Today I get to share with you one of my favorite vintage printables – a color fashion plate from the April 1914 Issue of McCall’s Magazine:

Vintage Fashion Plate - Click to View Large Printable

These gowns were intended as “semi-formal attire for social affairs”. They were featured in the magazine as sewing patterns made by McCall’s (oh, how I wish I could get my hands on one of those!!). These are Titanic-era dresses – this issue was just two years after the sinking of the ship in April 1912. The magazine features their fashion advice for the spring of 1914:

• Dresses should be made of taffeta, light weight wool, blue serges or gabardines.
• Coats should be short, not more than hip length at most, like boleros or an Eton jacket.
• When combining materials, the skirts are usually developed in checked materials with the “jaunty short coat” in a plain fabric to match the color of the check.
• And “plain white coat suits are in greater favor than ever this spring for street wear, as well as for sports and outings of all kinds.”