Clara as Ozma of Oz

Glinda, Dorothy, and Ozma from The Emerald City of Oz

Since Clara has already dressed up as Dorothy in Oz and Dorothy in the Emerald City, this week she is dressed as Ozma.

For the latest costume in Clara's Wizard of Oz series, I based the dress on Ozma's costume in The Emerald City of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, which was illustrated by John R. Neill. After writing the original book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Baum worked with the illustrator, Denslow, on producing a play based on the book. As the costume and set designer, Denslow was so difficult to work with that Baum refused to work with him ever again.

In 1904, Baum published a new Oz book called The Marvelous Land of Oz. This time, he used John R. Neill as the illustrator. Neill's illustrations are beautiful, romantic, and very much done in the Art Deco style popular at that time. Neill's distinctive illustrations appeared in the rest of Baum's Oz books.

Ozma is portrayed in may different ways in the books, but always in a long, drapey dress. She usually wears an "Oz" diadem (a headband ornament) with big poppy flowers on the sides. Ozma also has a funny narrow crown that she wears as well.

Apologies ahead of time for the hair and crown... they are not fun to cut out. I strongly suggest not trying to cut the spikes on the crown, but rather just cutting along the curve formed by the top of the points. Those little tabs at the shoulders are important to keep the hair from sliding down Clara's face.

(Update 10/18/2013) I had the wrong file linked. Here is the correct file.

To print Clara's dress, use this PDF file:

Clara's Dress 70 (778k)

Clara is a free, printable paper doll. Clara will be available on this blog as long as I continue to post new fashion pages for her. You can read the introduction for the Clara paper doll here.

To print the Clara paper doll, use this PDF file:

 The Clara Paper Doll (718k)

Clara as Dorothy in the Emerald City

Last week, Clara was dressed as Dorothy when she arrived in Oz from Kansas via the tornado. The costume was based on W.W. Denslow's original book illustrations instead of the costumes from the 1939 musical film with Judy Garland. This week, Clara is wearing another of the original Denslow costumes that Dorothy wears to meet the (fake) wizard of Oz.

Source: 1956 reprint. Art in the public domain.

Dorothy got a new outfit upon arriving in the Emerald City, with jingle bells on her collar and skirt. Notice that the Silver Slippers no longer have bows like they did last week! They must indeed be magical to change their appearance. She wears this dress to track down and melt the Wicked Witch, and deal with the flying monkeys.

Source: Library of Congress, in public domain

So Clara has another Wizard of Oz costume this week, this time a puffy dress with some cute jingle bells and an apron. The dress looks very much like a court jester's outfit. The magic slippers don't have bows this week, but her hair does...

And Toto is back, of course.


Next week, Dorothy dresses as another Oz character!

To print Clara's dress, use this PDF file:

Clara's Dress 68 (807k)

Clara is a free, printable paper doll. Clara will be available on this blog as long as I continue to post new fashion pages for her. You can read the introduction for the Clara paper doll here.

To print the Clara paper doll, use this PDF file:

 The Clara Paper Doll (718k)

Clara as Dorothy in Oz

Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz
movie of 1939.
(Source: Library of Congress Images)

Many people are familiar with the 1939 musical film, The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland as Dorothy. But how many have read the original book published in 1900 by L. Frank Baum? Like many books and movie adaptations, there are many differences between the screenplay and the original story.

Original cover from 1900 edition (source: Wikimedia Commons)

The original book was illustrated by an editorial cartoonist named William Wallace Denslow. He drew many very cute pictures of Dorothy, Toto, and all the characters.

Cover from The Wizard of Oz
by L. Frank Baum, illustrated by W.W. Denslow
(Source: ©1956 version, original illustrations
now in the public domain.)

L. Frank Baum wrote many other novels about Oz, but Denslow only illustrated the first. The cover of this 1956 reprint (seen above with the big red poppy), was based on one of the original illustrations in the book.

Left: Illustration from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, illustrated by W.W. Denslow
(Source: Library of Congress Images);
Right: Illustration from The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, illustrated by W.W. Denslow
(Source: ©1956 version; the text & original illustrations are now in the public domain.)

This cute illustration (on left above) of Dorothy contemplating the scarecrow shows Dorothy in a cute gingham dress. Notice the bows on her magic shoes, which were actually silver slippers in the book, not ruby slippers. Costume designers thought that sparkly red shoes would look better in the new technicolor film that was used for the color portions of the Wizard of Oz film.

The blue illustration above (on the right) is one of the illustrations I based Clara's dress on. The dress is a simple prairie dress with a wide yoke, plain sleeves, and no waistline. As you can see, Denslow was not consistent in how he drew Dorothy. Sometimes she wore a checked gingham, other times the dress was plain. Sometimes Dorothy had a bonnet on, as you can see in the illustration to the left. (The shoe bows are back!)

Denslow's Dorothy always has loose braids. How did they ever stay braided without a tie of some sort?

Clara is dressed as Dorothy today, with the gingham prairie dress, bonnet and braids, and the magic slippers (with bows). And Toto... Dorothy could not possibly go anywhere without Toto by her side.

Next week, Clara arrives in the Emerald City!

To print Clara's dress, use this PDF file:

Clara's Dress 67 (799k)

Clara is a free, printable paper doll. Clara will be available on this blog as long as I continue to post new fashion pages for her. You can read the introduction for the Clara paper doll here.

To print the Clara paper doll, use this PDF file:

 The Clara Paper Doll (718k)

Clara's 1940s Pajamas

This week, Clara has some more pajamas. Last week, they were from the 1930s, and this week, they're from the 1940s. Once again, the pajamas are two very different styles of nightwear — one is a lacy, ruffled nightdress, and the other is a practical, comfy pair of pajamas.

Clara would be very comfortable in either of these 1940s pajamas. The nightgown has a nice ruffled neckline trimmed with ribbon. The high geometrical waistline adds a stylish touch, and the soft a-line gown would create a flattering silhouette.

The two-piece pajamas are for a colder evening with long, blousy sleeves gathered loosely at the wrist. A sweetheart neckline was very popular in the 40s. The loose pants would be comfortable instead of restrictive.

To print Clara's pajamas, use this PDF file:

Clara's Dress 66 (764.5k)

Clara is a free, printable paper doll. Clara will be available on this blog as long as I continue to post new fashion pages for her. You can read the introduction for the Clara paper doll here.

To print the Clara paper doll, use this PDF file:

 The Clara Paper Doll (718k)

Clara's 1930s Pajamas

In the 1920s, lounge pajamas were quite fashionable as beachwear, worn to cover a bathing suit. As the decade progressed, pajamas were worn as day wear and even worn to parties.

In the movie Singin' in the Rain, which was set in 1927, Lena Lamont is wearing gorgeous silky pink and black pajamas on the movie set when she meets Donald Lockwood. And in the fashion scene, the model wears some outrageous fur-trimmed turquoise and green pajamas "for lounging in your boudoir."

By the 1930s, movie actresses had made pajamas into a popular fashion choice for wearing day or night, worn as a casual alternative to dressing up.

Clara’s pajamas are quite stylish, and she could wear them for day or night. The pajamas have a short-sleeved tunic top, tied with a soft silky bow, which was worn over soft, loose pants.

If the pajamas are a bit too avant-garde, Clara also has a long nightgown with butterfly sleeves and a high, curved waistline. Pinch pleats add a nice stylish accent to the yoke, and some piping adds extra detail.

To print Clara's pajamas & nightgown, use this PDF file:

Clara's Dress 65 (760.9k)

Clara is a free, printable paper doll. Clara will be available on this blog as long as I continue to post new fashion pages for her. You can read the introduction for the Clara paper doll here.

To print the Clara paper doll, use this PDF file:

 The Clara Paper Doll (718k)

Clara's Early 1970s Calico Dress

Oscar de la Renta is credited with creating the popularity of the maxi dress in 1968, when the long skirt appeared in a fashion show he created for the Elizabeth Arden Studio. However, maxi dresses and skirts were available as early as 1965, when they appeared in the movie Dr. Zhivago.

However, the long skirts took a while to catch on in the fashion world, so it took a few years for the style to be in vogue. Other fashion designers copied de la Renta, and by the early 70s, the maxi dress style was very popular. However, like any fashion fad, the long skirts were quickly dated and out of style by the end of the decade.

Clara’s dress has a simple shape created with wide bands of elastic. Eyelet lace trims the hem. This would be a very comfortable dress to wear, due to its loose form, and the elastic used. Comfortable, that is, at least as long as you didn't trip over the long skirt.

Clara’s shoes are simple pumps, worn with tall socks. Her hair is in a simple, 70s style haircut.

To print Clara's dress, use this PDF file:

Clara's Dress 64 (772.9k)

Clara is a free, printable paper doll. Clara will be available on this blog as long as I continue to post new fashion pages for her. You can read the introduction for the Clara paper doll here.

To print the Clara paper doll, use this PDF file:

 The Clara Paper Doll (718k)

Clara's 1965 Mod Dress

This week, we'll move up a decade to 1965. In reaction to the  form fitting shapes, lace and ribbons, decorations, and wide skirts of the 50s, designers started a new style for fashion. London was the center of the new Mod (short for modernist) fashion movement.

Mod fashion was characterized by clean, loose-fitting lines, and geometric shapes. Unique collars were also a characteristic of Mod fashion. Bright colors and bold fabric patterns were quite fashionable.

Clara’s dress follows the Mod style with a fitted waist, a scalloped collar, and a simple bow for decoration.

Simple ballet flats were a versatile choice for footwear.

And finally, a very typical sixties-style haircut finishes off Clara’s outfit.

To print Clara's dress, use this PDF file:

Clara's Dress 63 (759.6k)

Clara is a free, printable paper doll. Clara will be available on this blog as long as I continue to post new fashion pages for her. You can read the introduction for the Clara paper doll here.

To print the Clara paper doll, use this PDF file:

 The Clara Paper Doll (718k)