Marisole Monday & Friends Archives • Page 3 of 28 • Paper Thin Personas

Marisole Monday Medieval Maiden

March 27, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Medieval Dresses, Sort of…

So, today’s paper doll doll is Monica of the Marisole Monday & Friends crew with a fantasy dress up thing going. Her gown is vaguely medieval, vaguely not. Sometimes, I just want to draw a pretty dress. Nothing more, nothing less.

And this was one of those times.

I went with a pastel color scheme, because I thought that would look best against Monica’s rich skin tone.

Not sure which Marisole Monday & Friend’s doll is which? Here’s a guide I created last year when people had questions. I need to update it. I probably should write similar guides for all the paper dolls. Would folks find that helpful?

I confess that now that I have been looking at the colors in today’s paper doll dress for a while, they have begun to remind me of a sunrise. The blue dress being the pale sky and the pink and peach the colors of the clouds as the sun rises.

Along with her gown, Monica has white boots and stockings to fill out her paper doll fantasy dress up experience.

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A Printable Paper Doll Dress from 1870 for Marisole Monday & Friends

March 22, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: This Fashion Plate from January 1870

If I had to pick a favorite period of fashion history, I’m not sure I could. I love the 18th century, the 1920s, 1960s, the Regency, the 1300s… I could go on and on, clearly. However, if I had to pick a favorite era of the Victorian period, then the bustles absolutely win.

I love them all. I love the soft draped bustle of the early 1870s, the narrow skirted bustle of the early 1880s and the tea-tray supporting bustle of the late 1880s. I don’t care how absurd they look.

I just think they are so much darn fun.

Despite that, I have drawn very few paper dolls with dresses from 1870. I think the reason is that I’ve also been intimidated by the bustle. So many loops of fabric. So much drapery. The angle has to be just right to show off the fit. But I decided to try it this time, so here she is- a dress from 1870 for Marisole Monday & Her Friends.

Just the ladies. This won’t fit the gents.

It is based off this dress from 1870 published in The Queen, the Ladies’ Newspaper in January. Queen was an English fashion magazine that published French fashion plates and started in 1861. In 1968, it was purchased by Harpers Bazaar. Until 2006, in England anyway, Harper’s Bazaar was published as Harpers & Queen. I’ve yet to find a good online archive of The Queen, the Ladies’ Newspaper full-text, but if anyone locates one let me know. Their fashion plates are lovely.

Without the accompanying information, it is hard to know what exactly this dress was intended for. Based on the style, I am thinking a seaside nautical thing. January magazines often published the first Spring plates, so I suspect this is a Springtime outfit.

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

Marisole Monday & Friends Now Have an 1820s Inspired Winter Walking Dress

March 21, 2017March 17, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Pelisses from the 1820s, such as this one from 1822

First of all, Happy St. Patrick’s Day and this paper doll has nothing to do with it. 🙂

Last Friday, I shared a ballgown inspired by the late 1860s, but today I have a winter walking costume inspired by the 1820s pelisse like this one from 1822, this one from 1818 and this one from 1825. It is the companion piece to last week’s printable paper doll dress.

The pelisse from 1822 was the one that was today’s paper doll gown’s strongest influence.

I went back and forth about the color scheme for a while, but I really wanted to do something in the red family. As it happens, I super like red.

Monochrome color schemes aren’t something I do much, but maybe I should play with them more. I find I often go back to the same colors for paper doll clothing over and over again.

I was trying to get all my wintery paper doll stuff backlog taken care off before it gets too warm, but frankly the weather has been freakish.

It keeps switching between Spring, in the 70s, and Winter, in the 30s and 40s. I don’t really care which one it chooses, but I dislike having to check my phone every morning to see if I need to grab my coat.

That’s enough complaining about Alabama’s wacky spring weather.

Meanwhile, if you want to support the blog, then think about donating through Patreon. I’ve opened up two example behind the scenes blog posts one with sketchbook photos and one where I talk about how I decide what to work on, so if you like those then seeing more just costs a dollar a month.

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

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

March 10, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: A fashion plate I totally can’t find now

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 in a Women’s 1920s Golf Clothes

March 1, 2017March 1, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Golfing Outfits from the 1920s

I can’t tell you how many times my father has dropped hints that I should draw some golf clothing. He’s a fan of the sport. So, today I am pleased to present some 1920s historical clothing attire for the Marisole Monday & Freind’s paper dolls.

The history of women’s sports attire has always fascinated me. By the 1920s, from which today’s paper doll outfit hails, women were participating in many different team and individual sports including basketball, tennis, archery, fencing, and, of course, golf. Golf was pretty popular in the 1920s and women’s 1920s golf clothes were being designed by big names like this golf outfit by Worth.

Most women’s golf outfits have skirts, but there were also trousers options, like the ones shown in this article about golf in advertisements. I based today’s outfit off illustrations from my two favorite 1920s fashion history books, Everyday Fashions of the Twenties: As Pictured in Sears and Other Catalogs and 1920s Fashions from B. Altman & Company, both of which are from Dover publications and are excellent resources on 1920s clothing. Sears was a more affordable company while B. Altman was much more fashionable and expensive.

Catalogs offer such a great window into what people could purchase in the past.

Anyway, I also had to draw a golf club for today’s outfit. Now, I will openly confess that I am not a skillful golfer, but I have taken a lesson or two. I based my golf club (I was not about to draw a whole set) on photos of 1920s golf clubs from Google Image Search. I know, I know. Not the best research practice.

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

Mikhail as a Warrior King Paper Doll

March 15, 2017February 21, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Akemi and The Lack of Mikhail Paper Dolls

In my more pretentious moments, I think of of the blog as an ongoing art project. It’s sort of a journal of my paper doll activities, plus you can print them out and play with them which is super fun.

In the beginning, I never thought I would draw men. Drawing men is not my gift. Even now, when I look at Marcus 2.0 and Mikhail, the men of the Marisole Monday & Friend’s paper doll series, I see a lot of problems with them. Their hips are too wide. Their arms a little too long.

And yet, I can live with them. Not the perfect male paper doll, but male paper dolls have never been my great strenght. (You want good male paper dolls, go check out Pop Culture & Paper Dolls.)

Like Monday’s Maeghan paper doll, today’s Mikhail paper doll was inspired by an older paper doll I designed called Akemi. Akemi was a fantasy warrior and I think of this version of Mikhail is a warrior king.

Also, in case you missed the news, I now have an Etsy Store! There is a coupon code good for 25% off an order of 4.00 or more until the end of March. Visit the shop and use the code: READER2017

If you’re not in the mood for shopping, then think about supporting the blog by becoming a patron.

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

A Warrior Queen Printable Paper Doll

October 21, 2019February 20, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Akemi and My Continuing Struggle With Red Hair and Tan Skin

A few months ago, I first mentioned that I would be drawing new paper dolls based on some of my old paper dolls. There are literally hundreds paper dolls on this blog since it is nearly nine years old (scary no?) and given that, I have enjoyed creating new paper dolls from old paper dolls.

It’s like recycling, but with paper dolls and not glass bottles. So, Dionisa became this B&B set and On Future Streets became this Ms. Mannequin outfit. Today, Akemi, one of my favorite fantasy warrior paper dolls, inspired today’s Maeghan paper doll, a warrior queen.

I decided to make her a paper doll queen and not a paper dolls princess, because queens have more power.

I gave her red hair and tan skin, because I am on a constant mission to figure out how to make that combination work. I think it looks okay this time, but I’m still not totally pleased with the outcome.

And tomorrow, there will be a Mikhail paper doll inspired by the same Akemi paper doll. I know some of my readers will be excited to get a new boy printable paper doll.

Also, in case you missed the news, I now have an Etsy Store! There is a coupon code good for 25% off an order of 4.00 or more until the end of March. Visit the shop and use the code: READER2017

If you’re not in the mood for shopping, then think about supporting the blog by becoming a patron.

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

Marisole Monday & Friends Sunset Inspired Fantasy Ballgown

December 6, 2020February 16, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Huge Skirted Ballgowns and 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.

Marisole Monday & Friends Printable Paper Dolls Get Cocktail Dresses

May 28, 2020February 8, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Fashion Magazines and Cocktail Dresses

I gotta confess this has been a wide ranging week for printable paper doll themes. We’ve gone from Monday aliens to Tuesday Little Bo Peep and now we’ve got some cocktail dresses. Well, it can never be said that I don’t have a lot of variety and diversity in my little paper doll populated corner of the interwebs.

I love fashion magazines. My favorites to draw from are People Style Watch and Instyle. Both of these magazines are pretty easy read and you can see the images of the clothing well. After all, I might not ever buy a 600 dollar blouse, but I like to see it clearly for drawing purposes. I have noticed I draw a lot less modern stuff now that I have the new format. Not really sure why that is, but there you go.

Anyway, this fall there was a whole pastel cocktail dresses for wintertime thing going in the fashion magazines I read. So, I wanted to create a pair of pastel winter paper doll cocktail dresses for holiday parties. Now, I realize it is February and most holiday parties are past, so maybe a Valentine’s Day date night option?

Yeah, I kinda missed the boat on when to post this pair of dresses, but that happens to me on occasion. No shame.

I am curious though. Do people miss modern paper doll clothing? Would you like to see more of that? Let me know in a comment.

I’m also super pleased to announce that there is now a Paper Thin Personas Etsy Store! You might have noticed the addition of the Shop tab at the top of the page a few days ago. I had fantasized about doing some big perfect announcement, but you know what? Done is better than perfect, so I am releasing the store into the wild today.

Just for my blog readers, there is a coupon code good for 25% off an order of 4.00 or more until the end of March. Visit the shop and use the code: READER2017

Plus, remember that becoming a patron has some great benefits and helps cover the blogs costs each month.

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

Marisole Monday & Friends Paper Dolls Get Some 1970s Clothing

December 11, 2017February 2, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: Simplicity 9370 from 1971

So, I work in batches. This doesn’t just mean I tend to draw a batch of the same paper doll series together, it also means I sometimes draw the same themes together. For example, I drew today’s jumpsuit around the same time I drew the my 1970s Mini-Maiden. Sometimes, I get into a theme, like 1970s clothing, and want to spend some time there.

Then I promptly get over and am distracted by some other thing. That’s the nature of my brain.

Today’s jumpsuit was based on a 1971 Simplicity sewing pattern cover. Apparently the pattern was designed to be sewn quickly and only took two different pattern pieces. I loved the cheery bright yellow color in the cover art, so I kept it.

The wide brown belt was from the pattern cover, but it also was nice because it split up the jumpsuit. I think jumpsuits really need belts, don’t you?

This is probably the last piece of 1970s clothing for the paper dolls for a while. As I said above, I tend to be a bit flighty in my paper doll interests. I have been feeling very “over the top princess gowns” lately, so stay tuned for some of that, also I have been dabbling in the 1870s.

Out of the curiosity, which do you like better for the fashion- the 1970s, the 1870s or the 1770s?

I have so confess to being a pretty big 1870s fan. Let me know your favorite in a comment.

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

Marisole Monday & Friends in 1830s Fashion

May 28, 2020January 18, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: This 1830 fashion plate, Bonnets

I’ve written before that the 1830s are a period of fashion I find a little absurd looking. Yet, the more I draw clothing from those years, the more it grows on me.

I am starting to almost like the era. Just almost.

So, a quick overview of the fashions of this era shows an abundance of sleeves and bonnets. If the three decades from 1800 to 1830 were the era of the column silhouette, than the 1830s were the era of the oval. The sloping shoulders, wide-sleeves, round bonnets, and full skirts all give a oval shape to the silhouette.

Plus, the wide skirts and sleeves also emphasized the desirable small waist, often accented with a belt. The invention of metal eyelets in 1828 allowed for a much tighter fit on a corset. There was no longer the danger of the lacing cutting through the hand-sewn eyelet due to tight lacing. So, waists got smaller.

Like the earlier part of the century, people were still super into the Ancient Civilizations. So, references to the Roman and Greek civilizations abound. Hairstyles have names like Apollo’s Knot, one of the dumbest looking hairstyles ever. The hair in this fashion plate is an Apollo’s Knot style and so is this. It was very popular. And, clearly, not one of my favorites.

Anyway, this 1830 fashion plate from the Casey Fashion Plate Index inspired today’s outfit. As hard as it is to believe, I actually simplified the bonnet from the original drawing. Bonnets are not my forte, so I have mixed feelings about how this one turned out.

All in all, however, I think I didn’t do a bad job on today’s foray into 1830s fashion.

What do you think? More of this era in order? Not a favorite?

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

Marisole Monday Goes to the Circus

May 28, 2020January 12, 2017

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Today’s Printable Paper Doll Inspirations: The Wonderful Paintings of Amy Lind and Circuses

Today, there is a circus costume for the Marisole Monday & Friend’s printable paper doll series.

So, I use two things to sort the paper dolls. One is categories, like Poppets or Marisole Monday & Friends. The other is tags, like cyberpunk, Vikings or blond hair. Every few months, I go through the tags to make sure I haven’t misspelled something and/or made a tag I shouldn’t have. While I as doing that a few months ago, I noticed that some of my tags had only one item in them. This seemed sad, so I decided to draw sets for a few of those areas. The ones I focused on were Astronauts, Circuses and Ninjas.

Okay, kinda an odd list, but whatever. On Friday, there will be a new Ninja outfit for the Mini-Maiden series. Today, we have a circus inspired clothing for Marisole Monday & Friends. This will join the Ms. Mannequin circus outfit and the original Marisole Monday & Friends Circus paper doll set in color or black and white under the Circus tag.

Is all that clear as mud?

Excellent! So, today’s paper doll is really about embracing circus themed things, but not doing red and gold. I have done a lot of red and gold and I wanted to do something different. When I saw this panting by Amy Lind on my Circus Pinterest board, I knew I had my new color scheme for today’s circus costume. And then I gave her totally impractical shoes, because nothing says “performer of great skill” like shoes you probably can’t actually walk in.

Maybe that’s her circus act- walking in highly improbable shoes.

What do you think? What would be a good circus act to wear today’s circus costume in? Because when it comes to paper dolls, the costume is way more important then the actual act. Let’s be honest here.

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

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