The first issue of "Mode du Jour" was published on 28 April 1921. Publications continued until 1953 when it changed its name and became "Le Journal de la femme de France". Its format changed three times over its thirty-two years of existence. Restrictions during the Second World War meant its publication frequency was limited; instead of being published on a weekly basis, it was published monthly from 1943 to 1945. It launched a new series with a No. 1 in December 1945. This new series was very much in line with the highly-popular "Petit Echo de la Mode". Like the latter, it provided its women readers with fashion and beauty advice, tips for cooking and for looking after the home. And, like its inspirational periodical, it included pattern models for women, for children and occasionally for men. Short stories and novels were sometimes published over a period of several weeks in each issue. It continued uninterrupted (but on a monthly basis) throughout the Second World War and, during this restricted period, provided shrewd advice on how to stay stylish in all situations and make clothes for every member of the family. System "D" and a positive mindset reigned supreme and tips and tricks were passed on to readers to help them manage their challenging day-to-day lives. From a purely stylistic point of view, the periodical featured a simple layout and was most likely aimed at women from average or even modest social categories. Each issue totalled between twenty-five to thirty pages and each front cover was always illustrated by a portrayal or colourized photo of a woman's face.
Click below to discover the "Mode du Jour" fashion magazine flipbooks from 1938 to 1949