Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Vintage Sewing Pattern Illustrations (circa 1965-1969)

Good morning!

I'm telling you, I am here to sing the praises of the new Donelson Goodwill. Opened a couple months ago, in a lucky stroke of convenience, just across the street from Southern Thrift on Lebanon Pike, I have been having the best luck out there on everything from dresses to cookie jars, and last weekend was no exception. In the craft slash miscellaneous area of the home goods section, I found these four patterns from the mid to late sixties'. You may think this is something you see a lot at Goodwills-- and you'd be right, if you're looking to make something Blair from The Facts of Life or Murphy Brown would wear. Sixties' stuff is becoming rare as hen's teeth at some of the local Goodwills, which is making me feel old. In high school, you couldn't go through one rack without finding something or other in an op art polyester. Golden years.

At any rate, I was happy to find these patterns and went ahead and scanned them in not only to show you some of the cuckoo, GORGEOUS patterns and silhouettes of these outfits, but also the top notch styling that goes into selling the precious bits of tissue templates inside. Let's look!


I actually think I could get into the finished product of this pattern, which offers two rompers and two bathing-suit cover-ups. Again, by virtue of my hard won experience as well as marathon viewings of Runway, the importance of careful styling is not lost on me. Let's look at how these fashion illustrations stack up in the accessories department:


I want to wrap a head wrap like the girl on the left! I am all about bows and scarves tied haphazardly around my head, as you might have noticed from recent outfit postings. The long-hair swept back in a wide-tied scarf on the brunette, with a tiny bump of teasing to the back, is another scarf option, as is bow-for a ponytail of the Gloria Steinem-glasses gal. The only thing I was like "Whaaaa....?" about is that shaggy mop of mossy curls on the girl to the right, but again, maybe in the context of 1968 or 1970, this would make better sense to me.


Oh WHEE, people. OH WHEE. This is one of my favorite patterns out of the bunch...in spite of its 32 inch bust, would you get a LOOK at the GORGEOUS women in the illustrations on the cover of this pattern? Cocktail dress in four styles. Exhibit A:


The blonde on the left has the best hair, makeup, and earring combo of  the whole lot. I love wearing doorknocker sixties' earrings like this, and the very best impact for them is with something simple, simple simple in terms of the rest of the dress. I know that seems like common sense, but the number of models in sixties'-inspired modern day editorials looking like Mrs. Howell from Gilligan's Island on a bad day...well, there are more of them than I liked to think about.  If you click on the close up, you can see she also has a bracelet to match the earrings. VINTAGE. COSTUME JEWELRY. SETS. Now you're speaking my language. I can't tell you how elegant I think a matching brooch and earring combo, or necklace and clips, or bracelet and necklace, looks to me. Because I am 85 years old at heart. Side note: did you notice the pattern buyer back-in-the-day has pencilled in some illusion panels on the dress so the top is not quite so bare?

I love the woman on the right's  huge brooch, and the little gemstone clip at crown of her perfect stewardess hair.


Did I speak too soon? PEOPLE. Where can I buy wigs in my own natural hair color that will give me this insane sixties' magazine layout hair like this? Just like something out of Vogue at the time. I wonder how hard it was to keep the false pieces on your head, or if you would just do some kind of overall wig to get the tonsorial tendrils just right. Either way, I want to find out! On the right, the kind of British girl singer or secretary on the go hair I leave to annals of time. The earring are cute, though.

These baby doll style dresses are the BEES. KNEES. Check out the Cleopatra like details on the one to the far right, and how I love all the patterns going on in the other three. I think the original owner went with the second from the right style, owing to the little check mark above the model's shoulder. But the Cleopatra dress! What about the Cleopatra dress!


Here, the hair and makeup is much less impressive than in the last spread, but then the dresses are more colorful. Do you see how the aforementioned style D has the illustrated model barefoot and with the best hair out of the bunch? I wonder if the slouchy waist of the illustration is just part of the illustration or if it would be more flattering in the real life, finished version.


Last but not least, a little Mad Men formal wear. CUUUUTE. I want to run across one of these lovely things in textile rather than paper form at that Donelson Goodwill!


I know the girl's hair on the left is a little crazy à la Dr. Seuss, but that BOW? That bow, people? It's cute and I don't even care who knows it! Plus the necklace, plus the neckline. The more sedate style on the right is punched up with some large drop-style earrings, and that's something I can unapologetically get behind. Do you see they match the brooch? You see it. You know it's the business. Woman on the right, you win this round.


Well, there's the goods. Which hairstyle or accessory or dress do you want to take home for your own? Have you found any crazy patterns or pattern envelopes in your thrift store shopping trips lately? Which coiffure do I need to adopt as my next do it yourself project?

That's all for today! See you kids tomorrow.

14 comments:

  1. How to spot an art kid: Their first impression of today's blog post is "Who drew that?"

    My obsession with the art style aside, these dresses are great! The baby doll style dresses are adorable. I love the colors used in the A-D set. Very nice!

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    1. Haha, you old art kid you. I want those dresses too!

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  2. I must say I have seen some of the best hair and some of the worst hair on 1960s patterns. One cut was so cute, I took a copy of it to the salon and got it done to myself!
    I vote for the Simplicity 6838 updo. That is just too cool...

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    1. Oh neat! That's actually a really good idea to take the look to the pro's and let them work their magic. I know, I want to look exactly like the blonde in the black dress with the earrings. Such a DOLL.

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  3. The hairdos and elaborate bathing suit/romper accessories really make it on these patterns. Who doesn't love a fluffy bathing cap!??!?

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    1. It could be a cap! I hadn't thought of that, I was under the impression it was her hair. I would like it much better as a cap!

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  4. Sadly, the Goodwill in my town is a no-go area for me now. About two years ago they began the downward spiral when they moved locations and used an entire corner of the store for nothing but new unopened crap that mirrors the crap in the WalMart down the street, only more expensive! Then they decided to make that kind of crap half of the flipping store. They also began shipping out (I assume, as I quit finding ANY of it) all of their vintage anything to another location. Therefore, I hate Goodwill...actually, I say that, this morning a friend called and told me he'd bought me a couple of chrome and leather MCM chairs at HIS Goodwill for only $5 each. I can't wait to go pick them up!

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    1. Oooooh, those chairs. And I feel your pain about the Goodwills, it's weird how some stores will have that "low-end retail in the box" vibe rather than that "treasures in the rough contents of people's attics" feeling we like to get. Le sigh. Donelson's a gem, though!

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  5. I love vintage pattern illustrations! I always get a little sad when the outcome is less sensational than the art on the envelope. My grandmother's friend was a fashion illustrator in the 40's and 50's; I'm trying to get invited over to her house to view her portfolio. Cross your fingers for me!

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    1. WHAT. A . TREAT. that would be! I'll keep my fingers crossed your grandma can arrange such a meeting!

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  6. I love, love, love vintage and your article is inspiring me to get sewing some more dresses for my daughter. I just love the way you write, it is so upbeat and positive that I feel like I am right there with you as you are critiquing the patterns :-) I have to say that the Goodwill from Middleton, TN is amazing and their staff is second to none in their friendliness and willingness to help. I am sure most of the GW's in Tennessee are great - it is that southern hospitality that shines through!

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    1. Hi, thanks so much for your kind words! And amen about the southern hospitality, it really does make a difference. I hope you keep reading, there's TONS more vintage stuff where that came from on this blog, haha! :)

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  7. WELP, I just want you to know that the 32 bust is just my size so if you're ever looking for a new home for Simplicity 6838 (or want to lend her out for an ol' bit of tracing), you know where to find me ;)

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    1. No way! And how cool are those dresses?! Next knitting meetup, I'll bring it along and you can see if all the pieces are intact. :)

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