Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Miss Maybelline Capitalize's on the word chic!

Targeting the fashion-conscious young woman brought in a whole new breed of buyer—in droves.



In the mid-Thirties, fashion began to pull away from early Depression frumpiness, offering a fresh appeal to the younger generation, who gravitated towards a style of their own. Victorian plainness had grown tiresome despite the heavy influence of class-conscious women’s magazines, and young women eagerly thrust themselves into the full flow of Twentieth Century style. The sophistication of femme fatale movie stars such as Jean Harlow, Joan Crawford and Marlene Dietrich was changing fashion, and Maybelline offered an important key to the look. 

Lilly Daché herself appeared in a Maybelline ad--tasteful, yet glamorous, showcasing her combination of celebrity and fashion with a new line of Maybelline products including Cream Form Mascara. Magazines across the country carried a full-page ad of a younger woman in a fashionable Lilly Daché hat, eyes made up with Maybelline, along with an autographed photo picture of the famous milliner and copy designed to capitalize on the word chic.

Evelyn Williams with a friend in 1945.
Tom Lyle had not merely been flattering Evelyn when he pointed out she was right about hats highlighting a real change in trends. There was nothing sexier than flirty eyes slightly hidden behind the veil of a chic little hat worn at lunch with friends, or at a cocktail party in some penthouse.  

More about Evelyn and her influence over fashion, beauty and sophistication in The Maybelline Story.


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