Before the Sidebar of Shame, the Daily Mail had a sideline in annuals for boys and girls. Enid Blyton was a regular contributor of stories to them, and they ran from the 1940s to the 60s.
This is a feature from the 1959 edition, on Fashion for Girls, tips for a teenager’s guide to stylish dressing. Well, not tips so much as a kind of stern bossiness about what the girl of 1959 should be looking like. But what’s new?
Remember, “This tomboy stuff is really rather silly….” And, “In no time, you will find that you are a tidier girl, and one whom people will like much more than before.” And don’t forget, “You must learn to hold in your tummy…”
It was the age of the manmade material, and mentions “the wonder fabric….orlon”, which was the original term for what we now call acrylic.
I love the 1950s design aesthetic and it is beautifully illustrated by its author, Dora Shackell. Looking her up, she also wrote the book Young Girl’s Guide to Intelligent Living. Well, that sounds entirely up my street. Hello, book wishlist!
On balance, I love the 50s look of this so much that I think I’m just going to forget its provenance…
