summer

Ruffle Sleeves and Crop Pants

Summer time paper doll clothing with a coral blouse with ruffled sleeves, crop pants and a wrap skirt. Free to print from paperthingpersonas.com.

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

Thoughts on Today’s Paper Doll
You spend anytime watching fashion, as I do, and you pretty quickly see that sleeves are the THING at the moment. Sleeve details are everywhere. Personally, I think a lot of them are pretty fun- also a lot of them are pretty absurd.

Anyway, today’s post is, like the ruffled tunic, the preppy summer polka-dots (patron exclusive) and the tropical mini-dresses one I designed after looking at a lot of summer fashion magazines and wanting to make sure the Jewels and Gemstones got some fun summer fashions.

Inspiration for Today’s Paper Doll
As with the other paper doll outfits I’ve made in this summery collection. I based the colors off the Pantone 2019 Spring Color trend report. It predicted the coral would be the color of the season, so I wanted to make sure I used that color.

Specific Source Images: I used Instyle March 2019 issue– their big Spring Fashion report.  Sometimes it is super nice to get away from screens, you know?

Learn/See More
On the Blog: More Jewels & Gemstones paper dolls
Around the Internet: Pantone’s Spring 2019 Color Report (I know I’ve linked to it before, but it’s kinda the reason I did these, after all.)

Last Thoughts
It’s been a super hot summer here in Alabama. I am not a heat person. I hate the heat. I grew up in Alaska. I am a cold weather soul. You can dress for the cold weather. At some point, you can’t take off more clothing (and not get arrested.)

By the way, while I am not prioritizing keeping blog posts regular (too much in my life), I am making sure I get my weekly Patreon Paper doll up, so head over there to join and see those.

A Long Ruffled Tunic, Peddle-Pushers & Shorts

A ruffled tunic inspired by the Spring 2019 fashion trends for the Jewels and Gemstones curvy paper dolls series. Also, shorts and cropped pants.

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Thoughts on Today’s Paper Doll
I really love how clothing changes with the seasons. Maybe, because I grew up in Alaska where there were really only two seasons- rain and icy rain. But then I moved to the midwest and there were four seasons and I was quite happy to discover fall and spring.

Now I live in the South where, I confess, there really are once again two seasons- chilly and so hot you want to die. There’s a short period between these that is relatively pleasant, but this spring has been brutally hot.

So, I try to pick up the big fashion magazine issues in March and September, which tend to be thick with forecasts on what is coming down the pike in the fashion world. Not coincidentally, this lines up with Fashion Week in New York.

Inspiration for Today’s Paper Doll
The color comes from the Pantone 2019 Spring Color trend report which predicts the popular colors each year in home goods and fashion. One of the trends that is very popular at the moment is ruffles, so that was part of my inspiration here. I added in some shorts and white peddle pushers, because I was also thinking about paper doll wardrobe building and those are such great basic pieces.

Specific Source Images: I used Instyle March 2019 issue– their big Spring Fashion report.  Often when I draw, I like to get away from screens.

Learn/See More
On the Blog: More Jewels & Gemstones paper dolls
Around the Internet: Pantone’s Spring 2019 Color Report & An Article about the Importance of Ruffles

Last Thoughts
I have fun drawing all sorts of things, but I try to mix it up. I know my favorite paper dolls as a child were historical or fantasy, but I like drawing contemporary fashion. It feels real and meaningful for paper dolls to be reflective of their time-period. Plus, not all my readers are me.

Love the blog? Want to help support it? Become a Patron.

What’s your favorite style of paper doll? Let me know in a comment. I’m super curious.

Tropical Mini-Dresses

A pair of mini-sundresses with ruffles inspired by the Trends of 2019 for volume and ruffles. One is printed with a tropical print and the other is high necked and two layers. Both can be printed for the Jewels and Gemstones paper doll series. There is a matching purse as well.

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

Thoughts on Today’s Paper Doll
It seemed long past time that I created some summer time casual clothing for the Jewels & Gemstones, since summer is fast approaching. It’s already May after all.

Every March and September the fashion magazines usually report on the Spring and Fall New York Fashion weeks which means those magazines are the big fashion issues for the year. This is getting less and less true with the internet, but I still like to pick up magazines in those months.

Inspiration for Today’s Paper Doll
My fashion magazines tell me that Tropical prints are still in style this next year and volume seems to be a real trend as well, so I designed these two dresses. The color scheme comes from the Pantone 2019 Spring Color trend report.

Specific Source Images: Nothing I can link to this time, because I used Instyle March 2019 issue, which is their big Spring Fashion report.  Sometimes I like doing paper research.

Learn/See More
On the Blog: More Jewels & Gemstones paper dolls
Around the Internet: Pantone’s Spring 2019 Color Report & Harper’s Bazaar on the Spring 2019 Trends

Last Thoughts
While I love drawing fantasy things and that tends to be my usual style, I also really enjoy taking breaks for forays into contemporary style. My favorite paper dolls as a child were historical ones and that’s also a favorite style, but it usually requires research and sometimes I just want to draw.

This is actually the first of several pieces I have drawn that are summer contemporary fashions. Some of those sets are going to be for Patrons and some will show up here.

So, are you happy for summer fashion? I personally am more of a fall person, but that’s just me. Let me know in a comment.

1955 Summer Dress With Hat and Purse

A lovely Mid-1950s Summer Dress with hat. The dress is from Vogue in 1955. The hat is from Montgomery Ward in 1950. The purse is from Sears.

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Thoughts on Today’s Paper Doll
There’s a few silhouettes one tends to associate with retro 50s fashion. There’s the tight waisted, full skirt look (like this) or the narrow fitted suit look (like this). There’s also a few variations on this and one of those variation is the dropwaist version of the full skirted look.

A dropwaist is when the waist (aka seam where the bodice meets the skirt) is lower than the natural waist on a person. A highwaist is when the waist is raised above the natural waist, but below the bust. An empire waist is when the waist of a dress is located right under the bust.

More than you maybe wanted to know about fashion terminology. I digress.

Inspiration for Today’s Paper Doll
Summer is coming rapidly to Alabama. I love the Fall in Alabama and I like the Winter. I could leave the Summer without any sense of guilt at all. It’s hot and humid and my allergies are exploding. Ugh!

Anyway, I always think women in retro spring fashion ads look so wonderfully cool and calm and it probably sucked living in Alabama in the 1950s when air conditioning was rare and petticoats were common. None the less, I loved the concept if not the reality.

Specific Source Images: Vogue 8596, Montgomery Ward Spring/Summer 1950 hats pages and Sears (I used Everyday Fashions of the Fifties As Pictured in Sears Catalogs)

Learn/See More
On the Blog: More Jewels & Gemstones paper dolls & More 1950s Paper Dolls
Around the Internet: Closet Historian regularly posts images from vintage catalogs in her collection and they are fascinating.

Last Thoughts
I’ve done two more 1950’s paper doll dresses and shared them with my Patrons. They are a 1950s suit and 1950s day dress. Join Us on Patreon if you’d like to support the blog (and get more paper doll content!)

Also, if you’re thinking- Well, I wish I had a 1950s paper doll to wear this stylin’ 1950s dress, I’ve made a version of the ever delightful Sapphire in 1950’s underwear. So, you can print her, but, as always, this dress will fit any of the Jewels & Gemstones paper dolls. Retro 50s fashion is so popular right now.

Some Super Non-Seasonal Summery Minimalism

Minimalist fashion paper doll clothing for the B Pose printable paper dolls from PaperThinPersonas.com. A blouse, pants and bag.

Printable Black & White PDF Printable Color PDF More Paper Dolls & Clothes
Years ago, I was asked if I had ever explored minimalism fashion for my paper dolls. Minimalism? I thought. I love layers and ruffles and over the top gowns, why on Earth would I want to explore minimalism.

But even as I thought this, I realized that was the reason to explore it. Because it is not what I am naturally drawn too. And because it is a style where one badly drawn line out of place can make a huge difference in how the finished paper doll dress looks.

There is no hiding in details in minimalist styles. They are so simple that they reveal all my messy linework and misshapen pieces.

So, when I come back to fashion minimalism, as I do on occasion (and I am today), I am reminding how critical every line is in pen and ink based art.

Every line matters when there are very few of them.

While there’s a simplicity to today’s paper doll clothing, there is also a challenge to drawing it. Sometimes the simplest things are the most difficult to illustrate. Today’s top, pants and bag were harder than they look and that, I suppose, is the whole point.

Besides, as hard as they were to draw, they were so simple to color. There’s something to be said for that as well. I went with white and blue, because I didn’t want to obscure the line work by going with black (the favored color of many minimalist designs).

If you’re not sure what minimalist fashion is, here’s Vogue’s article on it. (I really hate all the ads on the Vogue website, but the gallery there does give a good overview I think.)

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

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.

Printable Black & White PDF Printable Color PDF More Paper Dolls & Clothes
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

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.

Printable Black & White PDF Printable Color PDF More Paper Dolls & Clothes

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

4th of July Paper Doll Clothing!

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

Printable Black & White PDF Printable Color PDF More Paper Dolls & Clothes

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

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.

Printable Black & White PDF Printable Color PDF More Paper Dolls & Clothes
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

C Pose Guys Get Some Summer Paper Doll Clothes

A summery set of guy paper doll clothing with cargo shorts, a tank top and t-shirt. Free to print in color or black and white for coloring!

Printable Black & White PDF Printable Color PDF More Paper Dolls & Clothes
People who have been following this blog for a while know that I like to work in batches. For my sanity, I usually try to keep my batches to four or five paper doll outfits at most. I recently finished a big batch of C Pose guy paper doll clothing. So, since I think they’ve been a bit neglected as of late (the last C Pose set was back in April), I thought I would devote this whole week to guy paper doll clothing.

That’s right. A whole week of guy stuff!

And we’re starting with some contemporary summer clothing.

Last night, I was chatting with a friend as I colored this set and I was like, “I need a color scheme.”

And he said, “Purple and pink.”

So, today’s colorful set of guy clothing is thanks to my friend and his liberal views of men’s clothing colors. I confess I am kinda conservative in the guy clothing color schemes. I am trying to spread my wings and go for something different today. After all, everyone should get to wear whatever colors they like.

By the way, if you missed it, Friday’s paper doll was this fun B Pose superhero and there’s an second color scheme for that on my Patreon page for anyone to download and print if you want. It’s also in a purple and pink color scheme. 

I guess I’ve just been in a purple mood as of late!

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