Dating Vintage Sewing Patterns

Dating vintage sewing patterns is one of the most difficult tasks to do.  I put the date in my title, however, when I am listing patterns for sale on eBay because I find a lot of collectors only look for patterns of a certain decade.  Hopefully, this guide will help you better date your own patterns or patterns you see for auction on eBay.  Of course, I am not referring to the instances when the pattern itself is dated, as those outlined below, but to those circumstances when there is no date whatsoever to be found on the pattern envelope, or on the instruction page.  I will discuss below dating patterns made by the following pattern companies:  Vogue, Hollywood, Simplicity, Butterick, Style, McCall and McCall's.  I specialize in selling vintage Vogue sewing patterns and they can be very difficult to date.  I think it is their innovative design styles that make these patterns even more difficult to date than other patterns. 

Finding a Date on a Dated Pattern

Simplicity dates virtually every pattern from the 1940's to the present.  From the 1960's up, the date is usually found on the pattern envelope in really tiny type at the top of the back of the pattern envelope.  Prior to the 1960's, the copyright date is usually found on the pattern instruction page, usually on page two, usually in the middle at the very bottom of the page.

Vogue dated a lot of their patterns in the 1950's.  That date can be found on the front of the envelope, at the bottom left corner, in very tiny type.  They also date their patterns from the 1980's to the present.

Butterick patterns are not dated.

Style dated virtually every pattern:  on the pattern envelope at the back.

McCall and McCall's dated virtually every pattern from the 1940's to the present.  The date is usually found on the pattern envelope in very tiny type, around the edge of the envelope flap or right on the side of the envelope.

Now for the Fun Part:  Dating an Undated Pattern

Hollywood patterns are generally from the 1930's or 1940's.  They can be dated by the factors outlined below, or by looking up the date of the movie on an Internet site, if the movie is mentioned on the envelope.

I have not found the original price of the pattern to be that helpful in dating patterns.  As with today's patterns, "nicer" or more complicated or designer patterns cost more than an "ordinary" pattern.

Dating patterns is where knowledge of fashion styles can be helpful.  I usually look at the picture on the front of the pattern envelope to date a pattern.  I have many resources available, for example, books or other reference material on fashions of the different decades.  These resources are extremely helpful in dating patterns.  Covers of record albums or viewing old movies can also be helpful.  You can also imagine how famous actresses of a certain time period might have dressed, for example, Doris Day, in the early 1960's.  Having pattern store counter books or old pattern magazines can also provide more accuracy.  Some of the features I look for in dating a pattern include:

1930's:  short, bobbed hair

1940's: 

• shoulder length hair in a curled under fashion, sometimes in a net
• suits are very common
• styles use little fabric because of war conservation - surplice is used, slim skirts

1950's: 

• short hair
• freedom from World War II - lots of fabric - huge ball gowns
• full skirts - the more fabric, the better
• white gloves worn with day suits
• big, boxy handbags for daywear

early 1960's: 

• short hair - think Jacqueline Kennedy
• slim skirted suits
• boxy jackets
• pillbox hats

mid 1960's: 

• short hair - think girls in the audience at The Beatles' performances
• cute, slim dresses
• space age boxy jackets or dresses
• hair piled high in a bun, with tendrils by ears

late 1960's: 

• long hair - think hippies
• hair bands in hair
• braid trim on dresses
• mini, midi and maxi styles in one pattern

1970's: 

• shoulder length hair with bounce - or long hair
• slim styles - more conservative than the sixties
• long, flowing outfits - long, flowing pants

1980's: 

• big hair
• big shoulder pads
• big, bouffant styles to dresses

The above list may be too simplistic, but I have found them to be the key indicators and features and helpful to use when I am dating patterns.

I also often test myself by guessing a date on a Simplicity pattern before I check the date on the pattern.  It is fun and a great learning experience for me.

I have often thought that eBay should divide the category of vintage sewing patterns by decades/style periods, like it does in the vintage clothing category.  I know it is difficult for the buyer and the seller to find/list by decade, when it is difficult to know what decade the item is from.  It can be frustrating looking through the patterns category and seeing patterns from decades in which I have no interest.  However, I have more than once found an intereseting pattern from such a decade which has a high bid on it.  This can be a learning experience as well.  I think that there are not enough items listed in the patterns category to necessitate dividing it by decade for now - but should the demand for vintage patterns increase and I have seen a dramatic increase since 1999 when I registered on eBay, this sub-categorization may be necessary.

I hope you have learned something from this guide.  It was fun to do.  Good luck dating patterns.  It is an ongoing challenge, especially for patterns in the mid-1950's to mid-1960's.

Cassandra