In Search of Style: 1950s Afternoon Dress for Campus, Office, and Home!

The clipping:  The clipping below was tucked into the pattern Woman's Day 5042, and what fun to actually see how Woman's Day magazine advertised their patterns! When working with mail order patterns, one often wonders what the original advertisement looked like. Most mail order patterns were advertised in newspapers, but there were several that advertised in magazines, typically the magazine's own brand. This was true of Woman's Day patterns in the 1950s. This clipping provides a wonderful color version of the pattern. Compare it with the pattern image that follows.

Woman's Day 5042

The pattern: Woman's Day 5042 (1952)

As you can read on the pattern envelope, this pattern was published in the August 1952 edition of Woman's Day Magazine. This crisp and contoured dress "for campus, office, and home" definitely looks all business. Note that it is a step-in dress, and has an eye-catching contoured double collar and ditto for the cuffs. Another clever aspect to this dress is that each sleeve is one piece (single seam), with the back being "kimono" style, while the front takes on a raglan aspect. Clever design!

And just for the fun of it, here is the back side of the clipping, full of fabric swatches in rich blue tones.

Before and After Hit Parade: Girl's 1940s Wartime Frock - Reliving History!

Seamstress: Jan
Pattern: Butterick 3488

This adorable frock from 1945 for a girl is totally adorable and the story of Jan's sewing project is simply brilliant! Jan sewed the frock in view B for her 11 year old daughter to wear to school for WWII day as part of their history/English curriculum. Check out the results!

 The result:

Look closely at these two photographs of her daughter, Georgia, in the frock - complete with other wartime accessories (gas mask box and small suitcase).

Jan wrote "An elderly gentleman who was a guest speaker at the WWII school event (he had lived through the war) approached my daughter and I to express his admiration for her outfit and I quote "if there was a prize for the most authentic look this little girl will get it. The other children have made a half way attempt but this little girl is in a league of her own". I then went on to explain I had made the dress from an original 1940s pattern which I'd purchased from the US.

My daughter's form teacher has taken a photocopy of the pattern together with a photo of Georgia in the dress and these will be exhibited along with other WWII items in their end of year celebration."

Isn't that awesome?!! Jan's beautiful daughter looks fantastic, like she just stepped out of a World War II movie. I love the fabric, the contrast collar and contrast wing cuffs (so authentic!). The accessories of beret, knee-high socks, the name tag, vintage suitcase, and gas mask box (omg!) all add up to a totally authentic look. Kudos to Jan for a fabulous and inspired job!