Think Positive. Maybe That’s Chocolate? McCalls February 1908
I found this issue of McCall’s Magazine, which is chock-full of women wearing long, gored skirts (up to 28 gores!), enormous hats, and shirtwaists (blouses) in a used bookstore. I bought it despite the the stains all over the front. Fortunately, the rest of the issue is unmarked. I like to imagine that some mom with little kids, got a box of chocolates, doled some out to the little ones, and they managed to smear the cover while she wasn’t looking. There was some scolding and some hand washing after that, possibly a few tears, then everyone got a hug.
This issue features some “tailored shirtwaists” which I will feature later, but it is clear that this kind of fancy shirtwaist was still the dressy look in 1908. Which explains why this woman is pondering a love letter and a bouquet of roses in which looks to be an embroidered blouse. McCalls offered plenty of “fancy work” patterns of embroidered design that could be adapted to all kinds of surfaces, whether linens or garments. Dressy shirtwaists could also feature lace insertions which promised a peak of the flesh beneath. All of them are shown with a exaggerated bust and a tiny waist, but this cover girl seems built a bit more along the lines of a real person and was probably drawn from life.
May your Valentine’s Day include some chocolates, smeared or not.
