Marion, September 1972

Today, I will show you some of the pages from the issue of Marion magazine for September 1972, published 11 years after the one I showed last week and the most recent of the magazines my aunt gave me.

Like all the issues from the 1970's the cover is sort of a 'fashion drawing' (showing a face, the way fashion magazines do, but sewing magazines usually don't)

The set-up of the magazine hasn't changed much in those 11 years. The size slightly bigger, there is definately another illustrator at work and almost everything is in colour now. But, on the other hand, there is still only one pattern in each size included in the magazine with the rest available by mail order and designs are shown in photographs or in drawings. Oh, and size inflation has struck: the old size 36 is now 34 and so on.

Although some of the 70's magazines have maxi-dresses, that doesn't seem to have been the 'in' look for September 1972.

There is an almost enless parade of colourful mini-dresses.

And these suits and coats, which I like best from all the designs in the entire magazine.

Of course, there are still clothes for children as well, although I'd be spooked by these crazy-eyed illustrations.

And there's something I don't think I've mentioned before: there are plus-size designs. Apperently, they took this seriously because every magazine has a fairly wide selection of these. And it looks to me like they have taken a bit of care in finding styles to flatter a fuller body (although it is obvious that they believe larger sizes are for older women...).

Oh, and there's a pattern in my size. By the early 70's Marion must have been acutely aware of the existance of a teenage target audience because they've done away with the sharp divide between women's and children's wear. The new size 34 is considered the same as the largest size for girls, but there is a section with patterns, meant for young women, available in sizes of about 34 to 40. The dress on the left is included in my size.

Although I love all these old magazines, I'm less infatuated with the 70's ones than I am with the 60's versions. Which makes sense, because when I do 'retro' designs myself, the look is most often 50's or 60's and never really 70's (although I kept wearing boot-cut jeans well into the skinny jeans era. In fact, I've never owned real skinny jeans). Still, the very fact that there's a cute pattern there, in (sort of) my size, which was published before I was born, is motivation in itself to try and make that dress...

P.S. My appologies to those of you who asked me questions through the comments lately, and to those whose blogs I read and wanted to comment to. Blogger has been giving me trouble for the past two weeks. It doesn't stop me from blogging myself but whenever I try to leave a comment, I can type something but when I try to post the comment, the connection is lost. This has happened before but usually it's a one-day thing. Of course I may have been unlucky with picking times for blog-reading...

Anyway, you'll hear from me in comments again as soon as blogger lets me.