The Sewing Place
The Emporia => In the wardrobe => Patterns Discussion => Topic started by: Yellowfeather on September 22, 2018, 10:29:13 AM
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I am going to a quiz evening next Saturday with a war time theme. I was thinking of making a 1940s style dress to wear, but I am struggling to find a pattern or a starting point to draft one from. Also, not really sure what kind of fabric to use, I am not massively bothered about it being authentic, just needs to look the part. any ideas?????
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What about Butterick 6282?
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There are a number of 'vintage' patterns available - mostly redrawn to modern sizes from popular patterns of their day.
https://jaycotts.co.uk/collections/patterns_vintage (https://jaycotts.co.uk/collections/patterns_vintage)
Lots of images here, (https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Clothing+during+WW2&FORM=RESTAB) but the underlying theme of rationed fashion was not too much fabric - no longer than knee length, few, if any buttons, but the waists were nipped in andshoulders were square with set in sleeves.
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To get particular looks (http://www.yes2safe.org/1940-style-dresses/1940-style-dresses-391-best-vintage-sewing-patterns-1930-s-thru-1940-s-images-on/) right it looks like we have to stop eating, at least the girls, and some of us should grow an extra 4 inches. Short and fat just doesn't go with the wide double pleated trousers they had back then :P
(http://www.yes2safe.org/wp-content/uploads/1940-style-dresses-391-best-vintage-sewing-patterns-1930-s-thru-1940-s-images-on.jpg)
(https://www.sovintagepatterns.com/assets/images/mccall6659.jpg)
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Short and fat just doesn't go with the wide double pleated trousers they had back then :P
Lets me out then ! :)
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Some links about 1940's clothes ration rules and stuff.
Make do and mend information and video. (https://diyfashionsense.wordpress.com/2012/12/07/make-do-and-mend-wwii/)
Ration era fashion article. (https://comestepbackintime.wordpress.com/2014/12/12/rationing-fashion-in-1940s-britain-make-do-mend/)
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When I was young, Womens Weekly still had a small column on repurposing/refurbishing garments. Can't quite remember any examples at the moment, but I'm sure someone else will.
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Make a 40s apron, do your hair in curlers a la HIlda Ogden, and wear a headscarf tied like you're hard at work. Easy peasy
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I googled Hilda Ogden and got this. Her hair is in curlers so she is sort of half way there, but clothes and apron is still aimed for cleaning house; not yet in the party dress LOL
(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/10/14/23/3965174D00000578-3839036-Jean_Alexander_who_played_Hilda_Ogden_pictured_was_taken_ill_on_-m-26_1476482532558.jpg)
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lol very forties though!
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What about a land girl? Go to you nearest diy place and get a pair of work dungarees.
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I made the Amelia Teadress for Theo's Christening, and it had a very 40's look to it.
Jessie
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I have used one of these patterns Now and then (http://https://www.tilthesungoesdown.com/category/patterns+and+treasures/). My friend who does lots of wArtime re-enactments uses them for authentic forties outfits.
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Try again!Now and Then Patterns (http://https://www.tilthesungoesdown.com/category/patterns+and+treasures/)
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@Mocarroll Neither of those links worked for me, I think you'd got extra www/ bits in the url.
https://www.tilthesungoesdown.com/category/patterns+and+treasures/ (http://) should work.
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@Mocarroll Neither of those links worked for me, I think you'd got extra www/ bits in the url.
https://www.tilthesungoesdown.com/category/patterns+and+treasures/ (http://) should work.
@BrendaP That doesn't work for me. See if this (https://www.tilthesungoesdown.com/homepage/view) does
This seems to be ok
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Fabrics: Rayon crepe was popular as was jersey knit. Think more like slinky knit rather then t-shirt. Velvet was also a huge thing, but it was thin and not all that thick like we have now.
Cotton voile was also popular, and with a slip could work well.
Colors were usually pretty much vibrant: navy, royal blue and red among others. White was an accent color for them usually. Also: green of any kind, beige, khaki, a dusty rose pink and mustard yellow.
Prints: florals are hard to reproduce with today's fabrics, especially on a short notice but you want smaller florals since the extra large one screams more of the 1950s. If you're wanting a print think polka dots, white on a color would be preferable (color on white is more of a casual summer look). While smaller dots were generally favored (not necessarily tiny pin dots, but small), large was also a popular choice that gained traction toward the mid-end of the 40s.
You can also go with plaid, the other staple of prints: gingham or border print (in another authentic fabric: broadcloth).
Solids were always popular. And you did not always have ensembles in the same color. Green/Red, Navy/Red, Khaki/Blue , Rose/Light blue etc. were very common and popular.
Trim is also a hallmark of 40s fashions. While things wore in the evening usually did not attach lace and rick rack, they used embroidery, soutache and pleating to achieve a more glamorous look.
On the fat and short thing: I'm built for 40s fashion and I'm fat. Biggest thing is the shoulders. If you aren't broad shouldered, pad them out.
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@BrendaP That doesn't work for me. See if this (https://www.tilthesungoesdown.com/homepage/view) does
This seems to be ok
That does work for me. It seems that it's the links to pages below the home page which are giving trouble. Strange.
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Remember that in UK everything was in short supply during the 1940s and there was a lot of make-do-and-mend. USA didn't have those shortages of materials.
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Remember that in UK everything was in short supply during the 1940s and there was a lot of make-do-and-mend. USA didn't have those shortages of materials.
Actually, most of what I typed was from UK fashion history, specifically Utility fashion and the Austerity movement. While the US and the UK had differences, the Utility clothing and austerity movement did not stop trim being added, simply being sold. Fabric were hard to get worldwide, not just in one place or another and all of the fabrics were available at the time on both sides of the Atlantic.
CC41 applied to the manufacture and taxes, and rayon and wool production were cut 25%. While a massive loss of textile, they were still there. Plus, crepe and velvet were popular in the 30s and fell into the Make do and mend part of it. They also had to make only 85% under the CC41 regs, 15% were still allowed to be non-utility.
The Austerity movement dictated things like only able to have 2 pockets, the amount of materials used and allowed affordable clothes to hit the stores. It still came in a variety of styles, colors and fabrics. Several you can find show a ton of diverse Utility clothing from Linen afternoon dresses to satin evening wear.
https://www.candysays.co.uk/blogs/vintage-blog/6678856-cc41-utility-clothing-of-the-1940s
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https://sewoverit.co.uk/product/1940s-tea-dress-sewing-pattern/
I like this pattern :)
lizzy
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D.F, love the idea of a pinny and curlers, but not sure I have the right fabric to do it justice!! Thank you all for your input, it has been really interesting reading. I eventually went for something along the lines of the dress Lizzy777 posted, but I didn't have time to order the pattern, as I only had today to draft/sew it up, so I made it up. Finger crossed it looks the part!!!!
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Apologies, iPad would behave, so had to use my phone to attach the photo. First time for everything! :|
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Looks convincing to me, I hope you enjoyed the quiz night.
I think working with what you already had is very authentic 1940's.
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I am going to a quiz evening next Saturday with a war time theme. I was thinking of making a 1940s style dress to wear, but I am struggling to find a pattern or a starting point to draft one from. Also, not really sure what kind of fabric to use, I am not massively bothered about it being authentic, just needs to look the part. any ideas?????
what an interesting project. I hope you share pics when it is finished.
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The hairstyle is also important. Wavy and pinned away from the face! Or little curlers all round the edges, and flattish on top if you have shorter hair.