So, here I am again finally! I didn't plan this, but somehow, with the busiest time at work being in November/December, Christmas, my usual new years' trip, it just didn't work out, as these posts always take a bit of time...
Anyway, here I am again with a fabulous new issue! This one overdoes all the others in respect to the mad slimming and bust-enhancing product ads!
But first, look at that cover - that hairstyle is a work of art I think! This very chic jacket is another haute couture model on the cover - this time by Lucile Manguin. Just like this I haven't found a lot of info on her except the info on the
VFG's label resource, plus that she was also involved the Théatre de la Mode.
The fashion
The fashions in this issue are just gorgeous, so let's get started on these!
First, two suits for spring, with patterns for matching hats. Aren't they stylish? I'd love to have the black one! Note just how short the skirts were then - they really didn't cover more than the knees!
Next, some knitting patterns. Note how the shape of the jacket reflects the shape of the suit jackets - including the big pockets! I like the demure little cardigan on the bottom right. This is so classic.
Next, a whole double page with separates for spring: blouses and skirts in all shapes and sizes. How very practical. The blouses range from the classic sporty style to the quite fancy, like this one:
How pretty is that?
Also note this skirt with the unusual high waist:
The most unusual thing however is this ensemble:
Why? It's not a dress - it's trouser skirt (hope that's the right expression!). They're basically trousers, but the legs are so wide it looks like a skirt! They call it "sporty". How amazing is that? Also look at how short it is - quite daring I'd say. The blouse is the same one as the one on the bottom left on the double page.
And to top it all off - a double page of yummy lingerie! Nighties, slips, dressing gowns, tap pants and camis.
The women
As usual, this issue also featured some interesting women. First a Swiss skiing champion. She did participate in international competitions too, after they were started again. She participated in the 1948 and 1952 Olympics, as well as the 1950 Ski World Cup.
And again, Meyers Modeblatt showed some even more interesting female role models: two british scientists, both also Fellows of the Royal Society: Kathleen Lonsdale was a mathematician, Marjory Stephenson was a biochemist. They were the first female members of the Royal Society. How interesting is that? I do like this magazine for introducing some for the time unusual women - remember, this mag was aimed at the average housewife.
This'n that
Just some random things... like the so-called "Flühli glass" - beautifully painted glass items dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries.
And a little fun too:
Left: the story of a sleigh-ride tradition for kids, from the Prättigau valley, that was held again for the first time after the war. My dad grew up in the same valley... let's see if he has done it!
The other page holds some random items like an earthquake in the Valais with images from the damage (mostly to houses' roofs), the death of the wife of
General Wille - he was the "big" figure in WWI. They say everybody had a photo of him in their house at the time. Then there's the sale of chocolate coins for the benefit of the heritage and nature trust. This is interesting indeed! Considering this was the first winter after the war, and even Switzerland was still on rationing, they did keep a thing like this up. Later they would have school kids go from door to door to sell these. Yes, I did it too! The whole class was involved, they would put us into teams of two and assign us a certain part of town. And they are still being sold. The organisation is now called
pro natura. The lady driving the car is Lieutenant Helen Fisher, driving her jeep through Berne, a sight that according to the blurb, had become quite common. She was responsible for American students in Berne. And finally - the first elections being held in some parts of Germany.
Last - a little page-filler about winter in Denmark, showing Copenhagen, the cathedral in Roskilde, and Danish boyscouts.
Ad-tastic
Möbel Pfister was still vying for fiancées to buy the furniture for their first house or apartment at the right time, offering a complete set of furnishings. This included not just the bedroom and living room furniture (which by the way reminds me so much of what my grandparents had), but also kitchen furniture, the pictured carpets (with the note that the living room carpet was from pre-war stock!), the lamps and some prints to put on the walls! And they would deliver it to everywhere in Switzerland by railway!
Breast enhancement ad
Now, they really went a little crazy on these in this issue! Three ads just for breast-enhancing products!
This one called Bustex claims that "American women take care of their breasts" and that they are now the women known over the world to be doing the most for their looks (even more than French women!) - complete with a glam shot of Ginger Rogers! The product it seems was some kind of lotion. It was available at mail-order and apparently in the "relevant shops"...
Next up - Piara. It's not clear what kind of product it is, but it could be ordered discreetly by mail! *lol*
To top it all off, Rondoform was also present again, this time with a big advertorial! Here they claim that hormones were responsible for the development of breast and that therefore only treatment "from the inside" could make them bigger and fuller. They claim that science had shown that "hormonal therapy" could help, and if they were especially small, the addition of arsenic would help even better!!! And that's what they claim this product contained - hormones, plant extracts and arsenic. Honestly, who in their right mind would take this?! It also claims that it would not make you put on weight. This is truly one of the weirdest ads I've ever read!
Slimming product ad
Yes, of course these featured too! The Orbal ad was published again, and a new one for a product suitably called "Diva". What I find pretty horrid is that the title doesn't talk about slimming but literally "getting more meagre". Ugh! And they even promised you your money back if your "fat pads" didn't disappear within 14 days!
Pretty tea-dresses - just what I like! 
Marina Viorica Nicolescu - deputy premier of Romania at the time. Certainly something very unusual then! 
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