Dames & Dandies

A Boho Fashion Paper Doll Mini-Wardrobe for Sunny Summer Days

Paper doll fashions inspired by boho fashion brands. Eight different pieces of paper doll clothing that can combine into over 18 combinations.

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At work, I dress in slacks, white shirts and cardigans, but at home I am a lover of maxi skirts and boho blouses. I love embroidery, texture and handmade looking details. I know some people manage to have a wardrobe that switches between “work” and “home”, but I’ve never really wanted that and would much rather just have a work wardrobe that I wear to work and a home wardrobe that I wear outside work.

I digress.

The point is I really like hippy/boho clothing and I knew I wanted to draw some for the blog. So, here’s a little paper doll boho mini-wardrobe of eight pieces of paper doll clothing. There’s four tops, two bottoms, a romper and a bag. That means (ignoring the bag), there’s about 9 clothing combinations or 18, if you count the bag. 

 In the process of doing this, I also really got to thinking about what makes a Mini-Wardrobe and what just makes a paper doll outfit. I think the answers are: At least six pieces and more than one top and/or bottom. So, that’s my criteria going forward. I feel better when I have criteria. It is probably the librarian in me. 

A little bit of important housekeeping- As you may know the EU recently passed a law called General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which is meant to help people with online privacy (a cause I strongly support), so I’ve been working to make the blog GDPR compliant. You will now need to opt into cookies when you come to the site and opt in to retention of your information (email address and name) when you comment. Nothing about how I handle your information has changed. I have updated the site’s Privacy Policy with more details that will hopefully help illuminate how your data is used on this site.

If you have any questions about any of that, you can ask in a comment or through email. I’ll try to answer the best as I know (but I am not an internet privacy expert or a lawyer).

Or you can let me know what you think of today’s post in a comment and to support the blog, think about donating through Patreon.

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

A 1920s Paper Doll Dress With Hats to Print

A 1920s paper doll dress with hats for the Dames and Dandies paper doll series. The dress has a dropped waist, side bows and a pleated skirt. The hats are both cloches. The designs come from 1927.

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As promised, today I have a 1920s dress to accompany poor Akiko from last week who needed something to wear over her slip and girdle. Today’s 1920s paper doll dress and hats are from Montgomery Ward Fashions of the Twenties edited by JoAnne Olian. The book is a selection of the 1927 Montgomery Ward catalog. I wouldn’t recommend it as anyone’s only 1920s book, because it only covers one year. However, 1927 is a good year to choose, because the later 1920s are what most people picture when they imagine 1920s styles.

Also, the late 1920s are my preferred part of the decade as well.

I really wanted the hats to coordinate with the 1920s paper doll dress. And if you hop back to Akiko from last week, you’ll see one pair of her shoes match the colors in this dress as well.

Part of why I chose this dress to draw is that I liked it, but also because it has so many elements that are typical of the late 1920s. There’s asymmetrical design elements- the neckline and the bows. The line down the side of the body would be flattering on body. 

And given how hard the dropped waist look of this era was to wear, you need any help you can get. 

I also really like the pleated skirt. Pleated skirts were pretty popular. I think, because they provide some movement in a silhouette that can feel a bit like you’re wearing a sack otherwise. I’ve always wanted a pleated skirt, but I haven’t found the right one yet.

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

Summer Shorts for the Paper Doll Men with Stripes

Paper doll men's clothing. Shorts and two t-shirts with stripes. Free to print in color or black and white from paperthinpersonas.com.

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Every guy I know from my brother-in-law to the students I supervise seem to live in shorts and t-shirts. In the South, this seems to be a year around even when it is snowing.

This is the third shorts set I’ve done for the C pose paper doll men. There was the 4th of July set and this set from June.

So, I am going to keep this post short as I am trying to slip it in under the wire of Midnight Central time. Here’s a link to the second color scheme I created on my Patreon page. It’s available to anyone to print and play with.

Meanwhile, let me know what you think of today’s paper doll in a comment (I love to hear from y’all) and consider supporting the blog on Patreon if you want to help off set the costs of keeping it on the internet.

Tune in Monday for the first dress from the 1920s! It’s super cute.

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

A Paper Doll Pirate Outfit for the B Pose Ladies

Pirate costume with hat, sword and treasure map. Free to pirate printables in black and white or in a color.

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Back when I posted this pirate set for the C Pose guy paper dolls, I asked if people would like to see more pirate paper doll outfits. And since I got an adamant ‘yes’ from Annemarie, I decided to go to for it. After all, pirate printables seemed like a fun thing to explore through paper dolls. 

So, here is a lady pirate costume for the B pose paper dolls. It’s totally an exercise in fantasy, but than a lot of my paper dolls are. Along with her stylish outfit, our lady pirate has a treasure map and a handy sword. After the agony of trying to draw a flintlock pistol, I wasn’t doing that again. 

I’ll openly confess that I think part of my love of pirates is directly linked to my love of boats. I adore being out on the water. I grew up in a family that commercially fished, so I grew up on the water. I find it very soothing and peaceful to be out in the ocean- though I am prone to seasickness on the open water. 

I’ve had requests for pirates from a lot of parents who are throwing pirate themed birthday parties. I think this set of pirate printables and my other set for the guys would be really fun for kids. Paper dolls are great ways to encourage storytelling play.

That’s really all I have to say about this one. Tomorrow, there will be some clothes for the C Pose guys. 

Meanwhile, if you want to support the blog, think about donating through Patreon.

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

Akiko’s 1920s Underwear and Shoes

A set of 1920s underwear and shoes for an Asian paper doll named Akiko. She's free from print in color or black and white for coloring.

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I love 1920s fashion. I love the shapes of the dresses, the hats and the shoes. Seriously, I would wear most late 1920s shoes today if I thought I could get away with it. I love the the hair, the art and the literature. I also realize that I would look awful in 1920s dresses. I have curves and this was the era of no curves.

But that’s what paper dolls are for though, isn’t it?

So, for every Monday for the rest of July there will be a 1920s era paper doll or dress (okay, so one paper doll- this one and then dresses).

Akiko is the model for the 1920s underwear. Her hair is based on the hair cut often sported by Anna May Wong, a Chinese American film actress in the 1920s. She was also considered a major style icon, so borrowing her hair style seemed only fitting.

Her undergarments are not entirely accurate. I based her slip on this brassier from The Met without realizing that the cut of the top was not very accurate for a slip. Slips of the era were mostly straight across like this one from the V&A. Anyway, her girdle is based on designs from the early 1920s from my various reference books on the subject.

Her black shoes are based on this pair of evening shoes from 1924. The originals are brocade, but I made mine simple so they’d match more things. The other shoes are based on these shoes from 1920-1925, these shoes and these shoes.

That’s a lot of shoes, but we all know how much I love shoes. If you want to see more 1920s shoes, underwear and dresses than I would recommend hopping over to my 1920s Pinterest board where those things live. If you think you’d like some more 1920s paper dolls than I’ve got quite a few in my 1920s category.

So, tune in next Monday for the first dress for the A Pose Dames from the 1920s. And if you would like to support the blog, then donate through Patreon. It’s always appreciated.

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

A Medieval Inspired Fantasy Gown for the A Pose Dames & The Beginning of a New Collection

A Fantasy Medieval Princess gown for the A Pose printable paper dolls with matching shoes. The gown has an under-gown with long sleeves and an over-gown with flared sleeves. The shoes have attached stockings with garters at the top.

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Some of you who’ve been reading the blog for a while may recall that I’ve done series around specific themes a few times. There was my 1920s Children’s Wardrobe collection and the Fairy Tale and Nursery Rhyme series for the Poppets which I drew for last year. This year, I’ve decided to do a new collection around fantasy medieval princess-ish gowns for the A Pose dames paper dolls and today’s is the first medieval princess gown in the collection. I’ve creatively titled the series- Fantasy Maiden Series. Inspired, I know. 🙂

I’m retroactively adding the first medieval fantasy gown I drew to the collection. I probably should draw some crowns if I want to consider this a medieval princess gown rather than just a medieval fantasy gown. I always forget to draw my princesses crowns. I should get on that. Maybe for another set. 

Today’s gown was inspired the allique designs I often draw on tunics when I’m drawing fantasy men’s clothing- examples include this paper doll set, this paper doll set or this paper doll set. The color scheme was born out of a desire to steer clear of the primary colors I usually use and instead dabble in secondary colors- hence the orange, purple, and green accents with the pink base. I’m quite pleased with this dress in part, because I don’t think it looks like much I have ever drawn before. The shape of the neckline and shorter flared sleeves are both different from many of my other medieval inspired fantasy gowns.

What do you think? Excited about this new collection?

Love the blog? Want to help out? Consider donating through Patreon, liking the facebook page and/or leaving a comment.

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

4th of July Paper Doll Clothing!

A set of 4th of July paper dolls from paperthinpersonas.com.

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Happy 4th of July to those who celebrate!

I am back home in Alaska for the 4th and I am very excited about it. There will be fireworks at 12:01am on the Fourth, because it doesn’t get dark until then in Alaska. I am very excited about that. There’s always a big bon fire on the beach as well.

I decided to do a set of contemporary summery clothing for my 4th of July themed paper doll clothing set. I realized quickly that shorts and a t-shirt didn’t seem like quite “enough” so I drew an outfit for each of the Dames and Dandies paper dolls.

For the A pose, I did shorts and a boat-necked shirt. For the B pose, I did a blue dress with white polka-dots. For the C pose, guys I drew surf shorts and a t-shirt. All summer time clothing.

Anyway, enjoy the 4th of July if you are celebrating (or just have a wonderful Wednesday) either way!

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

The C Pose Dandies Get a Suit For Their Formal Occasions

A suit for a paper doll man to print in color or black and white from paperthinpersons.com. In color, the suit is grey with a multi-colored striped tie.

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I wanted to draw a suit for the C Pose Dandies of the Dames and Dandies paper doll series, because I think a suit is just a basic piece of clothing every person (male or female) probably needs. Most of us don’t wear them daily (though I would if I could), but I think a good suit is handy. It’s great for dates, cocktail parties, weddings, job interviews or just because you want to feel dashing.

There is nothing quite as dashing as a well cut suit. As my mother is fond of saying, “A well cut suit can hide a multitude of sins.” So, any man (or paper doll man) needs a good suit. Plus I find drawing men’s suits a little intimidating, so it is good practice for me to work on them. 

In fact, both a suit and a tuxedo (which I haven’t drawn yet) were on my initial brainstorm of paper doll clothing “basics” that I thought I needed for the gents. That original list also included pirates and post-apocalyptic, so I have gotten a lot of it drawn. Despite my best efforts, the C Pose boy paper dolls still trail behind the ladies in numbers of sets. I just can’t help it. I like drawing ladies clothing more than gent’s clothing.

Well, what do you think? Are you a a fan of suits? Hate them? What else do does the well outfitted paper doll man need? Let me know in a comment. I love to hear from you. 

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

A Summer Time Princess Paper Doll Dress With Matching Hat

A fantasy princess paper doll dress with matching hat decorated with roses and ribbons. Available to print in color or as a paper doll coloring page.

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I always think of these big full skirted dresses as ‘princess dresses’ even though princesses wear all sorts of different dresses across time. It’s probably the influence of the 1980s on my childhood along with movies from Disney that makes me think of these dresses in that context.

I’d say there’s a bit of the 1860’s in today’s summer paper doll dress, but I’m not really sure there is. No lady of the 1860s would be caught dead during the day in a dress that showed off this much shoulder.

Usually, this is the point where I link my inspiration, but frankly this one came mostly out of my head. I don’t even think I did a thumbnail pre-sketch, which is a bit unusual for me. I do remember drawing the top of the dress first and then deciding I needed something on the skirt to fill up the empty space beneath the over skirt.

I wanted this dress to feel summery like my last foray into this style (back in February) felt wintery. I do think both this dress and the February dress come from the same universe, so to speak. I see them as sister dresses.  

I have been debating drawing more of these dresses. I think there needs to be an autumn and a spring version as well. What do you think? Big skirted princess dresses? Let me know in a comment. 

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

And This is Abigail! A New Black Paper Doll To Print With Her Toga Inspired Gown

A black fantasy paper doll to print with a toga inspired dress and two pairs of sandals. She can wear any of the A Pose printable paper doll clothing.

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I am super happy to be back! I was traveling and wrapped up in work. I got to go to New Orleans which was so much fun. It was a work trip, but I ate plenty of beinets, gumbo and red beans over rice. I do love a good bowl of gumbo.

As fun as it was to be in the city, it is also so very nice to have returned home to Alabama. 

Anyway, today’s paper doll is a new face for the A Pose dames. I think this will be the last new A Pose face for a while. I had a mental goal of getting four faces for each pose (A, B and C) done before I let myself work more on versions and less on faces. There is another version of Abigail already done. It’s a contemporary version with sandals. 

I chose the name Abigail for today’s paper doll, because I’ve always liked the name. It’s a Biblical name, for those who aren’t aware, and was the name of King David’s third wife. I’ve known several Abigails in my life and liked them all, so I figured the name was a winner.

Her fantasy dress was inspired by togas and Ancient Greece. Not actual historical Ancient Greece, more like Xena: Warrior Princess. I loved the idea of a loose, graceful, draped garment. Originally, I imagined it would be white (there is a white version over on my Patreon page you can go print), but I thought the white wasn’t as interesting as a color.

Yes, I colored the paper dolls lips to match the dress. Don’t judge me. 

Her micro braids were fun. I always feel like they get a bit lost when I color them black (black on black being a thing), I made them purple in the Patreon page version. So, if you think you’d rather have a purple haired version, pop over there and you can download and print that version. 

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