Pattern Dates

[GarageFinds]

I have inherited large pattern collection and am just starting to sell. Some patterns do have the copyright listed on a bag so it is easy to date them. However none of the Buttericks I had looked at so far had a date on them and I am stuck guessing the dates. I found that trying to go by pattern numbers is useless since they do get repeated. And some fashions just never seem to leave such as pencil skirts. Thus how does one deal with these patters? Those I can not date I list as supplies rathr than vintage and try to guess the decade by the style but I would prefer to be a bit more accurate. Any ideas?

[Former_Member]

Though it won't give you an exact date, the style of the envelope is a good indicator to narrow down age range. For things like pencil skirts you can take cues from the style of envelope, as well as the shoe and hair styles depicted on the envelopes.

This website is very helpful ( You have to download the guide, but it is only 10 pages or so.)

http://www.cemetarian.com/index.php?pr=Dating_Sewing_Patterns

Good luck and have fun selling!

[GarageFinds]

Thanks. I'll go check out the web site.

[CloesCloset]

This is a little list I made for myself to help date the patterns by price, hope it helps:
1960s 75 cents to 1 dollar Simplicity 1975 $1.50
1970s 1 dollar to 1.75 1960s Vogue 75 cents
1980s 2.75 to 3.00
Vogue 1990 - $9.50 - Vogue Designer 1991 $14.50
Vogue Designer 1970s 4.50 or 4.00
Vogue Designer 1980s $7.50
Regular Vogue 1980s - $5.00
1974 Vogue Designer - $3.50
1979 Vogue Designer - $5.00
1969 Vogue Paris Original $2.50

[patternshop]

Check out the Vintage Patterns Wiki

http://vintagepatterns.wikia.com

You may not be able to narrow them down to an exact year, but at least you can narrow them down to a decade.

[Former_Member]

Sometimes just googling a pattern and it's number can aid you a lot going by other people's suggestions. I always look by the hair styles that's a great indicator.

This Sewing Pattern website is generally good for a rough idea too;

http://vintagefashionlibrary.com/dating_vintage_patterns

[Former_Member]

I just posted a 1946 Advance Pattern catalogue on my blog, with pattern numbers, if you have older patterns. It is a fun journey to learn to date these gems.

[Former_Member]

Everyone else has posted some great ideas, so here's a few things I'd add. Sometimes skirt patterns only illustrate the lower body so you have to do some detective work on little clues like the shoes, even the stance of the feet and the curve of the calves. Apperently in the 60s women had no calves at all! And the length of the skirt is a good giveaway (50s were mid calf, 60s on or above the knee; anything earlier is fairly long). Also, the font of the pattern text. McCalls had lovely round art deco lettering in the 30s, Butterick had beautiful cursive in the 40s - if you watch old movies you'll see the same font styles in the movie credits.
Good luck with your patterns!

[Former_Member]

All the above advice is great! I love the inventiveness and resourcefulness of Pattern People!

In desperation once, I looked throughout the pattern itself, even the INSIDE of the envelope! But, I finally did find the date! It was printed in the margin of one of the instruction sheets! I can't remember what pattern company, unfortunately. Maybe Butterick. But try that as well.

Also, along the same lines as Melanie mentioned, check out the postures of the models. If the hips are thrown forward, perhaps it's from the 50's. And in some of McCall's illustrations from the 70's the women have proportionately larger feet, possibly influenced by the "keep on truckin' "
posters.

And take advantage of the "circa" notation. The standard convention for its use is that it is used as an indicator of a 10 year range. So if I note "ca. 1964", it implies a date range of 1959 -1969, if my math skills are correct!

Good luck! And keep on truckin'! :O) This can be a frustrating task.

[Former_Member]

I posted a thread the other day about the Commercial Pattern Archive that is maintained by the University of Rhode Island. If you can Narrow it down to an approximate decade, then look in the results for the pattern number (in numerical order) it will give you the year. It's an amazing collection!

[Former_Member]

During WW II skirt lengths were just below the knee to save fabric. After the war skirts were much longer.

What is the latest on CoPA, Mary Beth? I paid my $8. When does it start?