ballgowns

A Fancy Outfit For A Paper Doll’s Fancy Events

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Prom Season
A paper doll prom dress with a cropped top and full floral skirt. Free to print from paperthinpersonas.com.

A paper doll prom dress with a cropped top and full floral skirt. Free to print from paperthinpersonas.com.

It is prom season and while I am not in an age group that is going to prom, I have noticed a strong trend towards crop tops and full skirts.

While I did enjoy the proms I went to, I will openly confess that there is no force in the universe that could make me want to go back to high school. That was just a dreadful part of my youth.

While I was helping a close friend shop for a wedding dress, I noticed a lot of prom dress styles were showing off the midriff. This isn’t a new thing, by the way, midriff revealing evening wear dates back to the 1940s- here’s one example from the movie Lady Eve. It’s a hard dress to find a decent picture of, I confess. There’s also one in Casablanca, but I can’t seem to find a picture of that dress. Sigh.

Anyway, the point is the showing of your midriff in evening wear is not a new thing, but certainly hasn’t been in style for a few decades. It certainly wasn’t “in” when I was in high school heading off to Prom. That was the era of dressed based on the movie Titanic’s Jump Dress and also styles like this from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Seriously, I knew at least three people who wore short satiny dresses under sheer layers to formals in high school.

I digress.

I had way to much fun drawing the huge oversized floral on the skirt of this outfit. I really wanted something that the full skirt to accommodate, so giant floral seemed like it would be fun.

Other then that, I’m just glad I got to share this dress before Prom season was completely over, though I strongly suspect it has mostly wrapped up by now.

So, tell me fearless readers, did you go to Prom? I did, but not my Senior year. We had a joint Junior and Senior prom at my school. I also went as a Sophomore, because I was invited by a Senior. That was actually the most fun one since many of my friends in High School were older then me.

Not bad memories, but, as I said above, no force on this planet could make me want to go back to high school.

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Hazel’s Runway Ball Gown for Glamorous Printable Paper Doll Events

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Evening Gowns and Boots’ Paper Doll Series Catwalk Couture
A black paper doll with a natural hair updo and a beautiful evening gown and shoes. A printable paper doll coloring page from paperthinpersonas.com.
I think one of the great benefits of the internet is that it has created a world where people are willing to share their work. I try to visit all the active paper doll blogs I am aware of and comment on them as much as I can.

I love seeing what other artists are working on like Julie’s amazing bunny project from last week and Miss. Missy’s super cute Easter paper doll.

Boots has been working on a Catwalk Couture paper doll fashion series where she has been drawing the designs of some of the great contemporary designers. I was inspired by her work to create an evening gown that could have come off the runway.

I was heavily influenced by the designs of Marchesa one of my favorite evening gown designers.

Hazel’s hair is based on this beautiful natural hair up-dos like this one and this one. I’m worried it looks less like a natural up-do and more like a turban, but maybe I’m just being hyper critical.

Since I am not black, I always feel a little self-conscious when I draw things like natural hair styles.

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Need a more outfits for today’s Mini-Maiden Paper Doll? Find More Clothing Here. 

An Elegant Fantasy Paper Doll Gown in White & Gold

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: This gown from a movie entitled, Sissi
A paper doll ball gown of white trimmed in gold. The boots are gold and white. Free printable paper doll ball gown in color or black and white.

A paper doll ball gown of white trimmed in gold. The boots are gold and white. Free printable paper doll ball gown in color or black and white.

So, when you donate on Patreon to support the blog there are different tiers- 1 dollar, 5 dollars, and 10 dollars. This year I offered a custom doll and outfit to my ten dollar paper doll donors.

Yesterday, I posted the doll I created for Elizabeth and today I am sharing the paper doll ball gown I created.

Here is part of Elizabeth’s request, “Very difficult decision to decide on what to ask for but I finally picked out for dress inspiration this white and gold dress from the 1950s Empress Sissi movie series starring Romy Schneider. I really like the white and gold color scheme though a crimson and gold color scheme could be fun too.”

She also sent me photo links of this gown from a movie entitled, Sissi. It is an Austrian film from 1955 based on the life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria. While the film was made in 1955, Empress Elisabeth of Austria was married in the mid-1850s.

To go with her paper doll ball gown, I designed some boots in part inspired by button-up boots of the Victorian era. Her neckline is a low off the shoulder heart line. White and gold is, of course, the color scheme Elizabeth asked for. I had a lot of fun making it in white and gold, but I think a pink and green color scheme would be beautiful as well.

Feel free to color the black and white version of this paper doll gown anyway you would like.

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The Victorian Inspired Ballgown for Marisole Monday & Friend’s Printable Paper Dolls

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: A fashion plate I totally can’t find now
A printable paper doll ball gown inspired by the Victorian era. Free to print in color or black and white.

A printable paper doll ball gown coloring page inspired by the Victorian era. Free to print from paperthinpersonas.com

So, this is like research rule 1: Write Down Your Sources.

And normally, I am super diligent about recording everything I use in Pinterest, so I can find it again when it comes time to write one of these fascinating blog posts.

This time though? So much of the not so much. I have a distinct recollection of look at a fashion plate which I think was late 1860s (because that’s when waists when up and skirts got all conical), but now for the life of me I can’t find the plate that was my inspiration.

Clearly, I am a bad librarian.

Needless to say, I hope I can distract y’all from my poor research habits by pointing out: Hey, there’s a pretty ballgown over there.

The truth is that I never meant for this to be a historical piece. It was part of a series of dresses in this silhouette that I designed back when I was doing the same theme for a whole week. I ended up just coloring two of them and you’ll see this one today and next Friday there will be a matching winter walking costume.

While the dress was inspired by a fashion plate from the late 1860s (I think), it looks much more 1820s to me, since I narrowed the skirt quite a bit.

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Need a Marisole Monday & Friends Lady Paper Doll to wear today’s outfit? Pick One Out Here. 

Marisole Monday & Friends Sunset Inspired Fantasy Ballgown

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Huge Skirted Ballgowns and The Colors of the Sunset

A fantasy princess paper doll ballgown in the colors of the sunset.

A fantasy princess paper doll ballgown in the colors of the sunset.

I love big skirted ballgowns. I love crazy over the top big skirted princess paper doll ball gowns.

Obviously, I am expressing this love today.

Another love of mine, from when I was a kid, are off the shoulder dresses. Generally, I blame this on being a child of the 1980s.

This ballgown was actually part of a set of two big skirted fantasy gowns I designed back in 2015. Yes, that’s right, 2015. A long long time ago, I confess.

Anyway, I found them again and I hated one of them. This one I thought, “You know, that’s not bad.”

Now, the color scheme it had back then involved lime green and orange, so that had to go. Once I had it re-colored, I actually thought it was pretty beautiful, so it wasn’t a hard decision to repost it.

So, how do people feel about big skirted ball gowns?

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Need a Marisole Monday & Friends Lady Paper Doll to wear today’s outfit? Pick One Out Here. 

Mini-Maidens Paper Dolls With a New Year’s Evening Gown

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: This Zac Posen Gown
A New Years evening dress based on a design by Zac Posen. It could also be a wedding dress. Free to print and color from paperthinpersonas.com

As I said yesterday, this week will be all about New Years gala sorts of gowns. Today, the Mini-Maiden paper dolls are getting their evening gown. This is based on a this gown designed by Zac Posen for David’s Bridal. The dress is several years old and I couldn’t find it on the current website, so I linked to my Pinterest page.

If you want to see more evening gowns and cocktail dresses that might someday turn into paper dolls, check out my Evening Gowns board. It is the home of gowns I like and may someday draw.

Heavily boned corsets like the one on this gown are very much a trademark of Zac Posen‘s designs and I love a good looking corset.

Plus, I think a New Years evening gown should be something sexy. By the way, I would never have the guts (nor the occasion) to wear something this fitted, but then what are paper dolls for?

I think I’ve mentioned before my guilty pleasure, Say Yes to the Dress. Thanks to that show, I can say mermaid dresses are very in style for weddings and this could easily be a wedding dress if you wanted that instead of a New Years dress.

I think Faye, Greta, Hazel or Isadora would love to get this gown, but since there are four of them, you might need more gowns. Therefore, I might I recommend this series of Prom dresses or this 1930s inspired evening gown.

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Need a Mini-Maiden paper doll to wear today’s outfit? Pick a Mini-Maiden Paper Doll Here.

B&B Paper Dolls Celebrate New Years in a Regal Gown

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Evening Gowns
The B&B curvy paper dolls get to a New Years gown in color and black and white. Free printable paper doll gown from paperthinpersonas.com.

For the rest of the week, I will be posting elegant evening wear every day in honor of New Years.

For Today’s B&B paper doll series New Years gown, I wanted elegant, but not glitzy. Something sophisticated and almost Queen like. This is an evening gown for a woman who knows she is amazing and doesn’t need to show off with bright colors or spangles.

In keeping with the Royal concept, I chose purple and black for today’s New Years gown. The skirt is in soft pleats and the bodice wraps. Personally, I imagine it in something like taffeta or a thick rich mat satin, but since it is actually made of paper, who knows?

After I drew this, I realized I haven’t really given a lot of evening gown love to the B&B printable paper doll series. I might need to rectify that in the coming year.

What say you all? Do I need more B&B evening wear?

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B&B Get a Victorian Fantasy Ball Gown

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Rosettes, Victorian Ball Gowns and Corsets

A Victorian corset ball gown for the Bodacious and Buxom curvy paper doll series from paperthinpersonas. Free to print in color or black and white.

Victorian inspired madness today. Madness!

Okay, maybe not madness… but this is a pretty over the top Victorian corset ball gown creation. Still, if you spent any time with Victorian fashions, they do get pretty over the top.

And I like rosettes. They’re fun to draw. I don’t know when things get too over the top. I mean, does the ruching do it? Or the pleated details? Or the corset? I mean, at what point do you say, “Girl, that is a bit much.”

But here’s my thing, I figure the B&B series stands for Bodacious and Buxom. What is more bodacious than a ball gown covered in three types of trimming?

I did try to make things feel cohesive (something you have to do with three trims) by using a monochromatic color scheme. This is a fantasy Victorian corset ball gown, it does not need a super contrasting color scheme to go on top of all that. Unless you really want one, in which case I direct you to the black and white version and say, “You go for it!”

Meanwhile, I am going to stick with my slightly sedate (as much as this dress could be called sedate) version here. Somehow, despite the rosettes, with these colors, this dress reminds me of winter skies.

The actual “winter” themed paper doll set for the day will be up Friday. There are carolers and my first ever Christmas paper doll.

Also, am I the only person who thinks “ball gown” should be one word and not two? Seriously.

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Need to get a Bodacious & Buxom paper doll to wear these fabulous clothes? Pick one out here.

Marisole Monday & Friends Masquerade: Mia as a Loon

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations:  Loons and… well, Loons. That’s actually all I got. 

mia-loon-masquerade-paper-doll-dress

Of all the dresses I designed for this week, the only one I was really worried people wouldn’t get was this one. Loons are beautiful birds for which I have always had a fondness, but they are hardly as well known as the Raven or the Flamingo. Interestingly enough, the Loon is the state bird of Minnesota, where my mother grew up. As a child, I had a puzzle my grandfather made featuring a loon, so I have fond associations with the birds.

Wig instructions are available if you’re not sure how to attach the back piece here.

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Well, now that the week of bird masquerade gowns is wrapped, I am curious which one people liked the most. So, let me know in a comment. Was your favorite the Owl, the Flamingo, the Raven, the Hummingbird or today’s Loon?

Need a more outfits for today’s Marisole Monday & Friends Paper Doll? Find More Clothing Here. 

Marisole Monday & Friends Masquerade: Monica as a Hummingbird

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations:  Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, Chokers, and Yellow Hibiscus Flowers

A beautiful hummingbird inspired masquerade dress and black paper doll to wear it from paperthinpersonas.com. Also available as a coloring page.

This was the only dress I based on a specific bird subspecies. I knew I wanted to so the Red Throated Hummingbird from the start. Hummingbirds come in so many color combinations, I really felt like I had to pick just one to focus on with this paper doll masquerade gown modeled by the wonderful Monica.

Of course, the choker is red to match the red throat of the hummingbird. The flowers decorating the wig and the gown are yellow hibiscus which are a hummingbird friendly flower. If my Raven masquerade gown was a gothic fantasy, than this gown is much more romantic and soft.

I have some wig instructions if you’re not sure how to make the pocket by pasting on the backing piece. Read them here.

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Tomorrow will be the last bird masquerade gown- a gown based on the Loon.

Need a more outfits for today’s Marisole Monday & Friends Paper Doll? Find More Clothing Here.