In Search of Style: A Natty "Mad Men" Blazer

A rare event: this "In Search of Style" is for a man's pattern!

The clipping: In a 1961 men's jacket pattern was tucked this clipping of a sharp blazer from a Sears catalog. Straight from the Mad Men era, this crisp jacket has slim lapels and a fine fit. So manly! And I love that little reference to "Neatniks" at the bottom of the page - haha!

The pattern: And here it is, Advance 9954, with the men looking very Don Draper-esque in pose and in fashion. :) This handsome sport jacket has the same lapels as the clipping, and the same cut-away hemline in front, though the pattern goes with patch pockets while the clipping features inset pockets. This pattern has very tailored details, including two-piece long sleeves for a perfect fit, and interfacing with both muslin and hair canvas. Shaping in the shoulders is well-detailed, and the back has contoured seams at the sides of the center. First rate!

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Before and After: Double Duty from a Single Remnant!

It has been a while since I last posted a "Before and After", and this is a marvelous one! My customer Mark McNulty (Irish fashion designer and illustrator extraordinaire!) got great mileage from two patterns and a single remnant of fabric for 4 Euro!

The Pattern: Simplicity 2895 (1940s)

The Results: With this pattern and the fabric remnant, Mark made a beautiful dress for his younger sister. I love it! The swirly, twirly ballerina length is perfect.

It wasn't a perfect fit, though, for his sister, who is 6'1" (and looks like a fashion model, don't you think?). So he took a pattern from the 1960s and was determined to re-purpose the fabric into a jacket! 


The Pattern: McCall's 7593 (1960s)

The Results: He says, "I absolutely fried my brain trying to lay out the pieces of the fabric and trying to get the patterns to match for this sprig little blazer. After a lot of pulling hair, it worked and i even got two cute little bias cut pockets into it too!" I love the lapel pin - adds a dash of class!

Pocket close-up (I think making the pockets bias-cut was totally inspired):

Neat use of hooks-and-eyes make for a slim closing:

Mark, as always, is inspired by fashion. You can see a post about a recent winning illustration of his here. And if you are on Instagram, you can follow him here.

Voices from the Past: 1940s Seamstress Documents Her Work

How well do you document how you sewed a garment? Or do you document your changes at all?

The seamstress who sewed this very fine man's 1940s sports jacket in the mid-1950s wrote copious notes that detail her steps to construct this garment and then tucked them in the pattern envelope.

Not only are there a plethora of measurements, she describes numerous details about how many of what were used and exact placements of buttons, buttonholes, pockets, and more.  Read these notes and be impressed with the level of detail - I am!

Here are two hand-made pocket pieces that were included with the notes.

Home Sewing Tips from the 1920s - Refashion a Smart Jacket

As long as we are on the subject of refashioning old clothes into new, this post from Ruth Wyeth Spears and the 1920s is very timely! In this article, Ruth describes how to make a new "mannish" jacket for yourself from an old jacket of your husband or brother or dad. She describes two ways to go about it, depending on the size of the old jacket you are working with and the size you need.

Autumn is the perfect time for tailored jackets and blazers, so definitely give this a try!

A 1965 Holiday Salute in Red, White, & Blue!

Look at these impeccable classics - double breasted blazers and crisp, slim pants. It's a salute to Memorial Day, with summer fashion from 1965 that's trim and coordinated!

McCall's 7593

You can find this pattern at my shop, Midvale Cottage on Etsy.

McCall's 7615

You can find this pattern at:
SewYesterdayPatterns on Etsy

TheresaMarieRose on Etsy