Vintage Pattern Sizes and How To Choose Yours

   In my last post I promised to try to explain a bit about how vintage patterns sizes work and why we who sew should not get hooked up on an arbitrary number called "Size"

   First some history, before Simplicity, Butterick, McCalls and Vogue became "The Big 4" they were simply creative people who found a market for their goods. My favorite is Butterick who started making and selling women's patterns on his kitchen table in 1863 at the encouragement of his wife. To read more, One Yellow Cottage has a great piece on Dating Patterns.

   But with each pattern company came a different measure of sizing. By 1937 a complaint was made to standardize the pattern making industry. Please pop over to this blog and read about the survey the U. S. Department of Agriculture published in 1941. Or Fashion Incubator has a wonderful in-depth 3 part series on the history and evolution of garment and pattern sizing. 

   While pattern sizes have not changed as quickly as RTW there was still a bit of vanity sizing going on and more importantly different UNDERgarments! 

Source

Wonder why those patterns had such tiny waists? Yep, corsets, girdles, Bullet bras! So never fear my friends, women didn't really look that way naturally!

You can expect to do alterations when you buy vintage patterns; but really, we have to alter most patterns we buy, vintage or not, since we are all wonderfully and uniquely made! 

Gertie has the best list of vintage pattern alterations with quick explanations on how to do them! I have used her method of letting out the waist on a couple dresses now with beautiful results. 

   The oldest vintage patterns only came with the bust size printed on them since it was assumed the seamstress would adjust the waist and hips to suit her personally. Most vintage patterns also came only in one size. Don't let that stop you though, there a lots of great tutorials on grading up or down a size and remember you may only need to adjust one part, ex. using Gertie's method.

Here's my online picks for grading:

Casey at Elegant Musings

Threads

Megan Neilsen's fast method

  Another thing to remember is Ease. To explain this simply, garment or wearing ease is what you need so you don't rip out of your clothes like the Incredible Hulk when you sit down, bend over or take a breath. Style ease is dependent on the look the designer was going for. Here's an example:

Lots of style ease

Very fitted not a lot of style ease

Depending on the style you may be able to buy a smaller size if it is more loose fitting; or larger if the vintage style is fitted and you don't want to do a lot of changes.

I feel like there is a lot going on in this post, with links sending you here and there. Here's my short list of buying vintage pattern tips.

1. Buy by Bust Measurement not Size. You can use your full or high bust measurement.

2. Decide what undergarments you are wearing and plan alterations accordingly. 

3. Remember most vintage patterns only came in one size which makes cutting and fitting easier. 

4. Consider the garment's ease.

5. Join WeSewRetro, it's a great community, with a vast experience base to bounce questions and ideas off of. Or contact me and I'll do my best to help ya too.

So ends my vintage pattern ramble. Please feel free to leave comments adding any more tips you may have on buying or using vintage patterns. Or correcting any incorrect info I may have posted. I tried to link back to my sources and get accurate stuff but ya never know...

Your Size... And Why It Doesn't Really Matter

  The other day I was having a conversation with someone I care about. She was excitedly telling me how she was beginning to sew for herself again and buying patterns. 

“You know they go up about two sizes from your ready to wear. So if you are __ in RTW you will be around  __ size in a sewing pattern.” I mentioned.

“Ahg!” She gasped. “I can’t be that size.”

   My heart broke a little when she said that. Didn’t she realize her shape didn’t change but the different companies use different systems? A woman’s size, whether she be young or old, seems to be something that stirs up great emotion and struggle. 

   My struggle was slightly different than most, since as a budding 14 year old I was interested in GAINing weight so I wouldn’t look so much like a holocaust survivor. Forced by a disease to count the carbohydrates of everything that came near my lips I wasn’t complaining when I did get to eat. I was more embarrassed about the bruises on my arms from checking my blood sugar than I was about my hair or clothes. I would get angry when I had to run laps to bring down my high blood sugar instead of getting to visit and eat ice cream with friends in the evening. 

   One of the blessings of living as a Type 1 Diabetic is the detachment I can view my body with. It is a piece of equipment I must use to get through my life. Unlike my car or my house which I can’t trade in, or paint whatever colors I want, My Body is something I can decorate however I want, changing whenever I feel like it. And my “Size” is merely a set of measurements that tells me how best to decorate. They are part of a complex math equation and when I get them correct I can create beautiful things! 

   My friends, I care about you and want you to feel as beautiful as I know you are so let’s sit down and have a serious chat about our body measurements and sewing patterns. So put on your best bra and undies, grab a tape measure and lets get the first part of the math problem correct by taking accurate measurements of ourselves.

Here's a few links to the beginning measurements we'll need: 

BurdaStyle with pictures and explanations.

Simplicity with clear picture and instructions.

Threads with a printable chart and comprehensive measurements.

Vintagegirl on choosing a pattern based on full or high bust measurements.

So now you have your homework!

Monday we’ll have a little history lesson on how sewing pattern sizes came to be and tips on how to choose the correct “size” vintage pattern for you!

Wednesday, we’ll take a look at what some modern pattern companies have to say for themselves and whatever else I dig up that is interesting.

Until next time, keep rolling with the wind!