobe, so presumably the inventive people at Paper Doll Heaven have just chosen  vaguely 1790s clothing. Having recently toured Sands Films, the costume makers, I must say I set my eyes higher when it comes to Mary: the Movie.

PS Follow up on dress up here, with an actual image, by kind permission.

7 comments:

  1. How totally fun! Paper dolls were a big deal back in the '50s (she sighs nostalgically). However, this Mary's clothing is sadly inauthentic. It was all Empire line in gowns then: tiny little tight bodices with the skirt falling in soft drapes from under the bust. Fabrics were soft, clingy and often semi-transparent, and there were no layers and layers of petticoats or underskirts. Actually, the gowns of that period would be quite wearable today (if one is so inclined).

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  2. I like your nostalgic sighs! Notice my delicacy in not reprinting the historically inaccurate costumes here. I agree that Empire gowns flattered many, as evinced by Jane Austen adaptations.

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  3. Weird indeed - though I confess that for nostalgic reasons I did indeed find myself dressing her in one of the (wholly inauthentic I know) outfits. And they have a boys dress up option too, so some gender equality, and also spreading the name of Mary, so not entirely bad? @bhiggi

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  4. Not entirely sure that reducing Mary W. to a clothes horse would have been her idea of progress! What a strange and inaccurate set of choices, but fun none- the-less!

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  5. Thank you, Mike and Anon, for dropping by. Would you give these to impressionable young children? Perhaps mix up the generations and genders of costume? If you love Mary, I have lots more for you!

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  6. Hey guys,

    You have provided a very good site to knowing about Paper doll dress. This dress is comfy and perfect for layering, it will look so cute in the cool weather with ribbed tights and clunky brown boots...

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  7. Oh look, my first spam comment! I think I will preserve it for posterity,or at least for now.

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