Make It Easy Pattern 2 (1984)

Following on from this post we have part 2 of the "Make It Easy" dressmaking course.  The second pattern sheet in this series is still fairly simple: a batwing top and a pair of pull-on trousers.

"Pull-on trousers have moved from sports field to city streets—a real bonus for beginners as they are so simple to make.  There are no fly fronts, zips and darts, but you still create a great fashion look."

The publishers of Make It Easy decided show the trousers and top made up as an exercise outfit (so useful for aerobics or jogging!) and accessorized with a sweatband on the cover of their magazine.  However they also made it clear that the patterns could be adapted to different uses with different materials:

"Trousers are an essential part of any wardrobe and are so versatile.  Make them in cotton or lightweight wool  for city days; jersey towelling for sportswear, or silk for evening or leisurewear. Cropped length trousers and bermudas, cut and fit in exactly the same way as long trousers, are a new fashion plus.  They can be made to look cool and efficient for working wear as well as for weekends and holidays.

The current look calls for a more generous fit, which is best made up in softer fabrics.  These are easier to handle—another reason why these trousers are not difficult to sew."

Besides giving step-by-step instructions—with photographs!—on how to make up this simple, two-piece pattern, Make It Easy also provided instructions on how to modify it to make laced trousers, bermuda shorts or tracksuit trousers.

"Slip into this super batwing top.  The neck, cuff and hip bands can be made in a matching or contrasting colour, or you can use ready-made ribbing."

It was also possible to modify the pattern for the batwing top, converting it into a drawstring top, a cardigan or a dress (with a choice of two necklines).  Make It Easy encouraged readers to create a "Mix & Match" wardrobe by:

..."extending or shortening patterns, or altering the type of fabric used.  Colour co-ordinate spearates for a total look."

—A total eighties look, that is!

"Winter Fashions" 1958

The Australian Home Journal put out a summer and a winter catalogue each year from the early twentieth century until 1963.  They contained illustrations of the patterns (mostly for women and girls) available through their publication.

Up until the 1960s there were many smaller sewing pattern manufacturers around the world, most of them advertising their wares through magazines similar to the Australian Home Journal.  There was demand for their products as most women learned dressmaking skills as a matter of course, and it was cheaper to make one's own (or one's children's) clothes than to buy ready-to-wear.  By the mid-1960s, however, more women were working outside the home, leaving them with more money to buy clothes and less time to make them.  One by one, the smaller firms folded, leaving the bigger players like McCall's and Butterick standing.  The Australian Home Journal stopped advertising its own patterns around 1964.  For a short time it promoted McCall's patterns instead, then changed its focus from fashion and home sewing to interior decorating and home improvement in the late 1960s.  It finally ceased publishing in 1983.

Menswear from the Myer catalogue (Autumn-Winter 1949)

I don't often post pictures of menswear, but I got hold of this little catalogue and I couldn't resist.  Myer was a Melbourne-based department store (now part of the Coles Myer group).  It issued these catalogues twice-yearly for its country customers.  They didn't advertise all the goods available in Myer's city store, but they did list a representative sample.  Here are some of the clothes offered to the well-dressed man of 1949.

A selection of overcoats in a choice of navy velour coating or grey, brown, fawn check tweeds.  The one on the far right is "fully lined with art. Silk"—ie. rayon.

Shirts, striped and plain, in shades of blue, grey and fawn.  (The last shirt on the right also came in aqua, gold tan, dark blue green and maple cream.)  The first shirt has old-fashioned detachable collars and cuffs (extras supplied) but the rest of the shirts in this illustration are modern-style "coat" shirts with attached collars.

(I used to think that until the late 1960s men only wore plain white shirts, or plain blue work shirts.  Clearly I was wrong!  The men shopping from this catalogue had a range of colours and patterns to choose from.  Many of them would have worn a similar palette in the Army, Navy or Air Force a few years earlier.)

SPORTSWEAR FOR AUTUMN AND WINTER

At far left:

Stylish Tweed Sports Suits, Single or double-breasted, self-supporting trousers.  Perfectly cut and fitting.  Fawns, browns, grey, grey-green, blue-grey.

(Random thought that shot through my head when I read “self-supporting trousers”: isn’t it great when your pants can hold down a job!  Presumably the copywriter meant that they didn’t need braces to hold them up.)

At top:

MEN’S SUPERBLY TAILORED SPORTS JACKETS. 

...In a selection of checks and tweeds.  This is the 1940s version of "smart casual"—though the fact that all the models are wearing ties makes them look formally dressed to modern eyes.  

At bottom:

Sports trousers, in flannel, worsted and tweeds.  The small insets show that the flies were fastened with buttons, not with zips.

MEN’S FINE SWEATERS FOR ALL OCCASIONS 100% PURE WOOL QUALITY YARNS KNIT FOR COMFORT, LOOKS AND WEAR

On the right are two heavyweight ribbed pullovers—with V- or roll neck—in grey, maroon, kasha, navy and brown.  On the right is a cardigan in "Fancy Jacquard, all wool.  The favorite of men who want good looks plus warm, easy comfort.  Fawn/Brown, dark grey, light grey, green/grey."   And once again, two of the models are wearing ties, even with casual attire.

Claire McCardell's "Leotards" on the cover of Life (September 1943)

The cover of the September 13 1943 issue of Life featured the latest fashion on college campuses: Leotards!

From Page 47:

“Leotard” is a new word in fashion parlance.  Webster’s unabridged dictionary defines it as a “short, close-fitting sleeveless garment cut low in the neck in front and gusseted between the legs.  It is worn by acrobats and aerial performers.”  Although the description does not exactly fit the strange-looking garments shown on … the cover, the fashion world is calling them “leotards.”  They are in fact more reminiscent of equestriennes’ or jesters’ tights, 17^th century gaskins, and long winter underwear.  Harper’s Bazaar launched the leotard idea, with a few sketches, in January.  By August it appeared in its college-clothes issue as a wartime fashion for the college girl.  Mademoiselle picked it up, also as a college idea.  Vogue ignored it.

Wartime fuel shortages may drive the college girl into this strange silhouette.  College girls, though allegedly faddists, like to be comfortable.  Leotards, with long-sleeved tops as warm as a sweater, and long legs as cozy as slacks, may be the practical solution to chilly classrooms.  With nothing but a brasière and panties underneath, a skirt or jumper over, a girl can be snug and warm indoors or out in this new kind of tights.

The designer’s name is briefly mentioned in the captions.

Claire McCardell, the creator of this “strange” new fashion was one of the most innovative American designers of the twentieth century and, to quote Kohle Yohannan and Nancy Nolf in Claire McCardell: Redefining Modernism, “many of her innovations have become intrinsic to modern fashion."  Working in mid-priced ready to wear, she created women’s clothes that were comfortable and easy to wear while other designers were still producing garments that looked good, but cramped and confined the wearer.  She insisted on buttons that buttoned, and ties that tied, and was famous for producing timeless clothes that could be worn year after year.  “Men are free of the clothes problem,” she once said, “why shouldn’t I follow their example?”

Her first “best seller” was her “monastic dress” which she designed in 1938 for her own use.  Front and back of the dress were interchangeable and it could be worn loose or belted in as the wearer pleased.  However, it was in the 1940s that she came into her own.  With America cut off from Paris—from where most dress manufacturers derived their inspiration—and women looking for more practical clothes in wartime, she became the right designer living in the right time and place.

Among the things she introduced that later became standards, were mix and match separates, “ballet flats” (in response to wartime leather shortages) and “wrap and tie” dresses which could be easily adapted to the wearer’s figure.Her “Pop-over” dress—“a simple, self-aproned, wrap-front denim dress”—was a product of the war years, and became yet another one of her best sellers.  She designed variations of this dress in different materials for every subsequent collection.  McCardell also  liked to experiment with materials that had hitherto not been used for women’s outerwear: lingerie fabrics, children’s prints, mattress ticking.  When the government announced a surplus of weather balloon cotton materials in 1944, she bought a truckload of the stuff.

Claire McCardell continued designing well into the post-war era, producing wearable and timeless clothing while Paris was indulging in the excesses of the "New Look".  She made the cover of Time in 1955.

But back to this cover of Life.  McCardell’s “leotards”, alas, weren’t one of her success stories.  The all-in-one knitted garments were too expensive to produce for sale at her usual prices.  McCardell later revamped the look more cheaply by combining knitted tights with matching pullover tops.

Claire McCardell died of cancer in 1958.

Reference:
Kohle Yohannan and Nancy Nolf
Claire McCardell: Redefining Modernism
New York: Harry N. Abrams Inc., 1998
ISBN 0810943751

Fashions from "McCall's Magazine", September 1907

Glancing back at my recent blog entries, I realised that I'd been neglecting the early 1900s.  To make up for it, I'm posting these two plates from McCall's Magazine in September 1907.  The artificial "S Bend" figure that was so fashionable in this decade is clearly on display in these illustrations, with clothing that emphasises the models' thrust-out bosoms and their back-projecting rear ends.

 

"Nos. 1659-1645 [Left]—All the very newest fashions are illustrated in this handsome fall suit of blue satin-faced broadcloth.  The body of the blouse jacket and the sleeves are cut in one and seamed on the shoulders, down the outside of the sleeve and under the arm.  The trimming consists of Hercules braid put on in a very stylish manner... The skirt is cut with seven gores and is box-pleated all around.  It is made of one of the new blue and green plaids, a blue check effect with a green plaid overthread."

"Nos.1647-1648 [Right]—Capes to be decidedly the thing in New York this fall, and this costume shows the new cape wrap, one of the very latest novelties."

 

"No. 1646 [Left]— Princess effects are always extremely stylish and becoming to women of good figure, and for this reason they are introduced into may of the new fall fashions.  The costume illustrated on the opposite page has a Princess front and back and the regular waistline or a corsage effect, if preferred, at the sides.  One of the wine-colored shades of broadcloth was chosen for our model, but cheviot, ladies' cloth, English serge, taffeta, peau de soie or almost any variety of reasonably firm silk can be used instead if preferred."

"Nos. 1675-1677 [Right]—This smart walking suit is a particularly stylish design for fall.  In our model, the jacket is of golden-brown taffeta and the skirt of broadcloth in the same shade, but the entire costume can be made of cloth if preferred.  The jacket is of one of the new Eton effects that will be worn this season.  It is made with a straight, loose front and back, pleated on the shoulders on each side and stitched in narrow tuck effect to yoke depth."

Teen Fashions As Advertised in "Seventeen" (1961)

In 1961 the oldest cohort of the baby boomers had just reached the age of fifteen.  "Teenagers" had been invented as a market segment, but the "Youthquake" of the later sixties had yet to strike.  The clothes in the advertisements below, originally published in a magazine geared to a readership of high-school aged girls, look surprisingly conservative and adult compared to what would come later.  There were a few teen subcultures in 1961, but it seems most girls still expected to follow in their mothers' ladylike footsteps.

Jodeen Originals in Dacron

“…another member of the “We Love DACRON Club”!”  This advertisement focuses on DuPont’s new wonder fibre, but the actual dress was made by Jodeen Originals in a 65% polyester and 35% cotton fabric.

Bobbie Brooks

For around $18 you could by this ladylike ensemble from Bobbie Brooks.   Based in Cleveland, Ohio, Bobbie Brooks specialised in fashions for teens and junior misses, though it later expanded its range to cater for women aged 24-44.

Thermo-Jac in Cone Corduroy

The advertisement shows off Thermo-Jac’s new “Rah-Coon” coat, but the big logo on the picture is for Cone Corduroy.  However, the advertisment continues on the next page of the magazine with a long list of stores where you can buy “Rah-Coon” coats.

Jane Irwell

Jane Irwell, goes for “natural wool and mohair (the cardigan) and a wool flannel skirt.

Lady Manhattan

Lady Manhattan was an offshoot of the Manhattan Shirt Company (founded 1857).  By 1961 “Manhattan Industries” was selling clothes under all sorts of labels—including this shirt and skirt outfit.  In polyester-cotton, of course!

Donnkenny in Lowenstein cotton

These blouses were made by Donnkenny, but once again the advertisement focuses on the fabric manufacturer—in this case, Lowenstein.

White Stag

Although White Stag is now a Walmart house brand, in 1961 it was an independent manufacture of outdoor wear.

And lastly: Jonathan Logan produced this special occasion dress (date dress? prom wear?) in white brocade.  Founded in 1947, Jonathan Logan made moderately priced clothes for young women under a number of labels.  Their dresses from the 1950s and 1960s are particularly sought after by vintage collectors!

"Autumn Cycling Costumes" in the Delineator (September 1898)

The "safety bicycle" was invented in the late 1880s.  With the addition of pneumatic tyres in the early 1890s it turned cycling from a dangerous sport (think of the penny farthing!) into a pastime that could be enjoyed be almost everybody.   It was an especially liberating recreation for women, who suddenly found themselves able to roam at will upon two wheels.

Of course there was also the problem of what to wear.  Some women wore versions of their ordinary day dress (though there was always the danger of getting one's long skirt tangled in the bicycle chain).  Some daring souls essayed bloomers—but there was always the danger of seeming immodest and inviting the ridicule of strangers.  Then there are the bicycling outfits depicted below, which seem to be a compromise between mobility and decorum.

But at this point I think I'll just quote the Delineator at length on the topic of the "well-bred" cyclist, and let them have the last word on what she was wearing:

"Cycling has become more and more a universal pastime, and the approach of Autumn heralds many new devotees who will enjoy its delights.  In order to appreciate to the full the pleasures of cycling it is essential to be properly and becomingly gowned, and the well-bred woman will plan her costume upon neat, simple lines and choose serviceable materials and colors.  Trimmings, when used, consist of braid and buttons, and in some instances velvet or silk is inlaid in the collar or cuffs.   The tailor finish is always in good taste and most satisfactory.  Cheviot, covert in plain and two-toned effects, homespun in various colorings, meltonette in serviceable colors, whipcords and suitings having plaid backs are among the materials suitable for making cycling costumes.  The skirts are planned to look equally well whether the wearer walks or is mounted, and those which are in the best taste are about seven or eight inches shorter than the ordinary walking skirt.  Low shoes are preferable to the high boots, since they afford greater freedom to the ankle.  Golf stockings are worn with low shoes and also with three-quarter shoes, the fancy colored tops being turned over the shoes.  Cycling gloves have kid fingers and palms and are of silk net at the back, though gloves of dogskin or heavy kid are quite appropriate." 

"The corsets to be worn when cycling are short and do not compress the body.  Hats suitable for this purpose are of soft felt in Alpine style having a soft trimming of silk wound about the crown, or with a simple band and quills at the left side.  Tam-O'Shanter caps of the material used for the costume are worn, as are military caps.  Thoroughly up to date are the modes shown in the following group of figures."