Vintage Sewing Patterns

Pattern Companies

• Advance Pattern Co., 1930-1965
  
• American Fashion Co., 1915-1935
  
• Butterick Pattern Co., 1863-present
  
• Demorest Publishing Co., 1860-1900
  
• Domestic Fashion Co., 1873-1896 (not really common, but I thought it was interesting because it is an early company)
  
• Du Barry Patterns, 1930-1946
  
• Excella Fashion Co., 1921-1936 (a division of Pictorial Review)
  
• Hollywood Pattern Co., 1932-1947
  
• Home Pattern Co., ?-? (produced patterns for Ladies’ Home Journal)
  
• McCall Pattern Co., 1870-present (now McCall’s Patterns)
  
• May Manton Pattern Co., 1899-late 1920s
  
• Modes Royal Patterns, 1943-early 1960s. This was a very fashion-forward line that competed with Vogue.
  
• New Idea Publishing Co., 1869-1920
  
• New York Pattern Co., 1930-early 1950s
  
• Originator, 1940s-1950s. Similar to Modes Royale, it marketed fashionable, trendy and high-end patterns. They were produced on light weight paper instead of tissue.
  
• Peerless Patterns, 1900-1950s
  
• Pictorial Review, 1899-1939
  
• Reader Mail Syndicate, a mail order company that sold patterns through newspapers and magazines
  
  
  
  • Anne Adams
    
  • Marian Martin
    
  • Prominent Designer, mid 1950s-?
    
  
  
• Simplicity Pattern Co., 1927-present
  
• Spadea, 1950-?
  
• Standard Fashion Co., 1888-1926
  
• Vogue Patterns, 1899-present
  

A Brief History

A Timeline

Dating Methods

What’s the difference between a copyright date and a patent date?

Quick Tips

• Start by examining the pattern envelope for a copyright date. The envelope may be dated on the front or back. It is absolutely crucial that you reference a copyright date, NOT a patent date. If you don’t see a copyright date on the envelope, examine the instructions (if they exist) for a copyright date. If you find one, you’ve dated your pattern. If you don’t find one, you’ll need to use other clues to help you date it.
  
• McCall dated their patterns with a copyright after the mid-1920s or so.
  
• Simplicity put a copyright date on the instruction sheet between 1943 and 1959. They began dating the envelope in 1965.
  

Other Clues

• Pattern company milestones
  
  
  
  • Is the pattern printed or unprinted?
    
  • Does the envelope have an illustration or a photograph? Is the illustration in black & white or color?
    
  • What type of logo, font and envelope design does the pattern use? Companies changed styles fairly often, and that can help narrow down the date.
    
    EXAMPLES: Five Simplicity patterns.
    
    ABOVE: ca. 1933-1935 gloves and collar. Note “SIMPLICITY” positioned at the bottom of the envelope with the pattern number in the upper left corner and the size in the upper right corner.
    
    
    ABOVE: ca. 1933-1935 nightgown. Note the changes from the previous pattern. The size, pattern number and company name are now positioned vertically along the left side of the envelope, and it is now “Simplicity Pattern” in a different font.
    
    
    ABOVE: 1946 dress. The company name is now in script (a cursive font). This is a partially printed pattern, and the line “Details Printed on Each Pattern Piece * Cut to Exact Size” has been added next to the company name. The size and pattern number are now positioned horizontally in the upper left corner, and the price (20 cents) is shown more prominently.
    
    
    ABOVE: 1956 dress. The envelope is largely unchanged from 1946, but it now says simply “Details Printed on Each Pattern Piece” next to the company name.
    
    
    ABOVE: 1957 dress. The envelope has changed a lot in just one year! “Simplicity” remains in script, but “Printed Pattern” is not. The pattern number and size are still in the upper left corner, but the pattern number is much larger and more prominent.
    
  
  
• Pattern magazines, pamphlets and catalogues are good for narrowing down a pattern’s date to a specific year if you have a general idea of when it was published. You can buy original publications or you can buy reproductions to help you in your research. Old originals are generally expensive, so you can save a lot of money by buying reproductions on CD or the Dover republications of old catalogues.
  
  
  ABOVE: This copy of McCall Style News was given away free to store customers. It contains illustrations of new patterns that were available, including the description, an illustration, sizes available, and the price of each.
  
  
  ABOVE: This page is from the 6/1938 issue of McCall Style News and shows pattern #9777. If I were trying to date McCall pattern #9705, it would be a safe bet that it was published in 1938. In this way, you can use pattern booklets to help you date patterns.
  

Using Magazines, Catalogues and Photographs

• Victorian Fashions and Costumes from Harper's Bazar, 1867-1898
  
• Full-Color Victorian Fashions : 1870-1893
  
• American Dress Pattern Catalogs, 1873-1909 : Four Complete Reprints
  
• Russell's Standard Fashions 1915-1919
  
• Everyday Fashions, 1909-1920, as Pictured in Sears Catalogs
  
• Everyday Fashions of the Twenties As Pictured in Sears and Other Catalogs
  

• Victorian Fashion in America: 264 Vintage Photographs
  
• Victorian and Edwardian Fashion : A Photographic Survey
  

Using Other Sellers

Company Specifics

Advance

• 1948: Advance introduced the “Import Adaptations” line. These styles were based on Parisian designs.
  
• 1956: Switched to printed patterns.
  
  ABOVE: Advance #2381, nightgown. 1940. Font (Advance Pattern) is leftover from the ‘30s.
  
  
  ABOVE: Advance #4011, blouse. 1945. New font and description has been removed from front of envelope.
  
  
  ABOVE: Advance #4617, blouse. 1947. New font and envelope design.
  
  
  ABOVE: Advance #5797, dress. 1951.
  
  
  ABOVE: Advance #5818, dress. 1951. American Designer series.
  
  
  ABOVE: Advance #7717, infant layette. 1956. New envelope design to go with the “new, printed pattern.”
  
  
  ABOVE: Advance #9961, ice skating outfit. 1960s. New envelope design and fonts.
  
  

Butterick

• 1863: Began marketing a full-size tissue paper pattern available in multiple sizes for men and boys.
  
• 1868: Introduced women’s patterns to the Butterick line.
  
• 1916: Applied for a patent on a separate instruction sheet called The Deltor. It included a cutting layout, construction sequence, and finishing details. It was an innovative, illustrated instruction sheet, and the patent was granted in 1919.
  
• 1927: Butterick sued Conde Nast (Vogue) over Vogue’s illustrated instruction sheet, claiming patent infringement. Conde Nast won in 1931, making it possible for other pattern companies to illustrate their instruction sheets as well.
  
• 1930s: Introduced the Starred line.
  
• 1936-1949: Produced the Companion-Butterick line, which was a joint promotion with Woman’s Home Companion magazine.
  
• 1947: Introduced the Companion Star Patterns, which were styles copied from movies.
  
• 1950: Switched to printed patterns.
  
• 1952/1953: Began using outward-pointing printed notches.
  
  
  ABOVE: Butterick #3157, cape. 1880s. A piece of paper that was glued to the largest pattern piece: No envelope.
  
  
  ABOVE: Butterick #7035, skirt. ca. 1914-1915.
  
  
  ABOVE: Butterick #3421, dress. ca. 1931.
  
  
  ABOVE: Butterick #5268, blouse. ca. 1933. Note green envelope and other design changes.
  
  
  ABOVE: Butterick #2081, dress. 1938.
  
  
  ABOVE: Butterick #3051, blouse. 1942.
  
  
  ABOVE: Butterick #4539, dress. 1947.
  
  
  ABOVE: Butterick #5674, dress. 1950.
  
  
  ABOVE: Butterick #7987, dress. 1956.
  
  
  ABOVE: Butterick #7610, sporting outfit. 1960s.
  

Du Barry

• Never switched to printed patterns. DuBarry was a budget line marketed through Woolworth’s, who didn’t want the additional production cost and higher sale price that would have been required by switching styles.
  
  
  ABOVE: Du Barry #1035b, nightgown. ca. 1934-1935.
  
  
  ABOVE: Du Barry #2415b, dress. 1940.
  

McCall & McCall’s

• 1919: Introduced the printed pattern with instructions (called the Printo Gravure) printed directly on the pattern.
  
  
  
  
  ABOVE (4): The Printo Gravure. (I’ve cut the photograph into 4 parts for space considerations here.)
  
  
• 1920: Applied for a design patent on printed patterns. The patent covered such details as:
  
  
  
  • a printed outline of each piece;
    
  • tissue margin (what we would call a seam allowance) printed outside of the outline;
    
  • ”tinted” pattern piece (colored blue) to distinguish it from the rest of the tissue paper.
    
    ABOVE: The “tinted” pattern piece in the new McCall patterns.
    
    
  
  
• 1927: Began using color illustrations on the envelope.
  
• 1932: Switched to a separate instruction sheet.
  
• 1938: Patent on printed patterns expired, opening the way for other companies to print patterns in the McCall style.
  
• 1952: Introduced McCall’s Italian Couture Adaptations. The styles were copied from couture designs.
  
• 1953: Introduced McCall’s Fashion Firsts, which was a pattern line adapted from foreign designer styles. This was a premium line and more expensive to purchase.
  
• 1955: Introduced the Instant Pattern line. The idea was to reduce the amount of time spent laying out the pattern and cutting fabric. McCall did that by printing the pattern pieces on one piece of tissue and in the proper cutting position (relative to fabric grain and for best use of fabric).
  
• 1959: Introduced the Proportioned Pattern line. Each pattern in the line proportioned for short, average, and tall, all in the same envelope.
  
  
  ABOVE: McCall #1288, waist. ca. 1905-1910.
  
  
  ABOVE: McCall #5809, child’s coat. 1929.
  
  
  ABOVE: McCall #3053, boy’s suit. 1938.
  
  
  ABOVE: McCall #9024, nightgown. 1930s.
  
  
  ABOVE: McCall #3783, dress. ca. 1940.
  
  
  ABOVE: McCall’s #3503, dress. 1955. Note the name change, which first appeared in 1951.
  
  
  ABOVE: McCall’s #4898, skirt. 1959.
  
  
  ABOVE: McCall’s #9010, dress. 1967.
  

Pictorial Review

• 1924: Introduced their version of printed patterns. It was similar to the McCall printed pattern with printed cutting lines.
  
• 1925: Modified the printed pattern. It was thereafter pre-cut with holes and notches and some instructions printed on the pieces. It also contained a separate instruction sheet. This form of printed pattern was patented by Excella/Pictorial Review. The patent covered such elements as:
  
  
  
  • the pre-cut pattern piece, printed at various points to aid in matching pieces together;
    
  • an instruction sheet with an illustration of the finished garment;
    
  • basic construction directions printed on each piece.
    
    ABOVE: An example of the Pictorial Review style of pre-cut, printed pattern pieces. Note the pre-cut holes and notches, and the instructions printed directly on the pattern piece. Pictorial Review continued using this style until it ceased operations in 1939.
    
  
  
• 1927: Introduced the Pictograf instruction sheet. The Pictograf was also used for Excella patterns.
  
  
  ABOVE: Pictorial Review #6663, dressing sack. ca. 1916-1918.
  
  
  ABOVE: Pictorial Review #5102, dress. ca. 1930.
  
  
  ABOVE: Pictorial Review #8572, sailor suit. ca. 1936-1937. Note the photograph and full-color illustration. This is typical of Pictorial Review patterns during the mid- to late-1930s.
  
  

Simplicity

• Mid-1930s: Bought Excella/Pictorial Review. In doing so, Simplicity acquired the patent Pictorial Review/Excella held on its version of the printed pattern. That opened the way for Simplicity to begin printing patterns.
  
• 1939: Began switching to printed patterns. They were printed in the Pictorial Review style – “Cut to exact size with details printed on each piece.” The printed patterns cost 25 cents, while the older style (unprinted) cost 15 cents.
  
• 1946: All patterns were printed. No more unprinted patterns in the line.
  
• 1949: Introduced the Simplicity Designer line. It was more style-oriented than the standard Simplicity line, but it was designed by Simplicity staff, not foreign designers.
  
• 1952/1953: Began using outward-pointing printed notches.
  
  
  ABOVE: Simplicity #1328, gloves and collar. ca. 1933-1935.
  
  
  ABOVE: Simplicity #1554, nightgown. ca. 1933-1935.
  
  
  ABOVE: Simplicity #3508, nightgown. 1940.
  
  
  ABOVE: Simplicity #1259, dress. 1944.
  
  
  ABOVE: Simplicity #1743, dress. 1946.
  
  
  ABOVE: Simplicity #8088, dress. 1949. Simplicity Designer’s series.
  
  
  ABOVE: Simplicity #8301, girl’s dress. 1950. Simplicity Designer’s series.
  
  
  ABOVE: Simplicity #1795, dress. 1956.
  
  ABOVE: Simplicity #2297, dress. 1957.
  
  
  ABOVE: Simplicity #7262, poncho cape. 1960s
  
  
  ABOVE: Simplicity #8060, dress. 1968.
  
  

Vogue

• 1921: Introduced a separate, illustrated instruction sheet.
  
• 1927: Butterick sued Conde Nast (Vogue) over Vogue’s illustrated instruction sheet, claiming patent infringement. Conde Nast won in 1931, making it possible for other pattern companies to illustrate their instruction sheets as well.
  
• 1930s: Introduced the Special Design line, which was fashion-forward, even for Vogue. It had a special woven label that could be sewn into the finished garment.
  
• 1931: Introduced the Vogue Couturier line. It had a special silk label that could be sewn into the finished garment. The customer had to request the label, though, first by mail and later at the store’s pattern counter.
  
• 1949: Introduced the Paris Original Models line, which it touted as “line for line” copies of couture designs.
  
• 1957: Switched to printed patterns, pre-cut in the Pictorial Review style.
  
• 1958: Switched to fully printed patterns in the McCall style.
  
  
  ABOVE: Vogue #8072, dress. ca. 1938.
  
  
  ABOVE: Vogue #5075, bolero jacket. 1944.
  
  
  ABOVE: Vogue #7732, cape/jacket. 1952
  
  
  ABOVE: Vogue #9002, hat. 1956.
  
  
  ABOVE: Vogue #1347, wedding dress. 1960s. Couturier design by John Cavanagh.
  
  
  

Dating: Putting It All Together

EXAMPLE: Butterick #7035

Merchandising Materials

Advance

• Advance Fashion News - A thin booklet, produced monthly, that stores gave away. The stores ordered them from the pattern company, and for an additional fee, the store’s name and address could be printed on the booklet. It contained illustrations and descriptions of new patterns.
  
  

Butterick

• Butterick Barometer - This was aimed toward store employees to help them sell patterns.
  
• Butterick Counter Book - A large format, thick book containing illustrations and descriptions of every current pattern. It stays at a store’s pattern counter for customers to browse. Generally updated quarterly for the changing seasons.
  
• Butterick Fashion News - A thin booklet, produced monthly, that stores gave away. The stores ordered them from the pattern company, and for an additional fee, the store’s name and address could be printed on the booklet. It contained illustrations and descriptions of new patterns.
  
  
• Butterick Quarterly - Similar to Butterick Fashion News but larger and printed quarterly. It was geared for the consumer, and it had to be purchased.
  

Du Barry

• Du Barry Patterns - A thin booklet, produced monthly, that stores gave away. The stores ordered them from the pattern company, and for an additional fee, the store’s name and address could be printed on the booklet. It contained illustrations and descriptions of new patterns.
  
  
  

Hollywood

• Hollywood Patterns - A thin booklet, produced monthly, that stores gave away. The stores ordered them from the pattern company, and for an additional fee, the store’s name and address could be printed on the booklet. It contained illustrations and descriptions of new patterns.
  
  

McCall

• McCall Style News - A thin booklet, produced monthly, that stores gave away. The stores ordered them from the pattern company, and for an additional fee, the store’s name and address could be printed on the booklet. It contained illustrations and descriptions of new patterns.
  
  
• McCall’s Magazine - A true magazine full of fiction, fashion articles (including pattern illustrations and descriptions), home decor & homemaking articles, and other miscellaneous. McCall’s Magazine had wonderful, color fashion illustrations, and some dealers will cut them up to sell the illustrations separately.
  
  
  
• McCall Fashion Book - A quarterly handbook of patterns.
  
• McCall Counter Book - A large format, thick book containing illustrations and descriptions of every current pattern. It stays at a store’s pattern counter for customers to browse. Generally updated quarterly for the changing seasons.
  
• McCall Needlework - A true magazine with articles and patterns for needlework (crochet, knit, embroidery, etc).
  
  
  

Simplicity

• Simplicity Prevue - A thin booklet, produced monthly, that stores gave away. The stores ordered them from the pattern company, and for an additional fee, the store’s name and address could be printed on the booklet. It contained illustrations and descriptions of new patterns.
  
  
• Simplicity Counter Book - A large format, thick book containing illustrations and descriptions of every current pattern. It stays at a store’s pattern counter for customers to browse. Generally updated quarterly for the changing seasons.
  

• Glamour featured Hollywood Patterns;
  
• Ladies’ Home Journal featured Hollywood Patterns & Vogue Patterns;
  
• Mademoiselle featured Advance Patterns.
  

Care & Preservation

1. Assess the condition of the pattern envelope, tissue pieces and instruction sheet. Make sure you are aware of any brittleness, crumbling or tears so you can avoid further damage.
   
2. Remove any problem materials left by previous owners, including pins, rubber bands, and string.
   
3. Copy the envelope front and back, especially if the original is fragile. This way you can avoid further damage to the original by handling it as little as possible.
   
4. Check the pattern for completeness if that is important to you. On the copy of the envelope back, note any missing pieces. Put the copies of the envelope aside.
   
5. Slip the pattern envelope, pieces and instructions into a protective sleeve. I use acid-free, archival-type sleeves and backing boards intended for vintage comic books. Some people prefer to store each component (envelope, pieces, instructions) in a separate sleeve to avoid cross-contamination of the different paper types, but that does take up more space and resources. The choice is yours. I store the envelope on one side of the board and the pieces & instruction sheet on the other, but in the same plastic sleeve.
   
6. I organize and store my patterns by company and pattern number. It is always possible to have a repeat from another year, but it is a problem I have rarely encountered.
   
   Organize your patterns by what matters to you. If your primary concern is dating, you can order them by publication date, then company and number.
   
7. I use a database (Microsoft Access) to keep track of my inventory and collection. A simpler method for smaller collections uses a 3-ring binder. Take the envelope copies you made earlier and put them in the binder, and organize the binder by the same method as you organized the patterns. That will make it easier to find a particular pattern.