"These Patterns Enclosed" (Australian Home Journal, January 1952)

 The Australian Home Journal's free patterns for January were for three summer "frocks".  The magazine gives instructions for making them up, but no suggestions for materials—and come to think of it, no sizes, either.  However, most of the patterns given away in other issues of the Australian Home Journal were sized for a 36 inch bust, and the cover illustration would indicate that printed cottons would be the most likely fabric to be used.

Cool Cottons.
Summer cottons, streamlined for sports, cool for casual wear and becomingly attractive when you feel like dressing up, lend themselves to unlimited variety of designs.  With florals, stripes or plain grounds, they are equally attractive for all ages...

As usual, the Australian Home Journal offers plenty of fashion advice amidst its pattern advertisements.

Blouses.
Mexican blouses to be worn with skirts are going out.  More often a little waist-deep fitted navy or white knitted cotton sweater, front buttoned , with small club collar and cuffed sleeve is worn.  Or perhaps a boat necked, cap sleeved jersey blouse the same shade as the main colour in the skirt is chosen.

To Top the Lot
For those who want something definitely new and different, we advise the coolie hat....

Good Foundations
It is being realised that whether plump or slim a good corset is essential.  For besides controlling curves it controls the posture—and everyone knows that good posture gives grace to any outfit.  Corset manufacturers are catering more freely in these lines—studying the different movements of their clients and adjusting the corset to suit that movement.  The housewife who bends and stoops is catered for, as are career girls, teenagers, sports girls, expectant mothers, short figures and tall figures.  These corsets are attractive too, being made from nylon lace and elastic, with the backing of firm material for the fuller figures.

(This last item has me wondering—how many women did truss themselves into elastic corsets in the 1950s?  Including teenagers and expectant mothers?  Or was this an attempt by the magazine to persuade women who had abandoned them back into "attractive" foundation garments?)