Dressing to celebrate in 1937

Hospital visiting on Sundays takes rather longer than on other days as there are no buses, so I have to walk there from the station. The train service leaves me with ample time to do this before visiting begins, so today I used some of that time to pop in to Welsh Bridge Books & Collectables, which I had seen from the bus. It didn't have a large selection of craft or costume books, but I did get this.

Home Notes, May 1937

According to the article inside, "Of course you must celebrate the Great Day of May 12th with a new frock", and offers the pattern on the cover, plus the yarn for the accompanying scarf, for one shilling (12 old pence). Given that the magazine issue date is 1 May, and you would have to send off the order and then wait for the package to arrive before you could start either the dress or the scarf, this seems to me to be cutting it a bit fine timewise!

The instructions for both the dress and scarf are given in the magazine.

Dress instructions and cutting layout

Knitting instructions

Like most women's magazines of the time, Home Notes offered its own pattern service. Some of its other patterns appear in the colour centre spread, which features styles available in 40-50 inch bust sizes. Unlike the bracingly forthright Weldon's brand, Home Notes does not use the word "Outsize", or even "Matrons", sticking instead with, "The woman who isn’t particularly slender". Although of course the absurdly elongated 1930s figures still give an impression of slimness.

Patterns in larger sizes

The back cover is taken up with an advertisement for Home Notes' latest Fashion Book magazine.

Summer Fashions for 1937

As well as fiction, handy hints, and a variety of advertisements, the magazine also has an article on planning and making your Coronation summer wardrobe on a budget, but that deserves a post of its own.