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‭Fashion Tales: Birmingham and their Catalogues‬

‭ nce upon a time, in a faraway land,‬

O
‭There were folks with fashion plans oh so grand.‬
‭From the Roaring Twenties to the Revolutionary Sixties,‬
‭Their clothes were so snazzy, you’ll see it's so nifty!‬

‭ ow pay attention, my dear young friend,‬

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‭For our story today has a trend to comprehend.‬
‭Our story is about wholesale catalogs, you see,‬
‭And how they made Birmingham so stylish and glee!‬

‭ he folks of Birmingham were quite fashionable and flashy,‬

T
‭For the “Big Four” company catalogs made folks quite classy.‬
‭Wilkinson & Riddell, Larkins & Sons, Bell & Nicolson,‬
‭These companies spread fast fashion with a quick motion.‬
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‭ ith endless pages of mass-fashion clothing items,‬

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‭People’s fashion statements quickly heightened.‬
‭From dresses to suits, hats to shoes,‬
‭These catalogs had so much to choose!‬

‭ old on now, there is more to this tale,‬

H
‭For these catalogs had so much on sale.‬
‭They made fashion acquirable for all,‬
‭Whether you were big or small!‬

‭ here was so much customer demand,‬

T
‭Even Grandpa Joe had his outfits planned.‬
‭No need to travel, no need to walk,‬
‭Fashion came flying, just like a hawk.‬

‭ o next time you doubt what to wear,‬

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‭Remember these fashion catalogs, all fair and square.‬
‭They contained eye-catching clothing,‬
‭From silly underwear to pants, oh you are glowing!‬
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‭ lothes, Clothes, Clothes!‬

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‭People would chant‬
‭Clothes, Clothes, Clothes!‬
‭These catalogs would grant.‬

‭ lothes, Clothes, Clothes!‬

C
‭There was a skyrocketing demand,‬
‭Clothes, Clothes, Clothes!‬
‭These catalogs would immediately understand.‬

‭ o, my dear friend, that is the end,‬

S
‭Of our story about clothes that spread.‬
‭Remember our lesson, remember it tight,‬
‭Fashion is for everyone, yes you are right!‬

‭ ur journey through Birmingham can’t be beat,‬

O
‭With our meaningful rhymes, oh so neat!‬
‭Now go on friend, go and explore,‬
‭Your love for fashion is like never before!‬
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‭Fashion Tales: The Big Four in Birmingham Translation‬

‭Academic research papers in history are often perceived as dull and formidable reads.‬

‭Many question the attraction of studying the lives of the past, wondering, “What joy can there be‬

‭in exploring the past?” I distinctly remember thinking that way back in my middle school years.‬

‭Navigating through history papers often overwhelmed me, bombarding me with a barrage of‬

‭dates spanning from ancient times to the modern era, alongside history terminology that flew‬

‭over my head. While these papers might captivate the attention of their intended audiences—‬

‭academics and historians specializing in history— those who do not have a historical background‬

‭can get often confused and overwhelmed by the information provided. Therefore, I decided to‬

‭translate these academic research papers into children’s literature. The process of translating‬

‭academic research papers into children’s literature not only challenges traditional scholarly‬

‭conventions but also underscores the importance of creativity in spreading knowledge to diverse‬

‭audiences.‬

‭As a sociology major, I empathize with the overwhelming nature of sifting through‬

‭numerous research papers for coursework. I chose this history academic article titled, “‘Better‬

‭Dressed than Birmingham’? Wholesale Clothing Catalogues and the Communication of Mass‬

‭Fashion, 1920s to 1960s” by Jenny Gilbert as a reference for my genre translation. Gilbert’s‬

‭paper delves into Birmingham’s role in the mass-market fashion industry, focusing on the “Big‬

‭Four” of Birmingham clothing and textile companies from the mid-nineteenth century until the‬

‭1970s, and their role in disseminating mass fashion through printed communications.‬‭1‬ ‭Despite‬

‭being an academic research paper, its focus on fashion history was able to strike a chord with me.‬

‭1‬
‭Jenny Gilbert, “‘Better Dressed than Birmingham’? Wholesale Clothing Catalogues and the Communication of‬
‭ ass Fashion, 1920s to 1960s,”‬‭Midland History‬‭45, no. 2 (2020): 258.‬
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‭https://doi.org/10.1080/0047729X.2020.1767978‬
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‭As someone who loves fashion and is very interested in fashion upbringings, this academic‬

‭research paper was very intriguing.‬

‭Jenny Gilbert seems to have an audience of scholars and researchers interested in the‬

‭fashion industry; the focus on the role of wholesale catalogs in fashion suggests an audience‬

‭interested in consumer culture, mass fashion, and commercialization in Birmingham during the‬

‭20th century.‬‭2‬ ‭Gilbert’s meticulous writing conventions are evident within her organized article,‬

‭with multiple subheadings guiding the reader through her paper. She includes an abstract, her‬

‭main arguments with different subheadings, her conclusion, and finally, acknowledgments.‬

‭Gilbert further organizes her article by using footnotes and the Chicago Manual of Style citation,‬

‭suggesting that her paper is academic and for research purposes, as well as highlighting the‬

‭history discipline’s commitment to organization and credibility. Her tone is very informative and‬

‭scholarly, ensuring clarity and accuracy throughout her article, despite the usage of jargon terms‬

‭such as “swagger coat,” “tweeds” and “smock,” which may be a challenge to understand for‬

‭readers unfamiliar with fashion terminology.‬

‭I opted to translate Jenny Gilbert’s research article into a children’s book, drawing‬

‭inspiration from renowned examples such as‬‭The Cat‬‭in the Hat‬‭by Dr. Seuss,‬‭The Very Hungry‬

‭Caterpillar‬‭by Eric Carle, and‬‭The Giving Tree‬‭by‬‭Shel Silverstein. These works share a‬

‭multitude of genre conventions; they have short, descriptive narratives complimented with an‬

‭abundance of pictures that relate to the text. Targeting children aged 4 to 9, these books employ‬

‭language that is easily comprehensible, devoid of complex jargon terms that might pose a‬

‭challenge for young readers. Moreover, these works are very poetic, as they utilize repetition to‬

‭engage young minds. For example,‬‭The Cat in the Hat’s‬‭recurring phrase, “Sit! Sit! Sit!”‬‭3‬ ‭and‬

‭2‬
‭ ilbert, “Better Dressed than Birmingham’?,” 259.‬
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‭3‬
‭Dr. Seuss,‬‭The Cat in the Hat‬‭(New York: Random House,‬‭2018), 2.‬
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‭Eric Carle’s repeated usage of the statement “He started to look for some food”‬‭4‬ ‭every few lines‬

‭in‬‭The Very Hungry Caterpillar‬‭allows for engagement and entertainment. These non-academic‬

‭children's books aim to educate children and give them a moral of the story with valuable life‬

‭lessons.‬‭The Cat in the Hat‬‭imparts a moral to beware of who you let into your home since when‬

‭they let the cat in the hat inside their home, they had a mess to deal with as a consequence of not‬

‭listening to their mother.‬‭5‬ ‭The Very Hungry Caterpillar‬‭teaches children to watch what they eat‬

‭and to indulge in better, healthier food in order to grow.‬‭6‬ ‭Finally,‬‭The Giving Tree‬‭gives a‬

‭valuable lesson about selfishness and taking things for granted, which is very important to‬

‭understand for growing children.‬‭7‬ ‭These non-academic children’s books serve as powerful tools‬

‭for education and moral development, nurturing children’s understanding and fostering positivity‬

‭in learning and growing.‬

‭The contrast between the language used in academic research papers in history and‬

‭children’s books is undeniable. A prime example of this disparity is this quote from Jenny‬

‭Gilbert’s paper, which contains an abundance of jargon and intricate vocabulary:‬

‭“Retrospectively these words can be read as eerily prophetic, predicting the rise of fast fashion‬

‭with its low prices, low quality, and high turnover.”‬‭8‬ ‭For me to translate a creative rendition‬

‭suitable for children, sophisticated terms like “prophetic” and “turnover” had to be simplified to‬

‭ensure comprehension for young readers. Although Gilbert’s tone is formal and academic, her‬

‭paper would only make sense for her audience of scholars and historians, presenting challenges‬

‭of comprehension for a wider audience. Thus, my adaptation involved substituting Gilbert’s‬

‭4‬
‭ ric Carle,‬‭The Very Hungry Caterpillar‬‭(London,‬‭England: Puffin, 1994), 1-6.‬
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‭5‬
‭Dr. Seuss,‬‭The Cat in the Hat‬‭, 5-10.‬
‭6‬
‭Eric Carle,‬‭The Very Hungry Caterpillar‬‭, 11.‬
‭7‬
‭Shel Silverstein,‬‭The Giving Tree‬‭(New York, NY:‬‭HarperCollins, 2002), 20-27.‬
‭8‬
‭Gilbert, “‘Better Dressed than Birmingham’?,” 258.‬
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‭complex vocabulary with simpler alternatives, while preserving the essence of her argument‬

‭within the framework of a children’s book genre.‬

‭Transitioning from an audience of academic scholars to children aged 4 to 9 posed a‬

‭significant challenge in translating Gilbert’s article. Nonetheless, I made sure to maintain‬

‭Gilbert’s central focus on the “Big Four” and their role in Birmingham’s mass-market fashion‬

‭industry throughout my genre translation. Incorporating specific names from the “Big Four,”‬

‭such as Wilkinson & Riddell, Larkins & Sons, and Bell & Nicolson, I utilized rhyming‬

‭techniques reminiscent of Dr. Seuss’ iconic style. As rhyming and repetition are staples in Dr.‬

‭Seuss’ books, I repeated the words “Clothes! Clothes! Clothes!” to give it more of a children’s‬

‭book feel. By acknowledging that it was impossible to encompass all of Jenny Gilbert’s concepts‬

‭within my translation, I prioritized her primary theme: the profound impact of the “Big Four” in‬

‭clothing production. Furthermore, I gave my genre translation a moral, underscoring that fashion‬

‭is for everyone and highlighting the wealth of using catalogs as inspiration, offering guidance for‬

‭children struggling to find their own style. I also decided to add drawings throughout my genre‬

‭translation, as it is a staple in all children's books. I drew all of my drawings by hand on my iPad‬

‭and made sure to color them vibrantly, as it would captivate more children’s attention. While‬

‭thinking of what to draw, I decided to match each drawing to each stanza to give a visual‬

‭description of what I wrote. I also wanted to create a specific, fun, and silly character that‬

‭represented the main idea of my translation and thus created the red wholesale catalog character.‬

‭For example, in my fourth stanza about the specific “Big Four” companies, I drew three‬

‭buildings with each company name along with my wholesale catalog character.‬

‭Delving into Jenny Gilbert’s work and brainstorming how to translate her work, I kept‬

‭her central argument in mind, since “figuring out the main argument is the key to reading the text‬
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‭effectively and efficiently.”‬‭9‬ ‭Recognizing her argument helped me navigate through her points‬

‭while reading, guiding me on what concepts to prioritize for my translation. Enabling a mindset‬

‭of first-order thinking helped me be “intuitive and creative, and [I didn’t] strive for conscious‬

‭direction or control” while making a draft of my translation, which overall helped my children’s‬

‭book flow smoother.‬‭10‬ ‭Having first-order thinking allowed me to be more creative, and I did not‬

‭worry about needing to sound professional and perfect on my first try. While I had initial‬

‭concerns regarding the intricacy of rhyming, I am overall satisfied with the outcome of my‬

‭translation. Channeling the spirit of Dr. Seuss, I had to wear my own top hat and immerse myself‬

‭in his whimsical perspective to translate Jenny Gilbert’s work to a young audience. This journey‬

‭not only deepened my appreciation for the work that comes with producing children’s literature‬

‭but also provided me with an opportunity to be creative.‬

‭9‬
‭Karen Rosenberg, “Reading Games: Strategies for Reading‬‭Scholarly Sources.”‬‭Writing Spaces: Readings on‬
‭Writing,‬‭vol. 2 (2011): 218.‬
‭10‬
‭Peter Elbow,‬‭Embracing Contraries: Exploration in‬‭Learning and Teaching‬‭(New York: Oxford U Press,‬‭1986),‬
‭55.‬
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‭Notes‬

‭Carle, Eric.‬‭The Very Hungry Caterpillar‬‭. London, England: Puffin, 1994.‬

‭Elbow, Peter.‬‭Embracing Contraries: Exploration in‬‭Learning and Teaching‬‭. New York: Oxford‬

‭U Press. 1986.‬

‭Gilbert, Jenny. “‘Better Dressed than Birmingham’? Wholesale Clothing Catalogues and the‬

‭Communication of Mass Fashion, 1920s to 1960s.”‬‭Midland‬‭History‬‭45, no. 2 (2020):‬

‭258–274.‬‭https://doi.org/10.1080/0047729X.2020.1767978‬

‭Rosenberg, Karen. “Reading Games: Strategies for Reading Scholarly Sources.”‬‭Writing Spaces:‬

‭Readings on Writing‬‭, vol. 2 (2011): 210-220.‬

‭Seuss, Dr.‬‭The Cat in the Hat‬‭. New York: Random House,‬‭2018.‬

‭Silverstein, Shel.‬‭The Giving Tree‬‭. New York, NY:‬‭HarperCollins, 2002.‬