Children's Christmas Party Costumes

Costumes from 1914: Mistletoe, Christmas
carol, a Christmas tree and Plum pudding.

The Child at The Christmas Party 

 

       "Every child likes to "dress up" and at Christmastime it will be especially good fun to "make believe" that one is a Christmas candle whom all the other children will want to "puff" out, or a charming little Christmas Carol whose lips have ready a snatch of song. the Christmas Tree will be a little beauty and all the little boys will want to pluck a souvenir.
       The Plum Pudding looks real enough to whet one's appetite, and what party would be complete without  a Snapping Motto? The lively Christmas Greens, Poinsettia and Holly, and the more demure Mistletoe will add to the festive atmosphere.
       The children themselves will enjoy making the miniature trimmings on the Christmas Tree costume. The candy canes are made by winding wire with crepe paper until they are as thick as may be desired. the wire is first bent to form the crook. A narrow strip of red paper is then wound around this, covering only part of the white to make it look like real candy cane. For the beads the paper is cut in pennant shape, and starting at the wide end, is wound around a hatpin. The pointed end is held down with a bit of paste. the hatpin slips out and a tinsel cord is run through, on which the beads hang.
       While these costumes may appear difficult to make they are not really so, and developed at home are comparatively inexpensive. Not only at children's parties, but also at children's Christmas entertainments do these costumes add a pretty realism to the parts the children are to perform. Crepe paper, matboard, wire, paste, a bit of ribbon, etc., are all the materials needed. Each costume is made on a cotton-slip foundation.
       A new effect in the use of crepe paper is now being obtained by fringing it as shown on the Carol costume. This gives a wavy, fluffy look that is very pleasing."

Designs are by Jessie Gillespie, 1914

Children's Christmas party costumes, Left to right: candle, holly, a Christmas cracker and poinsettia.

How girls wore their hair in 1915

        According to the original commentary about the following hair styles, bobbed hair cuts were all the rage in 1915, but some young girls with long locks were somewhat hesitant to cut them off. Hence, the popularity of tying the hair up with all kinds of combs and headbands in order to make the hair only appear shorter. The combs and hair trims below were popular to use along with the Japanese ''geisha rolls" at the back of the neck. By 1920, short haircuts really were more prevalent. 

Combs and fancy hair ribbons from 1910-1920 were very popular.

Summer Aprons From 1915

        Eleven summer apron designs from 1915 sewn from lawn, Swiss, gingham and linen. "The change of fashions in aprons follows noticeably that of our indoor dresses, making them easy and comfortable to wear when occasion requires. Those for general utility purposes practically cover the dress, and are most becoming. They are cut low at the neck. The armholes are long where the waist part extends from front to back, while others have the waist effect only in the front, with suspenders at the back, fastening at the waistline. Down in the right-hand corner we have a festive design for light housework, and they may, in your opinion, have a rival on the opposite side in quite a different design for the same purpose. However, both are good. Small fancy aprons of plain or flowered muslin (right and left) are quite necessary to have on hand for various purposes--when cooking the chafing-dish supper, serving the afternoon tea, or to lend to one's guest who may want to make a fancy dessert, and so on."

Charming drawings of apron fashions by M. E. Musselman.