Journal des Dames et des Modes, No. 70 (1 May 1914)
Not on view
70th issue of the "Journal des dames et des modes", published on May 1st, 1914. This issue forms part of the second half of a collection of 36 volumes of the Journal des dames et des modes (June 1, 1913 - May 20, 1914, numbers 37-72), and contains 2 unnumbered leaves of advertisements, 8 pages of text (numbered (105)-112), and three plates (numbered 158-160), two of them illustrated by Gerda Wegener and H. Robert Dammy. The texts in the issue reveal a trend for blouses of different color and a renewed taste for large dresses of the style of the gowns represented by Winterhalter in the 19th century. The issue also contains a commentary on SEM's most recent publication, "Le vrai et le faux chic", claiming that, although it highlights the reality of exaggerated fashions, its weakness lies in that it focuses on ridicule and caricature, seemingly criticizing women for being too large, rather than criticizing the clothes they wear. Finally, the fashion section of this issue reveals a fashion for cream-colored gowns decorated with pearls, for feathered scarves, and for gloves with small metallic decorations.
The "Journal des dames et des modes" was published in Paris by Vaugirard between June 1, 1912 and August 1, 1914. Inspired on an earlier journal of the same title (also known as "La Mésangère", which disappeared in 1839), the "Journal des dames et des modes" appealed to "the curious", lovers of rare editions, who valued fashion journals featuring limited editions with carefully executed fashion illustrations that could be equated to works of art. Each issue of the journal was made up of several texts, including poems, commentaries, and narrations of life in Paris, and hand-colored engravings or pochoir prints, executed in vivid colors and drawn by the leading artists of the day, including George Barbier, Antoine Vallée, Léon Bakst, and Umberto Brunelleschi. The combination of writings and illustrations was meant to be a reflection of the cultural atmosphere in Paris at the time, showcasing the best of intellectual, artistic and fashion creations.
