Dating Vintage Sewing Patterns by Number

The pattern number can be an indicator of the date on vintage sewing patterns.  You can’t use the number alone because the companies would start over again when they got to a certain level.  But if you combine the number with the general silhouette of the clothing along with other factors such as hair, price and envelope style you can get pretty close to the issue or copyright date.

The following is a rough chart of dates and their vintage pattern numbers. 

Use this list as a guideline only for dating your vintage patterns.  Since the 40’s and 50’s are the most common patterns, found this chart deals mainly with those. 

Most 60’s patterns are dated and pre 40’s are rare.  You will need to go by style and other factors when dating those.

Vintage Advance Patterns:
1939  2121-2364
1940  2348-2606
1941  2607-2998
1942  2999-3150
1943  3151-3634
1944  3635-3822
1945  3623-4079
1946  4080-4425
1947  4426-4751
1948  4752-5051
1949  5052-5370
1950  5371-5678
1951  5679-5996
1952  5997-6266
1953  6267-6609
1954  6610-6939
1955  6940-7135
1956  7701-8185
1957  8186-8507
1958  8508-8868
1959  8869-9242
1960  9243-9630
 

Vintage Butterick Patterns:
1939  8187-9135
1940  9136-1260
1941  1261-1767
1942  1768-2351
1943  2353-2823
1944  2824-3183
1945  3184-3598
1946  3599-4017
1947  4018-4377
1948  4378-4738
1949  4739-5117
1950  5118-5554
1951  5555-5971
1952  5972-6350
1953  6351-6765
1954  6766-7160
1955  7161-7566
1956  7567-7979
1957  7980-8349
1958  8350-8763
1959  8764-9157

Vintage DuBarry Patterns:
1939  2146B-2407B
1940  2408B-2561B
1941  2562B-2666B 5001-5126
1942  2716B-2769    5273-5500
1943  5501-5752
1944  5753-5972
1945  5973-6140
1946  6141-6212

Vintage Hollywood Patterns:
1939  1706-1928
1940  1929-1998   400-558
1941  559-788
1942  804-1021
1943  1022-1255
1944  1256-1489
1945  1490-1770
1946  1770-1972
1947  1972-2170
 
Vintage McCall Patterns:
1939  3014-3504
1940  3505-4001
1941  4002-4518
1942  4519-5027
1943  5028-5439
1944  5440-5852
1945  5853-6276
1946  6277-6688
1947  6689-7061
1948  7062-7453
1949  7454-7867
1950  7876-8335

Vintage McCall’s Patterns (S added in 51):
1951  8372-8764
1952  8814-9252
1953  9267-9640
1954  9661-3125
1955  3126-3504
1956  3505-3920
1957  3995-4413
1958  2185-2333
1959  2334-2368

Vintage McCalls Needlework Patterns:
1939  651-723
1940  724-821
1941  822-919
1942  920-1015
1943  1016-1082
1944  1083-1155
1945  1156-1220
1946  1221-1294
1947  1295-1343
1948  1360-1437
1949  1438-1498
1950  1521-1585
1951  1610-1647
1952  1684-1749
1953  1781-1827
1954  1849-1939
1955  1947-2031
1956  2075-2123
1957  2130-2184
1958  2185-2333
1959  2334-2368

Vintage Simplicity Patterns:
1940  3264-3625
1941  3625-4046
1942  4043-4479
1943  4480-4845
1944  4865-4999 1000-1177
1945  1178-1195
1946  1490-1882
1947  1823-2274
1948  2275-2688
1949  2689-3043
1950  3057-3379
1951  3380-3758
1952  3759-4136
1953  4137-4520
1954  4521-4956 1000-1026
1955  4957-4999 1027-1408
1956  1409-1865
1957  1866-2330
1958  2331-2791
1959  2792-3296
1960  3299-3734

Vintage Simplicity Designer Patterns:
1949  8000-8220
1950  8221-8332
1951  8333-8461
1952  8447-8496

Simplicity also had pattern lines with a unique numbering series:
Costumes in the 1930’s  7000 number sequence
Needlework in the mid 1940’s   7000 number sequence
Lingerie in the late 1930’s  S600 Number sequence

Vintage Vogue Regular Patterns:
1939  8255-8574
1940  8559-8911
1941  8915-9234
1942  9235-9591
1943  9600-9900 5000-5031
1944  5032-5334
1945  5321-5626
1946  5666-5954
1947  5983-6284
1948  6270-6655
1949  6674-6953
1950  6973-7241
1951  7248-7555
1952  7556-7874
1953  7928-8171
1954  8176-8481
1955  8492-8736
1956  8786-9019
1957  9025-9347
1958  9352-9640
1959  9641-9872

Vintage Vogue Couture Patterns:
1939  233-298
1940  300-363
1941  365-399  200-211
1942  224-295
1943  296-361
1944  362-399 200-223
1945  224-281
1946  288-343
1947  346-404
1948  408-468
1949  475-533
1950  545-596

Vintage Vogue Couturier Patterns:
1949  475-533
1950  544-596
1951  606-656
1952  660-719
1953  729-778
1954  786-833
1955  841-885
1956  889-938
1957  953-998
1958  999-142
1959  144-196
1960  198-211

Vintage Vogue Special Patterns:
1939  S4109-S4189
1940  S4183-S4269
1941  S4270-S4345
1942  S4346-S4430
1943  S4431-S4517
1944  S4518-S4600
1945  S4602-S4682
1946  S4688-S4758
1947  S4761-S4839
1948  S4840-S4944
1949  S4947-S4998
1950  S4000-S4160
1951  S4176-S4273
1952  S4274-S4360
1953  S4361-S4464
1954  S4481-S4560
1955  S4581-S4656
1956  S4667-S4742
1957  S4749-S4849
1958  S4850-S4933 S4935-S4940
1959  S4957-S4999

Vintage Vogue Paris Original Model Patterns:
1949  1050-1081
1950  1082-1121
1951  1122-1161
1952  1162-1201
1953  1202-1241
1954  1258-1281
1955  1287-1314
1956  1319-1352
1957  1354-1391
1958  1398-1431
1959  1434-1472
1960  1473-1494  1000-1023

Vintage Vogue Junior Patterns:
1945  3002-3048
1946  3052-3121
1947  3122-3182
1948  3190-3251
1949  3261-3324
1950  3333-3392
1951  3398-3445
1952  3452-3498
1953  3504-3547
1954  3553-3591 1500-1571
1955  3601-3625 1515-1547
1956  3636-3641 1551-1566
1957  1571-1592
1958  1606-1629
1959  1633-1643

Vintage Vogue Children's Patterns:
1939  3534-2189  229
1941  2230-2266
1942  2267-2316
1943  2319-2336
1944  2342-2373
1945  2375-2382
1946  2385-2430
1947  2435-2453
1948  3190-3251
1949  2541-2571
1950  2580-2602