Child's Dress c. 1936

Mary E. Humes created this watercolor and graphite rendering of a child's dress, but we don't know exactly when. It gives us a privileged glimpse into the world of domestic arts and fashion design, likely somewhere in the United States. The dress, with its delicate embroidery and ribboned sleeves, speaks to a culture that valued handcrafted items and the artistry of needlework, although we have to bear in mind that it is a design drawing rather than a record of an actual item. The attention to detail, including a sketch of the back view, suggests a professional approach to dressmaking or perhaps a design intended for publication in a ladies' magazine or a department store catalogue. We should ask ourselves whether Humes was hoping to empower home dressmakers or whether she worked within the fashion industry and understood its potential as a source of income for women. To truly understand the dress's social and cultural significance, we need to explore archives of fashion history, women's magazines, and design publications. That way we can reveal the economic and social networks that helped shape this humble image.