There's always something that doesn't quite fit anywhere else! So here we bring you information about a society for the promotion of simplicity in dress, Paris dressmakers, and some unusual fashion materials.

What Becomes of the Dresses of Queens? (Peterson's Magazine, 1865)

Fascinating little article on how the cast-off gowns of the French court are sold each year for charity.

A Danish Society for "The Promotion of Simplicity and Modesty in Dress" (Girl's Own Paper, 1890)

Rule #3 of membership states: "Without attempting to enumerate the many absurd inventions and devices of the changing fashions, we presume that everyone entering the association will understand for herself that she should not submit to them."

A Woman's Wardrobe in Paris, by Ida Hector (Ladies' Home Journal, 1892)

Future Dictates of Fashion, by W. Cade Gall (The Strand, 1893A)

A humorous look at what fashions in the 20th century might be, based on the "discovery" of a book published 100 years later... happily most of these predictions never came to be, but interestingly, the article "predicts" that "cigars went out of fashion 20 years ago. Men and women consumed so much tobacco that their health was endangered..." Not so far off!

Paris Dressmakers, by M. Griffith (The Strand, 1894B)

An inside look at the French fashion industry.

Dresses of Strange Material, by Raymond T. Reid (Girl's Own Paper, 1896)

Dresses of glass, asbestos, and spider silk.

A Friendly Letter to Girl-Friends, by Mrs. A.D.T. Whitney (Ladies Home Journal, 1896)

"I think the trouble with the fashions of the present day is that they have given up their intentions. They mean nothing but 'style,' and that means... they are arbitrary; disconnected from any special adaptations; proceeding from no natural inherence, by no natural steps - and so not style at all..."

The Philosophy of Clothes [From a Girl's Standpoint], by Lilian Bell (Ladies Home Journal, 1896)

An interesting discussion of whether women dress to please men or to impress other women.

Our Beautiful Furs, and Where They Come From, by A.T. Elwes (Girl's Own Paper, 1898)

Noteworthy for the pictures of the beautiful animals that contribute those beautiful furs!

The Growth of a Paris Costume, by Kathleen Schlesinger (Lady's Realm, 1901)

How Paris fashions are developed.