Mad Mad Modes for Moderns Mondays - A Tradition of Fashion Illustration

Happy Monday, everyone! A big thank you to everyone who took the time to read my last post. Your excitement for my book is extremely encouraging and will help keep me moving forward!

As I mentioned in the post, I'm working with an illustrator to bring the book to life. I've been on Pinterest quite a bit lately pulling together images for inspiration for the look of the book. As I fell further and further down the rabbit hole that is Pinterest, I couldn't help but notice that so much of the fashion featurettes from the romance comics were in the tradition of classic fashion illustrations. Take for example this 1969 "Mad Mad Modes for Moderns" extolling the virtues of (fake) fur:

"Mad Mad Modes for Moderns" Secret Hearts #135 (April 1969)

Doesn't really look all that different from these illustrations depicting fur from decades prior, does it? 

1915 Illustration via Flickr

1936 Illustration via Flickr

Styles and hemlines may change over time, but the essence of fashion illustration has essentially stayed the same. Though comic books have had a tendency to be considered lowbrow, "Mad Mad Modes for Moderns" helps make the case to elevate them as serious contenders for the title of art.