Paper Dolls in New York Magazine

Imagine my surprise when I found not one, not two, not three or four or five, but SIX full page paper dolls in this week's New York Magazine! In the fall of 2014 I decided I should be more aware of current affairs, broadening my horizons beyond my current magazine subscriptions to cooking magazines and Entertainment Weekly, so I signed up for TIME and New York Magazine. Sure enough, in the following weeks I've absorbed information on world news, politics, science, health care and pop culture. Because I work for myself and don't socialize all that much, I hardly have a chance to discuss my new wisdom, other than perhaps announcing to my husband over breakfast that downtown Detroit is experiencing a revitalization. But this week my periodical discovery is too exciting to remain at the breakfast table.

Amidst restaurant reviews, new york news and personality profiles, the Dec. 29, 2014-Jan. 11, 2015 issue of New York Magazine offers fashion advice in the form of paper dolls. Six careers are represented—Wall Street Bigwig, Fashion Insider, Starchitect, Public-School Teacher, Techie and Art-World Operator. Illustrated by Kyle Hilton, each paper doll represents a real person and the wardrobe items include purchasing information. The wardrobe for Fashion Insider Joanna Hillman, style drector for Harper's Bazaar includes a $2,250 Proenza Schouler dress from Greene Street, a $135 blouse from cosstores.com and a pair of Comme des Garçons shoes bought on ebay.com. Melissa Dipinto, first-grade teacher at P.S. 321, wears $60 jeans from the Gap, a $40 Zara sweater from 666 Fifth Ave and $65 Superga sneakers from 78 Crosby St. Each paper doll page offers a wardrobe formula, such as "Perfectly Tailored Suits, Bare Ankles, Pocket Squares, and Boyish Charm" for Art World Operator Alexander Gilkes, co-founder of Paddle8.

This set of urban paper dolls is a fun find for paper doll collectors. If you can't locate this issue at your local newsstand or bookstore, you can purchase individual back issues from the New York Back Issue Store. Seeing such a large section devoted to paper dolls in a magazine like this gives me hope that paper dolls are indeed making a comeback.