Black & White

Pearl in Pulpy Fantasy Armor

Today's printable paper doll celebrates pulpy fantasy armor. She's got long blond hair with redbraids and leather armor, boots and sandals. Free to print in color or black and white.

Black and White PDF | Color PDF | More Jewels & Gemstones Paper Dolls

Thoughts on Today’s Paper Doll
One of the quirky thing about creating a long term project like Paper Thin Personas is that I tend to think “Oh, everyone reads every post” and then reality is that most people don’t read every post. I probably shouldn’t worry so much about repeating myself when I write these posts.

So, at the danger of repeating myself, I should say that today’s paper doll is a theme I have done many times before. I do love pulpy improbable fantasy armor.

I get that this armor caters to the “male gaze.” I understand it wouldn’t work to possibly defend yourself. And I know it’s completely illogical, sexualized, and ridiculous.

And I really don’t care- I still like it.

I believe that the best thing you can do when you like something is to draw it, because you like it. No one else has to be pleased or satisfied with my paper dolls, but me.

Well, me and my Patrons, but they’re a pretty supportive lot.

Inspiration for Today’s Paper Doll
I watched a lot of Xena: Warrior Princess and I love the old pulp comics like Flash Gordon.

Specific Source Images:Callisto’s Armor from Xena: Warrior Princess

Learn/See More
On the Blog: More Paper Doll Armor & More Jewels & Gemstones Paper Dolls
Around the Internet: Women Fighters In Reasonable Armor (aka: Not What This Paper Doll Wears) & My Fantasy Armor Pinterest Board

Last Thoughts
Tomorrow will be the first Archives post featuring fairy paper dolls. It should be super fun. I didn’t realize how many fairies I had drawn over the years.

Over on Patreon there will be an exclusive snow princess paper doll for my Patrons. Join and you can see her, too.

Steampunk Sapphire with her Fantastic Top Hat

Today's black steampunk paper doll has her own fancy top hat and a great outfit, plus two pairs of shoes. You can print the paper doll in color or black and white, if you like to color.

Black and White PDF | Color PDF | More Jewels & Gemstones Paper Dolls

Thoughts on Today’s Paper Doll
Continuing my Gemstone naming theme, Sapphire is today’s black steampunk paper doll. I probably should get better at spelling Sapphire, because I keep wanting to give the word two Rs.

Steampunk, which is today’s paper doll style, is a style based on the idea of Victorian clothing crossed with anachronistic styles. So, corsets, bustles, top hats and such combined in ways they never would have been combined in the actual 19th century.

Personally, I’m a bit conflicted about steampunk (especially the fiction), because I rarely see the genre engaging with the inherent colonial and racist underpinnings of British and American empire building in the 19th century. So, while I love the fashion, but I don’t want to glorify that period in history, or any period, actually. There’s no magical Golden Age.

One interesting thing I recently discovered is steamfunk which is an afro-futuristic approach to steampunk and engages in this same issue. I need to learn more about it. I literally discovered it last week.

Inspiration for Today’s Paper Doll
I wanted to do a steampunk paper doll. That’s all really. Also, I’m kinda in love with her hat.

Plus, I know I have some Patrons who love steampunk fashion and I couldn’t imagine starting out the new series with out doing at least one steampunk set.

Specific Source Images: This Wig & King’s Road Corset from Violet Vixen (the corset isn’t on their website anymore, hence the Pinterest link)

Learn/See More
On the Blog: Steampunk Paper Dolls, Victorian Inspired Paper Dolls, & More Jewels & Gemstones Paper Dolls
Around the Internet: Steampunk as Defined on Wikipedia, My Steampunk Pinterest Board, The Intersection of Race and Steampunk from Silver Goggles (from 2009, but still well worth a read), & Chronicles of Harriet article on Steamfunk

Last Thoughts
Is it wrong that a part of me still sees steampunk fashion as super close to old school Victorian inspired goth fashion? I feel like there are steampunk purists who would question that.

I do have a Patreon page where I have exclusive content and such, if you’re interested.

Steampunk? Are you into it? Not into it? Have a book recommendation for me in the genre? Drop me a note in the comments.

Ruby Celebrates the New Year

Today's paper doll is a redhead with a gown based on the Marchesa designs, purses and matching shoes. She can be printed in color or in black and white.

Black and White PDF | Color PDF | More Jewels & Gemstones Paper Dolls

Thoughts on Today’s Paper Doll
I try to walk a line between being specific in each of my paper doll designs and being general. So, today’s formal gown and shoes are both coordinated, but I chose colors and styles that could be worn with other future evening wear. I don’t have any more paper doll evening wear yet, but I will eventually. It’s not like this is the only paper doll with an evening gown I plan to draw ever.

Plus, I think her hair style could be either steampunk or wedding or evening or… there’s a lot of options in that hairstyle.

Also, can someone explain to me why evening clutches are always too small to actually hold anything useful? Sometimes a girl needs more than just lipstick and her phone.

Inspiration for Today’s Paper Doll
The name Ruby, because that seemed so fitting for a redhead paper doll. Cliche perhaps, but I can live with that. Plus I do love redhead paper dolls. Always have.

Something about New Years always makes me think formal gowns and when it comes to formal gowns, I love gowns by Marchesa.

Specific Source Images: Sofia Vergara’s 2016 Oscar Gown by Marchesa & this Wedding Hairstyle from my Hair Pinterest Board

Learn/See More
On the Blog: Paper Doll Evening Gowns, New Years Paper Dolls, & More Jewels & Gemstones Paper Dolls
Around the Internet: My Hair Pinterest Board, Boot’s amazing Marchesa Paper Dolls Gowns & Marchesa’s Website

Last Thoughts
I hope everyone who has today off is having a lovely New Years day.

There is unique content on Patreon, including a totally an exclusive Friday paper doll.

As always, I love to hear what folks are thinking in the comments. Do you love redhead paper dolls as much I do?

Opal In Sailor Lolita Fashion

Today's paper doll is a foray into sailor Lolita fashion which is a Japanese street style based on Victorian children's clothing.

Black and White PDF | Color PDF | More Jewels & Gemstones Paper Dolls

Thoughts on Today’s Paper Doll
Caveat: I am not Japanese. I have never been to Japan. I don’t really know what I am doing here.

I am fascinated by Japanese street fashion, specifically Lolita. Lolita is a Japanese street style heavily influenced by Victorian children’s clothing. It relies on outfits, known as coordinates, usually around a specific theme. Part of why I find Lolita interesting is that I am very familiar with how Europe reinterprets Asian styles. However, Lolita is how Japan reinterprets Western styles.

From a paper doll perspective, the heavy coordination that underlies the aesthetic is super fun. It’s not a strawberry covered dress, for example, but a strawberry dress with matching bag, tights, shoes and headpiece. Who doesn’t want to draw that?

Inspiration for Today’s Paper Doll
There are dozens of sub-genres in Lolita fashion. I chose sailor Lolita for today’s paper doll. It’s a nautical inspired style, not to be confused with pirate Lolita or actual Japanese school uniforms which often are also sailor influenced.

Specific Source Images: Sailor Lolita Dress by Dear Margaret, Sailor Hat from Alice & the Pirates, & Shoes by CodeNoir (technically for a BJD, but I can live with that)

Learn/See More
On the Blog: More Lolita Paper Dolls & More Jewels & Gemstones Paper Dolls
Around the Internet: Wikipedia’s Lolita Article, My Pinterest Board of Lolita Fashion, Magical Girl Me (Fashion Blog), F Yeah Lolita (Fashion blog), & Lolilibrary (An Archive of Lolita clothing, very much work in progress)

Last Thoughts
You can see exclusive content & help support Paper Thin Peronas on Patreon.

Be sure to let me know what you think of the new paper doll series in the comments.

And this is certainly not my last foray into Lolita fashion. I love this style.

Paper Doll Collaboration December 2018 Ugly Holiday Sweaters!

A black and white paper doll coloring page of a Hanukkah sweater, pants and shoes from paperthinpersonas.com.
Black and White Paper Doll PDF Paper Doll Collaboration 2018

This month’s collaborative theme was Ugly Sweaters of the holiday theme. I, being Jewish, settled on an ugly Hanukkah sweater. I chose this design, but I confess I’m not sure the menorah is obviously a menorah. None the less, I had a good time designing it.

This is the last Collab paper doll for 2018! And on Monday the 31st, there will be a new paper doll series debuting. I couldn’t be more excited (and nervous) about that.

As usual, Paper Doll School and Miss Missy Paper Dolls also have Collaborative Paper Doll Project posts up and I can’t wait to see their ugly holiday sweaters. I love sweaters, though I don’t own any holiday sweaters.

Next year, there will be another paper doll collab project. I’ll share details just as soon as me and my cohorts make some final decisions.

Need a paper doll to wear these clothes? Grab her and more clothing here.

1960s Dresses from the Pages of Sears

A pair of 1960s paper doll dress straight from the pages of vintage Sears catalogs. Both dresses are available in color or black and white.
Printable Black & White PDF Printable Color PDF More Paper Dolls & Clothes

First off, I know this is Christmas Eve and while I don’t celebrate, I wanted wish a Merry Christmas to everyone who does. I hope your holiday is full of laughter, joy and a minimum of family drama.

And now… paper dolls!

If you’re interested in the history of clothing (as I am), Sears catalogs are a goldmine. Unlike the fashion magazines which often show the latest styles of the top designers, Sears (and others) show what most women actually wore day to day. The pricing and color information also provide a valuable window into how much items cost and what sorts of colors were popular.

Due to copyright, full reproductions of Sears catalogs aren’t always possible, but Dover has a series of books that reprint selected pages. Everyday Fashions of the Sixties As Pictured in Sears Catalogs was the source for today’s dresses.  The dress on the left is from 1967 Sears catalog and the dress on the right is from 1960.

The purse is from 1960 and you can see it on The Met’s website.

On a slightly sad note, today’s post is the last Dames & Dandies post for a while. There have been over 120 Dames & Dandies paper doll posts, so there’s plenty to explore there.

For the first quarter of 2019, I plan to be working on a new series called Jewels & Gemstones (yes, the ampersand is my favorite piece of punctuation). I am super excited about this new series and it will debut on December 31st. Wednesday, there will be a longer preview post and Friday the last of the Paper Doll Collaborative 2018 will post.

Questions? Ask me in a comment and I will reply.

Need some clothing for today’s paper doll? All the A Pose Dolls & Clothing

A 1960s Twiggy Inspired Aisha

A 1960's Twiggy inspired paper doll with three pairs of historical shoes to print in color or black and white. Her Rudi Gernreich inspired underwear is also historically accurate.
Printable Black & White PDF Printable Color PDF More Paper Dolls & Clothes

If Monday’s Abigail was an ode to the beehives of the early 1960s, than today’s Aisha is a nod to Twiggy and the styles of the later sixties. Twiggy, real name Lesley Hornby, was a famous model of the later 1960s. Her androgynous look was long eyelashes, short hair and big eyes. Well, all my paper dolls have big eyes, but I did add additional eyelashes to Aisha. Here is the official Twiggy website with photos of her modeling work in the 1960s.

Interestingly, Twiggy was the beginning of the fashionable obsession with youth. She was only 17 when she reached her stardom. Today, trends are driven by younger and younger consumers. There has always been an interest in “looking young” in fashion, but the late 1960s really instilled it into our culture, I think.

As with all my historical paper dolls, there are sources. The hair was obviously Twiggy inspired. Her underwear is based on this Rudi Gernreich bra from the Met Museum. Rudi Gernreich is most famous for his topless monokini. The bra she wears is based on his “no bra” concept, which was a bra, but without any support or padding. It is notable that this design was only available in small cup sizes. This highlights the obsession with the “youthful” boyish figure of the era.

Let’s talk about shoes (one of my favorite things to draw). The black and white pair of shoes are from 1966-1968. The white strappy pair are from the 1960s. The ones with the bow were originally pink from 1962. All are from the V&A museum which has a great costume history collection.

One last announcement, I should make the Dames and Dandies series will be going on hiatus in 2019, so I can debut my new series called Jewels & Gemstones (Thank you Patrons for voting on that). It will be a single doll pose for the first quarter of 2019. After that quarter, it will be time to reassess where things are. I’ll share more Wednesday of next week. Monday will be the last Dames & Dandies post for the foreseeable future. It’s more 1960s stuff.

Feel free to ask any questions you might have and I’ll answer if I can. You can see a preview of the new doll on my Patreon page.

Need some clothing for today’s paper doll? All the A Pose Dolls & Clothing

1960s Dresses from Sewing Patterns

1960s sewing pattern cover inspired paper doll dresses. One from 1961 and one from 1967. Both dresses are historically accurate and free to print.

Printable Black & White PDF Printable Color PDF More Paper Dolls & Clothes
One of the fascinating things about fashion is that it is never one thing. Simultaneously to the mod fashion movement that the 1960s are so associated with, there was a second thread of fashion that was more sophisticated and modest. Think Jackie Kennedy vs Twiggy, you know? (If you don’t know, check out the books at the bottom of this page.) So, today’s dresses are both of the more conservative, clean styles that were popular as well.

(And yes, yesterday’s Abigail paper doll can wear that hat, despite her insane beehive, I made sure.)

The dress on the left is based on this sewing pattern cover, the dress on the right is based on this sewing pattern cover, the hat I sort of cobbled together based on a bunch of different hats and the purse is Gucci and you can see it here.

But wait, you’re thinking, what if I want more 1960s costume history? What if I want an actual bibliography of the books you used for this week and Monday?

Well, I’m so glad you asked.

1960s History Fashion Sources

Hill, Colleen. Paris Refashioned, 1957-1968. Yale University Press, 2017.
Magidson, Phyllis, and Donald Albrecht. Mod New York: Fashion Takes a Trip. Monacelli Press, 2017.
Olian, JoAnne. Everyday Fashions of the Sixties As Pictured In Sears Catalogs. Dover, 1998.
Walford, Jonathan. Sixties Fashion: from ‘Less Is More’ to Youthquake. Thames & Hudson, 2013.

These are all great books that I highly recommend. You can probably get them all from the library. 

Need a doll to wear today’s paper doll clothing? All the A Pose Dolls & Clothing

And 1960s Week Begins with Abigail!

This week's paper doll theme is 1960s styles and here's Abigail with shoes and beehive hair. She wears a body suit and has three pairs of period shoes.

Printable Black & White PDF Printable Color PDF More Paper Dolls & Clothes
I knew I wanted to draw a 1960s paper doll and I knew I wanted to do a beehive hair. And lest you think that this hair is “unrealistic” than I would refer to the Ronnetts (this photo) and the Supremes (this photo), both inspirations for today’s Abigail paper doll’s hair. As I’ve said before, finding historical references for black vintage hair styles is not an easy task and the copyright law nuances make it much harder.

Now, if Ebony would just digitize their entire archive and put it online for free for me, that would be fantastic… But since I don’t see that happening soon. I went with my usual “find famous people and copy them, technique.”

If there is one thing I will never fully understand, it’s 1960s hair. I mean, I get wanting a little lift in your hair, but seriously, the 1960s took the big hair thing to a whole different level. Unlike the 1980s, 1960s big hair was stiff. One might even use the term shellacked. At least, that’s what I’ve been told by people who lived in that era. I asked a woman once, after looking at her yearbook photo with her, how she’d gotten her hair like that and she replied to me, deadpan, “One hour and hairspray.”

Ask a dumb question…

Anyway, Abigail’s underwear is based on this Mary Quant designed body suit. Her shoes can all be found in the V&A. I did make them different colors, but the styles are here, here and here.

If you want to see all my 1960s inspiration, as we are heading into a week of 1960s content, head over to my 1960s Pinterest Board.

Need some clothing for today’s paper doll? All the A Pose Dolls & Clothing

A Second Foray Into Minimalism

A minimalist dress paper doll outfit with boots and a bag.

Printable Black & White PDF Printable Color PDF More Paper Dolls & Clothes
As I said that last time I posted a minimalism fashion set, I love how with minimalist fashion the simplicity makes every line matter. The shapes of these garments demand discipline, because one line out of place and you can see it.

In this dresses case I almost prefer the black and white version, because you can really see the line work.

And if you have a moment, think about becoming a Patron or following the blog/me on Instagram or telling a friend about it.

Need  a doll for today’s clothing? All the B Pose Dolls & Clothing