Best in Fashion, Make it Yours

April 5, 2017 6:37 AM

The Vintage Pattern Wiki is a collaborative dedicated to Vintage Sewing Patterns (25 years old or older) and well worth browsing through for how some styles rarely change dramatically and how some things really do. Currently it lists over 83,500 patterns from companies you probably recognize (Vogue, Burda, Butterick, McCall/McCall’s) and ones you may not (Academy Patterns, ABC Schnitt, Pictorial Review). And lots of Mail Order Companies. Not sure about those vintage fabric suggestions (Barathea? Vicara? Poor boy?)? The Vintage Fashion Guild has got you covered.
posted by crush (9 comments total)

A friend is very active in this community as she is a volunteer at the Heritage Square Museum in Los Angeles and all of the volunteers dress in period costume. She has become a pretty expert seamstress in the process. They have fab events all year round.
posted by Sophie1 at 7:05 AM on April 5, 2017

That is really cool - thank you!
posted by needlegrrl at 7:09 AM on April 5, 2017

I use the resource regularly for my database of patterns. The envelopes don't always have a copyright date on them and although I can generally tell which decade and which half of the decade a pattern belongs to, the Wiki sometimes has additional information like the year it was included in a pattern book that can help date something. Also, I just love looking at the handwritten notes on the patterns. I do wish they included the backs of the envelopes, though.
posted by crush at 7:18 AM on April 5, 2017

Love love love you crush!!
posted by Melismata at 7:45 AM on April 5, 2017

So many patterns I recognize from the 80's. My mother sewed most of our clothes from Butterick and McCall's patterns and these would be tucked into baskets all over her room. I loved the illustrations on the front of McCall's best, and would spend hours while mom fabric shopped sitting at those long tables flipping through the big books.
posted by 80 Cats in a Dog Suit at 8:24 AM on April 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

80 Cats in a Dog Suit: So many patterns I recognize from the 80's

At first glance, I imagined your username was "80s cat in a Dog Suit," which made me smile at the thought of patterns for cats to make their own animal costumes.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:35 AM on April 5, 2017 [2 favorites]

1953: "Miss, Size 16, Bust 34"

1963: "Miss, Size 14, Bust 34"

1973: "Miss, Size 12, Bust 34"
posted by TWinbrook8 at 2:27 PM on April 5, 2017 [2 favorites]

From the page re 1970s sewing patterns: 1970s fashion began with a continuation of the 1960s, but soon split off in several directions. Popular looks included wide-legged flared pants, the "disco look" hit mid-1970s.... Finally, punk fashion erupted later in the decade.

So, were there actual patterns for punk-style clothes back in the day?

I can't see any self-respecting 1970s-era punk pulling a Butterick pattern from the file, but I can imagine fashion-forward women from my small hometown deciding to adopt the latest fashions of the "younger generation", paging through pattern books looking for something that might look good on Joey Ramone.
posted by she's not there at 7:03 PM on April 5, 2017

This is awesome-- looks like a set of great resources. Thank you!
posted by steady-state strawberry at 7:53 PM on April 5, 2017