Today I’ve got another cover from my small collection of Fashionable Dress magazines. As I mentioned earlier, this magazine was primarily a sewing pattern catalog, but it also featured articles on the latest fashions from Paris, the latest information on health and fitness, entertainment news and travel.
Most of the covers were the work of Evelyn Browne, and she also did some illustrations for the inside of the magazine. I have not found any information on her, and it is possible that she was the in-house illustrator for Fashionable Dress. Any information about Ms. Browne is appreciated.
I’ve got to admire Browne’s skill in conveying the feel of the fabric with just the use of contrasting lines. Does anyone else see velvet or velveteen?
And while I find the work to be stunning, I do think the fashion of draping a dead animal across one’s shoulder is a bit bizarre. It is interesting how sensibilities concerning how fur is portrayed has changed. A lot of people have no problem wearing fur even today, but I do think most would balk at wearing a fur complete with head, legs and tail.
Illustrator: Evelyn Browne
Copyright: Not known. The Fashionable Dress Publishing Company (1915-1930) was absorbed by Fashionist in 1931.
The Vintage Traveler 
Gorgeous cover but you’re right… I’m not sure you’d be seeing a head to tail fur like that on a model’s shoulder these days.
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They were still worn in the 50s by my relatives and very highly thought of. I still wear both mink and sable. No heads or tails, though.
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Yes, I’ve seen those little looooong skinny minks with a clip in the mouth and little glass eyes.And people wore them without thinking a thing about it, but today I think that few people would be comfortable wearing what is obviously a dead animal. It’s something about those eyes…
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Yes, I too see – and feel velvet. Lovely use of line and colour.
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Was wool jersey used in the 20s? I was sort of wondering because of the draping around the waist, neck, and wrists. It’s in one of my favorite colors, sort of a burnt orange?
I agree that having a dead animal intact hanging around ones neck is not appealing to me. But I have adopted a few homeless fur collars from EBay and do enjoy changing a look by throwing a collar on it.
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Yes, Chanel pioneered the use of jersey in women’s clothing in the 1910s.
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Pingback: Fashionable Dress, November, 1927 | The Vintage Traveler
Hello…I think the burnt orange fabric is Jersey….also Jersey wrap on the hat. Thanks for the info about Chanel pioneering the use of Jersey in 1910. Great outfit. Evelyn Browne appears to be better at drawing fashions than she is with animals.
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