About Dating Vintage Sewing Patterns The pattern number is only an indicator of the date on vintage sewing patterns.  You can’t use the number alone because the companies would start over again when they got to a certain level.  You must consider the general silhouette of the clothing along with other factors such as hair, price, sizing and envelope style and logo placement you can get pretty close to the issue or copyright date.  Please be aware that even if a pattern is dated, it could have been in production for years and could even be a re-release of a previous number.  Style eras often crossed decade lines.  For instance it is very difficult to tell a 1938 pattern from a 1941 pattern.  The basic style and design elements were the same.  The same thing applies for 1959-1961 and again in the 60s and 70's.  There is more difference between 1964 and 1967 that there is between 1969 and 1971. Besides the general look and art work of vintage patterns, the sizing can be a very good indicator.  In the beginning of Home Patterns, the bust measurement is often the only measurement given.  By the 1940s patterns gave bust and hip measurements but often the waist was not given (due to the fact that the sewist could change that element).  Until 1956 a Size 12 was for a 30 inch bust.  In 1956 sizing changed and a Size 12 was for a 32 inch bust.  In mid 1967 the standard changed once again and a Size 12 became a 34 inch bust and remains so today.  So if you are trying to date something near the year of size change, the size can be a great clue. Below is a quick reference chart of basic styles for the eras. Victorian 1865-1895   Edwardian-La Belle Epoque 1895-1920 Fabulous Research Site is The Fashion Era   1904 S Curve Silhouette 1910 Drop Waist Ankle Length 1918 WWI High Waist Ankle Length   1920-1929 After the War to End all Wars, (World War I), the world was in a celebratory mood and fashion changed drastically.  Women's clothing became less restrictive and hemlines climbed higher (not as high as most people think but higher than they had ever been).  Dropped waists and bound bosoms gave a boyish silhouette, along with bobbed hair and asymmetrical hemlines.  But just to say all Twenties were Flappers is wrong.  The move to the carefree youthful Flapper was a gradual movement and not every woman grasped the concept.    1920 Mid Calf Length 1924 1928 Flapper Drop waist  Asymmetrical Hem   1930-1939 1930's  With the Great Depression looming on the horizon many women who had previously lived a life of luxury with a huge staff to maintain their life styles, were suddenly thrust into a world where dressing simpler during the day was a simple matter of practicality.  The DAY Dress or House Dress was born and the more complicated and expensive fabrics were saved for evening wear.  Hemlines plunged as did spirits, and the female figure made a reappearance.   Skirts narrowed at the hip with a flare (bias cut or pleats) at the hemline. By the late Thirties, hemlines were creeping upwards once again and dresses (or frocks) were becoming more flattering due to an extensive use of Rayon which hangs softly and lends it's self to drapes and pleats.  Shoulders were getting wider You will sometimes find NRA seals on patterns which can help you date them between 1933-1935. The National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), officially known as the Act of June 16, 1933  was part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. It authorized the President to regulate industry and permit cartels and monopolies in an attempt to stimulate economic recovery from the Great Depression, and established a national public works program.  The Act was implemented by the National Recovery Administration and the Public Works Administration. The NIRA was set to expire in June 1935, but the U.S. Supreme Court held Title I of the Act unconstitutional on May 27, 1935, in Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States, 295 U.S. 495 (1935) (making the issue moot).   1935 1936 1939   1940-1949 1940's  It's very hard to tell a 1939 from a 1940 unless the pattern is actually dated.  There were no major changes between 1938 and 1941........so if it's extremely important to you to have a definite date, I'm sorry there isn't an answer. By 1942, when America entered the 2nd World War, Day Frocks became even more important.  Rationing of fabrics, metals and synthetics as well as the economic impact made protection of clothing very important. Hemlines climbed higher than ever due to rationing of fabric.  Pullover dresses and tops became necessary due to rationing of metal for buttons.   Aprons and House Dresses to wear at home, Military styled suits for the office worker and of course trousers for the Rosie the Riveter.  Evening clothes were still in vogue, but were simply styled and often redone older clothing.  By the late 40's hemlines were once more below the knee and stayed there until the mid 50's.........the emphasis was on the female form once again.  Draping and pleating and nipped waistlines were once more fashionable but on a softer and less rigid scale.   1940 1942 1944 1945 1946 1947   1950-1959 Ah!  The 50's.........Eisenhower, Rock N Roll, Suburban Life.  A car in every garage and a chicken in every pot.  What exactly were the 50's?  Many things.  In fashion it was the NEW AGE look, which wasn't really NEW.  Tiny waist, wide skirts (just shorter this time), not much different from the 1850's.  But WOW, did the designers know how to capitalize on the affluence of the 50's.  Extreme's is perhaps the thing that most signifies this era.  If one tuck or pleat was good then many were better.  High collars, asymmetrical bodices and big ruffles were all the rage. Most pattern companies took advantage of this new decade and published Designer series.  Trends seemed to last about one or two seasons and then moved on to something else.  In the early 50's, the styles aren't much different from the very late 40's, except in fabrics.  Heavier brocades and cottons that held their shape. Hemlines were still low, but petticoats were making a comeback.  By the mid 50's there were two extremes.............very slim and narrow sheaths or very wide and full skirts.  Dropped waists were once more in vogue, but this time it was to accentuate the waistline not to hide it.  Instead of being corset free, these styles required heavy duty long line foundations. The later 50's brought on extreme figure manipulation as shown with the Bubble Dress, and other wild and crazy silhouettes.   1950 1952 1954 1956 1957 1958   1960-1969 The 60's started much like the 50's ended.  Shirtwaist dress with full skirts or slim skirts and lots of petticoats.  Then came the Jackie era.  Slim skirts with gathers at the waist line, shell tops and boxy jackets or full length Duster Coats.  By the mid 60s waistlines had once again almost disappeared.  A line dresses with either an Empire or NO waist were the rule.  By the middle of the decade the silhouette was slim with petticoats left in the past. Pants were becoming more prevalent for casual wear and no longer just for beach wear.  By the end of the decade Pant Suits were acceptable in some work places and schools.  The Hippie movement made Blue Jeans an every day fashion and long dresses were not just for evening.  And of course we all know of the impact of the Mini skirt and the MOD British Invasion.  Pants seemed the lesser of two evils when compared to the mini skirt.   1960 1962 1963 1966 1967 1969   1970-1979 The 70's gave us Boho with elaborate trims and luscious fabrics in flowing lines.  The bigger the pant hem the better.  Low rise on pants started the decade and got lower and lower.  Hot pants and halter tops were softened with overskirts (reminiscent of the 50's overskirts).  The middle of the decade took us into a more Romantic atmosphere.  Long sleeves, high necklines, softly feminine and unrevealing.  From the mid 70's style was pretty much anything goes.  Long or short, fitted or loose.  It didn't matter.....just Do your own Thing!   1970 1972 1973 1975 1976 1978   Many Thanks to: Erin at "A Dress A Day" for creating the wonderful "Sewing Pattern Wiki", all of the contributors to the Wiki, and all of my wonderful friends and pattern sellers and collectors who share their information and photos and knowledge.  (there are too many to list here, but you can find them on my Links Page,) and last but definitely not least, my Dear Husband for giving me tons of help and encouragement to research all of the data to compile for your research benefit.

Major Pattern Companies Dates of Production Magazines Published by Company Advance 1932-1964 None Butterick 1863-present Delineator Demorest 1854-1894 Demorest Magazine Domestic 1873-1895 Domestic Monthly DuBarry 1932-1947 None Excella 1922-1936 Excella Fashion Quarterly Harper’s Bazar 1868-1913 Harper’s Bazar Hollywood 1932-1947 Hollywood Pattern Book Home 1905-1932 Ladies Home Journal McCall 1870-present McCall’s New Idea 1894-1920 New Idea New York 1932-1945 None Pictorial 1899-1939 Pictorial Review Simplicity 1927-present None Standard 1887-1926 Designer Vogue 1899-present Vogue

To find information on individual pattern companies and more information about dating particular eras just click on the pattern envelopes below.

Advance Butterick DuBarry Hollywood McCall's New York Mail Order Simplicity Vogue Click on Cover For History

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