McCall 8232 - Women's and Misses' Back-Wrap-Around Smock

1950

Sometimes you have to wonder if the illustrator was happy in her work.  Illustrating a severely plain garment in two different solids is sort of uninspiring, and that large windowpane check is probably not a good choice for a pregnant lady.

This garment has quite a long history.  We've seen it before, called different things: see Banner 131 Overall, and Pictorial Review 3783 Work Apron.  The garments called smocks that we see in the 1920's and 1930's tend to be front-buttoning.

No fabric recommendations are given, and yardages are offered for only 35" and 39" wide fabric.

This pattern does not appear to have been used.

Simplicity 1505 - Ladies' Nightgown

Mid 1930's.

A nice simple nightgown pattern.  The model on the left is clearly made of flannel.  The model on the right is probably batiste, with the puffed sleeves and lace trim around the neckline adding a little feminine fancy.

The advertising slogan "You are always in style when you dress with SIMPLICITY" represents a slight shift in Simplicity's marketing strategy of providing well-made patterns for making serviceable clothing.

McCall 1435 - Misses' Skating Ensemble

1948

There are plenty of options here.  The outfit could be made of woven material or felt (back when good quality wool felt was still available.)

The decorations could be appliqued or embroidered, and the embroidery could be carried out in either knitting worsted or embroidery floss.

Slide fasteners were used for both the jacket and the skirt, using colors that harmonize with the decorations.  The jacket is lined, and consistent with the big-shouldered look of the period, pattern pieces are provided for shoulder pads.

View B shows how to put together a very sporty ensemble by making up the jacket on its own and wearing it with a hat and skirt made up in a tweed that harmonizes with the jacket.

I can't quite make out the inscription in blue ink found on the front of the envelope.

The skirt pieces as well as the transfers are missing.  I can imagine a young skater's mother making up a whole wardrobe of skating skirts in different colors, to be worn with a variety of jackets and sweaters.

Here's some lovely 1940's home movie footage of skaters.

Pictorial Review 1438 - Ladies' Riding Breeches

Mid 1920's.

Given the proximity of the pattern numbers, my guess is that this is a companion piece to Pictorial Review 1435, the Semi-fitted Riding Jacket.  It's also clearly related to Butterick 4147, which is calling itself knickers.

Like the Pictorial Review Riding Jacket, the only layout given is for 54" material.

Part of reading clothing is observing it on the body.  Here's a wonderful photo from Shorpy of a young Louisita Wood in 1913.  Wood's family had money, so I suspect that her riding clothes were custom made for her and that this was considered a good fit.

And here she is seated.

It's not uncommon to find names written on the pattern envelopes.  There are several possible explanations for this.  One is that patterns sometimes had to be special ordered, and the purchaser's names were written on the envelopes by the store clerk when the patterns arrived from the supplier.  Another possibility is that the garment was made up by a dressmaker, and either she or her customer wrote the name on the envelope.

In this case, we have Mrs. Flora Grove, on Winchester Avenue.

Du Barry 2350B - Child's Two-Piece Snow Suit and Cap

Latter 1930s.

I remember my snow suits being blue quilted nylon and horribly ugly.

Du Barry patterns were sold exclusively at Woolworth's and were produced by Simplicity.

The description on the back of the envelope provides some cheerful, if somewhat ungrammatical advertising copy:

This is a nice, thoughtful design with the reinforced knees and two patch pockets (for two hankies for runny noses.)  As long as the new slide fasteners didn't jam (mine sometime did, thirty years later) they would have been an improvement over trying to cope with buttons with cold or mittened hands.

Making up a snow suit in a size two is a labor of love.  The center back length of the jacket is only fifteen inches.  The outer side length of the trousers will be 24 inches.

Vogue 8053 - Hooded Coat or Smock

Late 1930s.

There is something very appealing about the illustration.  Our model is having a nice walk in the country on a sunny, blustery day.  Her rather more refined older sister is back at the house, arranging flowers for the dining table.

The pattern retailed for forty cents, good value for a garment that can be made up as a smock, jacket, and beach cover-up.  Although Vogue is marketing this pattern as "Easy to Make," they still offer you the option of putting in a lining.  And if you're not entirely confident of your sewing skills, you can get their sewing book right at the pattern counter.

I picked up my copy for $5.00

Blue chalk smudges are still visible on most of the pattern pieces, though not on the piece for the sleeve band.

If you've not seen vintage sewing patterns before you may be surprised to find that they're unprinted.  Vogue is somewhat unusual in perforating the name of the pattern piece - usually only the pattern piece letter or number is given.  All perforations have specific meanings, though the meanings aren't necessarily the same from one pattern company to another.  Unprinted patterns were produced as late as the early 1950s, even though McCall and Pictorial Review had both offered some printed patterns in the 1920s.

Vogue 5770 - Women's Smock

1931

Vogue patterns from this era don't show up very often.  Vogue has always marketed itself as a fashion leader, yet the design of the envelope, while perfectly adequate and informative, doesn't have the lovely style that McCall had adopted a few years earlier with their smock.

It's also surprising to see Vogue producing a pattern for a utilitarian garment.   But what a wonderful design they've produced!  The bound edges provide a very neat finish, as do the bound button holes

The tone of the instructions is that of a careful teacher with very high standards.