MOD DOLLS

Part 4

Dolls that define the Mod Era are the Mod Barbies including Francie, Twiggy, and Julia (Diahann Carroll).  Crissy and Velvet have both Mod and Hippie clothes.  The 6” tall Dawn line has a remarkable Mod wardrobe. Tiffany Taylor, although more disco era, has the exaggerated eye make -up that I remember wearing.

In the late 1990s Doug James and Laura Meisner introduced the Somers and Field dolls.  According to their story line Willow Somers and Daisy Fields were “Mod Birds” who lived in London in the 1960s. Their fathers owned the Somers and Field department store.  Willow is British and Daisy is British/Indian.  This line was made by Knickerbocker and their clothes represent the designers’ love affair with the Mod era.

Look at the pictures here and see if you remember having any of these outfits.  Not sure if you were a hippie or a Mod?  Then, my dear, you must have been a square.

 

MOD DOLLS

Part 3

 

 

Both sexes wore clothes decorated with the Union Jack or Pop Art designs.  Dessert boots or Beatle boots were popular with both sexes.

What were the social changes that influenced this movement?  You have a group of young people who came of age well after WWII.  They grew up in a world with a strong middle class.  Mod culture was influenced by music, notably R&B and blues. The sappy pop music produced for white teens in the ‘50s was rejected.   Mod youngsters would often hang out at coffee houses, enjoying the music and meeting other Mods.

Of note, more young women were working albeit often at low paying jobs.  If you were a young woman out and about you would want to mark your place in the world and what better way to do it than clothes?  When you reject your mother’s clothes, you reject your mother’s values (you think).  You are defining the world and your place in it for yourself.

Colorforms Dawn Dolls





Mod Era
 Part 2

 For girls it was the mini skirt, tights, and go-go boots.  The androgynous look was also popular for girls.  The peacock wing evolved into what was known as the Swinging London style.  Eyes were what counted when it came to makeup.  Dramatic eye makeup was enhanced with false eyelashes.  Twiggy,  Jean Shrimpton and Peggy Moffit were the icons for this movement.

Both sexes wore clothes decorated with the Union  Jack or Pop Art designs.  Dessert boots or Beatle boots were popular with both sexes.

I have been working on a program about the Mod Era for one of my doll clubs.  Here's a little of the program plus a couple of Flatsies and a doll from the Willow and Daisy series.  My Mod Era paper doll book is still available.

The Mod Era



The Mod Era began in England the early 196os and rapidly spread to youths around the world.  It is believed to be the successor to the Beatniks,   Mod being short for Modernists, a term the Beatniks used.  Mod culture unlike the co-existent Hippie culture embraced consumerism.

In Mod culture clothing was very important.  If you think about the early Beatles in their well-tailored tight-pantsed suits, you see what the boys were wearing.  Male Mods wore tailor made suits, thin ties, and button-down collar shirts.

Some Christmas Postcards

I like to go to antique co-ops but I don't always find a doll worthy of buying.  A little item that doesn't cost much, doesn't take up a lot of space, and feeds my need for visual stimulation is the post card.  Here are two from my collection for Christmas.   The one on the left is postmarked 1907.  The other says 1920.
The little verse reads
   May Santa have treasures for you in store.
      All that you wish for and even more,
   So that your Christmas be full of joy,
      Goodies delight you, and many a toy.

Surprise Paper Doll Find

Surprise Findings

   I love wandering through antique co-ops.  You never know what you might find.  On a recent trip I found two interesting cut paper doll sets.  I like cut sets and even though I know they are seldom complete, they make good additions to my research on fashion history.

   One set I found had a glamour puss paper doll named Lola Talley.  Who the heck was she?  I wanted to know more so I searched the web.  The story is in the latest issue of Doll Castle News.

 





I made a video of my paper doll art.  It is available on YouTube as Lauren Welker's Original Paper Dolls.