Pair of Doll's Socks thumbnail 1
On display

Pair of Doll's Socks

1950-1954 (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
Gautier-Languereau (manufacturers)
Place of origin
France (manufactured)

Pair of doll's socks, made from knitted white cotton.

Object details

Categories
Fashion
Dolls
Object type
Pair of doll's socks
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Sock
  • Sock
Materials and techniques
Knitted cotton
Cotton (Textile)
Knitting
Brief description
Doll's socks, white cotton, for Bleuette, 1950s
Physical description
Pair of doll's socks, made from knitted white cotton.
Dimensions
  • Each sock height: 42mm
  • Each sock width: 16mm
  • Each sock depth: 22mm
Gallery label
(01/07/2023)
Fashion and action

People wear different clothes for different occasions, and so do our dolls.

These two sailors have lots of different outfits to choose from. One of them was originally designed for a boy and the other for a girl, but if you think about it, they aren’t that different.

[Young V&A, Imagine Gallery, Small Worlds, group object label]
Credit line
Given by Mrs Nike de Bellaigue
Object history
Given to the Museum by Nike de Bellaigue [2016/949]
Historical context
Bleuette was produced between 1905 and 1960. The doll was the invention of Paris publisher Henri Gautier, whose publishing house, Gautier-Languereau, produced La Semaine de Suzette, a magazine intended for young girls. The content of the magazine included patterns for making outfits for Bleuette, encouraging readers to make their own clothes for their dolls. More than a thousand patterns were produced, alongisde a biannual catalogue with which ready-made outfits could be purchased.

Bleuette was an important forerunner to Barbie and the modern idea of a fashion doll. Its association with La Semaine de Suzette is also important within the history of girls' education and pastimes as it encouraged readers to use patterns and to learn how to sew.
Collection
Young V&A Collection
Accession number
B.184:1, 2-2017

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Record createdMarch 23, 2018
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1436304/pair-of-dolls-gautier-languereau/
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