What attracted me to these magazines in the first place was that they weren’t just about fashion. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course, but Femina and La VIe Heureuse were constantly pushing women to achieve in all sorts of new realms, even as they cultivated some very traditional notions of femininity. Sometimes, though, it really is all about the fashion, so why fight it? Just enjoy
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Of course, I should add, it’s never really just about fashion. The beautifully illustrated spread below is a poetic meditation on clothing’s capacity to transport us across space and time. The loose cut of the peplum fabrics, writes the author, transform dresses into “sails, carrying our dreams and our illusions.”
Scholar, Writer, Teacher 