Influencing Fashion

Written by	Jeanine Head Miller

Jeanine Head Miller is curator of domestic life at The Henry Ford.

Magazines and catalogs have encouraged a desire for fashion since the late 19th century. Serving as style guides, they spread news of trends to those eager to keep up with the latest looks. Though high fashion might be out of reach for some, looking stylish is not.

"Godey's Fashions for February 1862"

Before magazines chiefly devoted to fashion emerged, hand-colored illustrations (fashion plates) in women's magazines helped keep readers up to date on trends.

View Artifact

"Harper's Bazar," Vol. 1, November 1867-December 1868

In 1867, Harper's Bazaar (then spelled Bazar) became the first American women's magazine largely devoted to fashion. The magazine's illustrations could be shown to hometown dressmakers for adaptation, while its paper patterns helped other women create affordable, stylish clothing for their families.

View Artifact

"The Delineator, a Journal of Fashion, Culture and Fine Arts," Vol. 43, No. 2, February 1894

Apparel pattern maker Ebenezer Butterick created The Delineator magazine in 1873 to begin marketing his paper patterns to home sewists.

View Artifact

"Edward B. Grossman & Co. Mail-Order Catalog for Summer, 1897" - Edward B. Grossman & Company

Mail-order businesses like manufacturer Edward B. Grossman of Chicago brought stylish, ready-made, affordable clothing to urban and rural households alike. Fashion could be shipped almost anywhere.

View Artifact

Nugents Sales Catalog, "St. Louis Fashion Book Number 59," circa 1913

Nugents not only offered affordable style at their St. Louis, Missouri, department store, but enticed customers with a mail-order catalog featuring fashions for men, women, and children.

View Artifact

Montgomery Ward Suit Catalog, "Made to Measure All Wool Suits," 1932

Popular mail-order catalogs such as Montgomery Ward, found in American homes coast-to-coast, were an important means of communicating current trends to the everyday consumer. Montgomery Ward even offered stylish "made to measure" suits for men.

View Artifact

McCall Style News for January 1938

McCall's patterns provided women on a budget or those with sewing skills a "short cut to Paris style."

View Artifact

"Vogue" Magazine for August 1948

Vogue, which began publishing in 1892, set high standards for fashion journalism, featuring couture as well as selected American ready-to-wear makers. By the late 20th century, it had become America's preeminent fashion publication. "As seen in Vogue" provided instant credibility — and sales.

View Artifact

"Esquire," September 1960

Magazines aimed at a male readership have highlighted men's fashion. Esquire debuted in 1933 while the magazine Gentlemen's Quarterly, now known as GQ, has covered men's style since 1957.

View Artifact

Advertising Poster, Ebony Magazine Cover, October 1960

Eunice Johnson and her husband, Ebony magazine publisher John H. Johnson, played a key role in bringing high fashion to the Black middle class. The annual fashion show, Ebony Fashion Fair, traveled across the country presenting the latest in high style from big-city venues to high school gyms. This event was empowering for attendees, along with countless others who experienced Fashion Fair's runway on the pages of Ebony.

View Artifact

"Look," November 28, 1967

Fashion advice on cosmetics also appeared in magazines. A spread in this Look magazine offered ideas for using one's face to make a fashion statement.

View Artifact

"Sears Catalog Style," 1989 Volume 4

By the time this 1989 Sears Style Catalog was published, mass produced clothing, mass media advertising, and transportation networks for quicker product delivery had encouraged frequent style changes for over a century -- continually tempting potential customers with fresh fashions.

View Artifact

Magazine, "Seventeen," August 1999

Seventeen began publication in July 1944, as "teenagers" emerged as a recognized force — one with money to spend. The magazine heightened the role of teenagers as consumers of fashion and popular culture. The "star style" article in this August 1999 issue of Seventeen featured actress Keri Russell and her "comfy" fashions within the price range of many teens.

View Artifact

Ladies Home Journal, "Michelle Obama: An Intimate Chat with the First Lady and the President," September 2012

On the pages of this Ladies' Home Journal, actress Stana Katic inspired with runway trends designed to appeal to LHJ's readers. Celebrities continue to influence fashion choices.

View Artifact