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Whether a family bought or made their own clothing at the end of the 19th century depended very much on class. Gordon says, “even for middle class, clothing was primarily made at home” (Gordon 43). Magazines made advertisements for fashions available to many people in different communities, which created a new desire for purchasing and making clothes. Along with the ads came social pressure to look one’s best. Gordon quotes a pattern book from that era: “The female who is utterly regardless of her appearance may be safely pronounced deficient in some of the more important qualities which the term good character implies” (Gordon 86). The quote came from a book of dress patterns, readily available to anyone with the interest, and useful to someone who had the skill, time, and interest to create a refined look. This sentiment, that industry is tied to morality and can be seen in the way someone dresses, is very evident in pages of the Ladies Home Journal.

The Ladies Home Journal

Washington University Modern Graphic History Library

1910s

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