Official American Red Cross Pattern No. 102 - Child's Nightgown (French and Belgian)

World War I

I don't know why the "French and Belgian" designation was thought to be necessary.

Garments designed for the Red Cross to use in relief work are generally very simply designed.  At a time when most button holes were still hand worked, the single button in the middle of the placket illustrates a need to get as many of these garments made, bundled, and delivered as quickly as humanly possible.

The New York Times for Sunday, September 9, 1917 devoted a full page to reporting on the donations that various groups had made to support war victims.  Groups listed included:

• American Poets' Ambulances in Italy
• Armenian and Syrian Relief
• Belgian Relief fund for the "Sou du Moutile"[Maimed Soldier]
• Serbian Relief Committee
• French Tuberculosis War Victims Fund
• War Babies Cradle
• American Girls Aid
• American Huguenot Committee
• National Allied Relief Committee
• NewYork Committee of the Fatherless Children of France
• American Jewish Relief
• Le Bien Etre du Blesse
• French Heroes Fund
• Cardinal Mercier Fund
• Belgian Relief Fund
• American Committee for Training in Suitable Trades [for] the Maimed Soldiers of France
• New York Branch of the Woman's Section of the Navy League
• American Students Fund of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts
• Guaranty Club [Employees of Guaranty Trust Company of New York]
• Polish Victims Relief Fund
• Secours National Fund for the Relief of Women and Children of France
• Serbian Hospitals Fund
• University Grants Committee of the Polish Victims Relief Fund
• Federal Council of Allied War Charities
• Stage Women's War Relief

Here's a wonderful description of the Stage Women's War Relief.  I would imagine that many of these women worked in the theaters' costume shops and were able to turn out quantities of well-made garments without turning a hair.

Official American Red Cross Pattern No. 60 - Men's Pajamas

September 1, 1917.  This one was produced by Pictorial Review.

The Red Cross seems to have allowed all the pattern companies to produce patterns for them.  Thus far we've seen the Matinee Blouse published by Home Pattern Company, the comfort kit by May Manton (though this may not be an Official ARC pattern), a taped hospital shirt by McCalls, and drawers by Butterick.

All the patterns sold for ten cents.

According to Priscilla War Work Book, Comforts for Soldiers and Sailors (available in facsimile from IvaRose):

Patterns and materials may be procured from most retail dry-goods stores, or through the nearest Red Cross Chapter.  Simply ask for "Red Cross Pattern" for the garments you desire to make.

On the same page, recommended fabrics for the pajamas are:

 ...cotton oxford (cheviot) or equivalent. Seersucker "Bates" or equivalent. Outing flannel: "Amoskeag 1921"...or equivalent.  Gray recommended.

The pattern envelope recommends outing flannel in light or dark stripes.  Grey hospital pajamas is such a depressing thought.

Butterick 4924 - Morning Frock or Hoover Coverall

Mid 1930's.

Like the matinee blouse of the previous generation, the designation of "morning frock" tells us that this garment was intended to be worn during the morning; the time of day when housework was typically done. This type of dress was also called a Hooverall or a Hoover apron.

A frequent assumption is that the term Hooverall, if not the garment itself, came into being during the Great Depression, when Herbert Hoover was president.  One man remembers that during the Depression, Hoover aprons were handed out by relief agencies.

But the term Hoover apron, or Hooverall, for a garment that is seen to be the female equivalent of the men's overall or coverall, was known during the First World War.  According to the Business Digest for July-December 1918, in a discussion about applications for trademarks:

The invasion by women of various fields of commerce and industry has brought in its wake a crop of appropriate trademarks.  Conspicuous in the latter class are marks for the working attire for women, recent entries in this class embracing such trade names as "Womanall," "Hooverall," "Farmerette," etc.

But the story may go back a little further.  Starting in 1917 and continuing to about 1920, Herbert Hoover held various U.S. Government positions related to food.  Perhaps a publication from his organization recommended aprons with cross-over fronts.  It's now a very short step to Hoover apron.

The June 21st, 1923 Bridgeport (Connecticut) Telegram ran an ad for Meig's Inc showing a full range of  aprons and apron dresses that were available.  At least from an advertising perspective, these aprons were presented as distinct types with different price points.

(Indian Head, by the way, was a Spring Mills fabric brand name.)

Here's a lovely advertisement for Hoover aprons from the July 21st, 1925 Oakland (California) Tribune.  Notice that one of the selling points is economy - saving on laundering and laundry bills.

For an idea of the $2.50 apron cost compared to other clothing, in the same advertisement, Taft's offered dresses at sale prices of $8.45 to $24.95 and oxford or strap effect Truwalk brand shoes for $11.50.

The price is a little better in Naugatuck, Connecticut, where on August 15, 1925, the Daily News ran an ad for Howland-Hughes, who were offering "genuine" Hoover apron dresses for $1.79.  This ad is instructive for telling us what colors were available and the variety of occupations for which the Hoover apron dress was suitable.

A May 13th, 1929 article in Time magazine credits Hoover's wife, Lou Henry Hoover, with "inventing" the Hoover Apron at the start of WWI. But having seen May Manton Pattern 8904, which I think dates to 1915, the Time magazine story may be good public relations but not very good history.

Here's a wonderful humor piece from the May 26th, 1931 Danville (Virginia) Bee. Given our current economic woes I thought it was worth showing the whole item.  Scoop is referring to the 1928 presidential campaign.  Bearing in mind that Scoop is writing with tongue firmly in cheek, the Hoover apron as presidential campaign tool is pretty funny.  (Also remember that women had only gotten the vote in 1920, so there was still a fair amount of humor to be had from the idea of the ladies voting.)

At the same time, leave it to the French to make a housedress trendy, as reported in the Jun 18th, 1931 Newcastle (Pennsylvania) News.

Interestingly, the last reference I've found to a Hoover dress thus far is in 1950, oddly, also in the context of French fashions, when one could (supposedly) drop $325 at Mainbocher for a Hoover apron (Lowell Massachusetts Sun, December 12, 1950)

Official American Red Cross Pattern No. 80 - Underdrawers

About 1917-1918.  The Red Cross supplied refugees as well as prisoners of war.

Different pattern companies produced patterns for the American Red Cross.   Butterick produced their usual separate instruction sheet.  I love the notation "SEAMS!!!"

I need somebody to tell me what the narrow straps are used for; surely one doesn't attach one's braces to these?

Official American Red Cross Pattern No. 35 - Taped Hospital Bed Shirt

World War I.  The statement that this pattern supersedes all others previously issued means I'm going to try to find one of these previously issued patterns.

The instructions on the back of the envelope are more detailed than is usual for this period, and detail how to make flat fell seams.  They also instruct that the hems are to be folded to and sewn on the outside.  I wonder why this is.

I'm curious to know how the process of home sewing for the Red Cross worked during WWI.  Did one purchase the pattern from the Red Cross, or did stores carry them?  Were there special prices on the fabric?  Did the maker sew on the Red Cross Emblem, or did Red Cross volunteers do this?  Were the shirts quality checked and bundled by the local Red Cross chapters?

New Idea 3539 - Ladies' Apron

About 1905

This apron pattern has led a long and useful life. The pattern is not complete. At some point the front yoke and straps were cut in one piece from a page of newspaper dating to WWI, though I believe the pattern to be earlier than that. The original front yoke, shoulder strap, and pocket are missing. (In my experience pocket pieces frequently go missing.)

May Manton 9510 - Comfort Kit

Comfort kits are not all that complicated to make and instructions for them with measured line drawings were published in magazines during WWI, so it's a little unusual to see manufactured pattern for one. Why the Newark (N.J.) chapter of the Red Cross was favored is a mystery.

This pattern appears never to have been used. The insert of suggested items for filling the comfort kit was still enclosed.

Home Pattern Company 157 - Ladies' Matinee or Morning Blouse

Authorized by the American Red Cross, this pattern was produced during World War I.
The description "morning blouse" indicates to me that this was considered at home wear.

The instructions on the back of the envelope explain how to make a flat felled seam, advising the maker to observe how the sleeves of a man's shirt are sewed into the armhole.  This tells us that such seams were common in men's shirts but not in ladies' clothing.

Here is a front view of the blouse made up, both without and with the belt:

From Unsung Sewing Patterns

I also thought the collar was interesting (and very nearly fashionable in its day)