Faux fashion week in the flatlands

A couple of years ago my good pal, Deni, gave me one of my favorite birthday presents ever. Not a big thing. But quite thoughtful and packed with fun. It was a packet of paper dolls. Not an ordinary doll, though. It was a reproduction from the Queen Holden collection first published in the 1920s that eventually sold over 28,000,000 copies.

And the most exciting part….the doll she gave me was named “Pat”. Hint: Pyzahn is not my real name.

How cool is that?

Little Pat came with a full wardrobe of era appropriate clothing, with tabs on each garment marked in her name. I guess if you had multiple dolls back in the day you would need to keep their clothes separate.

The other morning when I should have been walking the dogs or running errands, I decided to stage a fashion show. I know I’m a bit late for Fashion Week, but Little Pat deserves her moment in the spotlight.


Pictured above, “L.P.” is wearing traditional light weight wool coat. The simple design and navy color depict the classic style of the times. It’s topped by a delightful cap that frames the stylish pig tails. Her bare legs look cold, but fortunately the snowy background is only a paint-by-number picture.


Here we see “L.P.” showing off her striped party dress. I wanted her to twirl for the camera, but those little paper legs don’t offer a lot of movement possibilities. Did you notice that the dapper red hat is fashionably monogrammed with her name? (Styling note: the sweet calf was carved by my father!)



Ready for a tea party or coloring in her book, this perky yellow number trimmed in blue is a perfect accent for her eyes. Thanks to an unexpected breeze, you can also get a peek at the frilly pantaloons. The cats are quite chic themselves in their hot red bow ties.


Trends are fashionably mixed here – the wide leg pant made famous by Kathryn Hepburn and the lederhosen suspenders favored by Heidi. This comfortable, yet stylish romper is perfect for a cool day at the beach. More the Hamptons than Big Sur.


For a walk in the spring garden, a pretty-in-pink frock is matched with a classic cardigan. Notice the versatile blue cap comes into play again making this a complete fashion package. But if “L.P.” picks my flowers again, she’s going back into the box for a very long time out.

Thanks for attending the Little Pat fashion show. If you have any interest in acquiring paper dolls of your own, you can find them at B. Shackman & Co, who also makes charming Victorian valentines, Christmas ornaments, vintage masks, etc.