"Dolling Up" - 1923 International Tailoring Co. Brochure - Great Artwork!

[Hyena Stomp]

So here's another little goodie I picked up recently... a brochure from International Tailoring Company, distributed by a clothing store in Indiana. I love the artwork in this one. You'll notice two interesting styles juxtaposed - cartoon-like characters reminiscent of John Held Jr., and borderline Impressionist paintings of the specific suit models offered. Those little "doll" characters are so cute! By the way, the seller says this is from 1923... I could not find the date printed on it... it's probably right under my nose, though.

 

[Fastuni]

Splendid!

Love the artwork and message... dressing well to show self-respect and respect to others.
Particularly ones "best girl".

The choice of words is interesting.
I'd think that also back then "dolling up" sounded rather feminine compared to say... "dressing up".
Or was it normal parlance without gender connotations at that time?

Regarding the date...
20's American fashion is not my expertise, but I'd have thought that it is rather from the mid-20's (ca. 1925-27). It also mentions "overwide trousers" as part of a fashionable suit. So the bags' craze of ca. 1926 fits in.

 

[Papperskatt]

Very interesting artwork. I think that it looks a little later, though, the button stances seem a bit too low for 1923. But I'm far from an expert.

 

[Rabbit]

Very interesting, thanks for posting.
Dolling up sounds like a word play on dressing up to me, with the little girl in mind, rather than normal parlance like dressing up and smartening up.

The illustrations look somewhat like a softened version of the more aggressive style of Leyendecker, both in stance and expressions of the characters and in some aspects of the background illustrations, like the umbrella behind the lady's head in the image with the Boater and brown jacket on the gent.

 

[Hyena Stomp]

Splendid!

Love the artwork and message... dressing well to show self-respect and respect to others.
Particularly ones "best girl".

The choice of words is interesting.
I'd think that also back then "dolling up" sounded rather feminine compared to say... "dressing up".
Or was it normal parlance without gender connotations at that time?

Regarding the date...
20's American fashion is not my expertise, but I'd have thought that it is rather from the mid-20's (ca. 1925-27). It also mentions "overwide trousers" as part of a fashionable suit. So the bags' craze of ca. 1926 fits in.

Yes indeed, the message is an agreeable one! The whole brochure is just kinda delightful to read I think.

I wonder about the connotation of "dolling up" too... to us, it does have feminine connotations... I have to imagine grown men being compared to dolls would've seemed feminine at the time, too. After all, "action figures" didn't exist back then! But then again, the tone of this literature is very very light, so I guess it's all in good fun.

Yes, mid-20's would make sense given the mention of the wide trousers... I wish there was a date on this one. It was just weird that the seller specifically mentioned 1923. Maybe he made it up!

 

[Papperskatt]

Maybe he made it up!

Wouldn't be the first time that happened.

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

Love the artwork. So funny for a lookbook.

 

[Two Types]

Regarding the question of wide trousers, there was a fashion for wide trousers in the USA earlier than Oxford Bags (is pre-1925). In about 1922 the us President made a speech referring to the fashion and there are other references to bell-bottoms being in fashion. Some claim this was what inspired the Oxford fashion. So the oversized trousers doesn't mean it has to be post 1925.

 

[DamianM]

It doesnt, but the buttoning and cut of the suits along with the style on the women say its a later brochure.

 

[esteban68]

Great find HS.

 

[Hyena Stomp]

I just noticed something; for the most part, the cartoons on the left are who you'll be if you don't get a suit from International Tailoring Co. (i.e. playing golf in your business suit, spending all your money on new clothes, tuxedo's proportions off) and the paintings on the right are who you'll be if you do. Flat and simple vs. elegant and eye-catching. Don't know why it took me so long to realize that, but it's a neat part of the advertising.

 

[tmal]

I noticed that too; very clever. In fact it is quite entertaining advertizing. No "insult your intelligence" crap like today. I'd buy the model 918 suit if I could.