Late Edwardian Fashion Illustrations, Style Advice, Recipes and Advertisements

These captivating pages of Edwardian fashion drawings are a window into a bygone era. Found in The Modern Priscilla magazine from April 1917, these illustrations and articles not only provide style advice tailored to the Edwardian woman but reveal valuable glimpses into the cultural and social norms of the time. This particular issue featured advice on summer styles for the 1917 bride, house dresses, and elegant negligees. It also highlighted summer styles for children and chic spring coats designed for grown-ups. Such styles reflected a transitional period, where practicality met refinement as Edwardian fashion began to usher in elements of modernity on the heels of World War I.

One of the most fascinating inclusions in this magazine was a full-page advertisement encouraging the use of baking powder as a substitute for eggs, cleverly designed to address the food shortages that became common during the war years. Baking powder advertisements like these were more than just clever marketing—they were a reflection of the sacrifices and ingenuity required of homemakers at the time. Women were encouraged to adapt recipes and maintain domestic life despite limited resources, demonstrating their resilience as they supported the war effort at home.

The Modern Priscilla magazine was an absolute staple for resourceful women in the early 20th century, providing an invaluable mix of domestic advice, tutorials, and editorial content. By 1917, it had become a leading publication for DIY homemaking, with tips spanning from sewing patterns and embroidery designs to recipes like the ones found here. It gave women the tools to dress their families stylishly, even when budgets were tight, and to create fashionable garments often based on the magazine’s detailed illustrations and sewing patterns. While it catered to home sewers with middle-class aspirations, its content also reflected the broader Edwardian ideals of elegance, productivity, and technological progress in the domestic sphere.

The fashion trends highlighted in this issue illustrate the transformative Edwardian era—a time when fashion moved away from the restrictive corsetry and full skirts of the Victorian period toward simpler silhouettes characterized by the emerging high waistlines, flowing skirts, and softer fabrication of the “Directoire Revival” influence. Designs for house dresses emphasized functionality while steering away from the flamboyance of previous decades. Neat tailoring and embroidery, often self-created, symbolized both feminine refinement and industriousness.

The children’s summer styles featured in The Modern Priscilla also reflected the versatility and optimism often associated with spring and summer. Light fabrics, pastel shades, and practical designs dominated the section, intended to accommodate active lifestyles while still projecting innocence and charm. For the modern woman of the Edwardian age, practicality did not mean abandoning beauty or style; there was always an artistic flair to every outfit, whether for children or grown-ups.

The magazine also gave attention to outerwear, especially spring coats for women, which were inspired by a muted sense of Edwardian opulence. Luxurious fabrics like wool and tweed were often paired with understated embroidery or soft fur collars, bridging Edwardian grandeur with modern practicality. Such fashion elements painted a clear portrait of how women’s roles and responsibilities evolved during wartime—including their clothing, which had to adapt to a world that demanded practicality yet retained grace and femininity.

Advertisements punctuated the margins of magazine pages with fashionable updates and practical solutions. Featured baking powder ads, for instance, reflected not only economical cooking tips but the broader socio-economic context shaped by food conservation movements in the United States, such as “Wheatless Wednesdays” and “Meatless Mondays” initiatives. These campaigns were designed to support Allied troops abroad by encouraging women and families to conserve consumable resources at home. In this era, domestic duties and frugality were elevated to acts of patriotism.

To preserve these treasures of history, I meticulously scanned these pages twice to ensure that no details were lost. These ads and fashion patterns are vital snapshots of Edwardian life, offering glimpses into the daily experiences and cultural nuances that shaped this era. They remind us how women of the early 20th century juggled personal style, societal expectations, and the demands of living in wartime—with the aid of publications like The Modern Priscilla, which served as a guide, inspiration, and companion to the modern Edwardian woman.

Enjoy this fascinating peek into Edwardian fashion and era-specific advice from over a century ago. It’s remarkable how much these women accomplished, blending creativity, elegance, and frugality in response to the challenges of their time.