The browsable collection runs the gamut from Dynasty-inspired pussy bow power suits to Betty Draper-esque frocks featuring models in white gloves to an 1895 boys' Reefer Suit with fly-free short trousers.
Thursday, March 29, 2018
Wiki Has Released Over 83,500 Vintage Sewing Patterns Online For Free
The browsable collection runs the gamut from Dynasty-inspired pussy bow power suits to Betty Draper-esque frocks featuring models in white gloves to an 1895 boys' Reefer Suit with fly-free short trousers.
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This is a very interesting article and I am so fascinated by the fact that these are now available online almost as though it’s a database for sewing patterns which is definitely incredibly useful in the costuming world. I would guess that the one problem people may face with these patterns, is that the sizing has changed over time and so cutting a pattern in a size 0 in 1970 is a lot smaller than cutting a pattern in a size 0 in 2018. That’s not a huge issue as long as the people making the clothes are aware of those differences. The release of these patterns, may also drive away business for sewing patterns from today. They often create patterns based off of vintage designs, and now it will be easier to just make the vintage design and not worry about the adaptations that have taken place over time.
Textile history is fascinating. What’s better is that now, we have access to thousands of patterns that were considered previously lost to time. Need to create that perfect 1920’s outfit for a show, now you can. Although sizes have changed over the years, patterns can be adjusted during the cutting phase. This archive is going to be a great tool for costume designers and those who construct the costumes. One of the training's that costume construction people hopefully go through is on how to take a pattern that is one size and create a garment for a completely different size. This archive will also give us a better glimpse at how fashion has changed over the years and what is now considered vintage was once considered trendy and new. Styles change, people change. It would be even more interesting if we could find patterns that go deep into our past. Many of the skills of dressmaking and tailoring were passed on by hands on training so that may be difficult, but I bet it could still be fun to dig up.
I love looking at vintage clothes and how they are made. I looked at some of the patterns and they are not free, but I think this still could be really helpful for costume designers. Looking through the patterns, I felt like I really got a sense of the period and the style of clothing. I also think that even if a designer isn’t working directly from a pattern, they still could probably be helpful in figuring out the direct structure of the garment. Even if they aren’t totally and immediately accessible, I’m really glad that they are more available, when they wouldn’t have been otherwise. They serve as reliable record of the styles of clothes that people liked to wear. What I found interesting were the relationships between the eras. For example, without looking directly at the year I might not know what era the garment came from. I feel like in general I saw vintage fashion differently after looking through the patterns.
Wow! What a kind move from Wiki. Sharing information is the reason why Wikipedia was created, so I appreciate that all of these patterns have been released, especially for costume designers and creators who are just starting out and potentially can't afford to buy patterning books quite yet. The article reads: "The browsable collection runs the gamut from Dynasty-inspired pussy bow power suits to Betty Draper-esque frocks featuring models in white gloves to an 1895 boys’ Reefer Suit with fly-free short trousers.Visitors can narrow their search to focus on a particular garment, designer or decade. If you click these links, you can see patterns from the following decades: 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.The movie star collection is particularly fun. (Flattering or no, I’ve always wanted a pair of Katharine Hepburn pants…)" Which seems like a intuitive way of sorting all the available patterns. I might even look at some!
This is an incredible find! It’s so hard to find good patterns, especially if they're older. People like to sell it for more because it’s vintage, or you just straight up can’t find patterns because they are gone forever. It’s really awesome that Wikipedia has released all of these patterns. You can learn a lot about society from how their clothes are styled. These patterns aren’t free, but they are available. Even just being able to look through the images of what people would wear is interesting and can spark creativity, especially if you already have skills in draping and clothing construction and might not even need the pattern necessarily. I love looking at old patterns because you see the types of patterns and fabrics they would use and the construction is so different from modern fashion with our cheaply made clothes that aren’t meant to last so you will buy more clothes.
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