Customer Reviews

Blueprints of Fashion: Home Sewing Patterns of the 1950s (Schiffer Book for Collectors)

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I've been researching information about "home front" America and the fashion industry for several months. Information is scarce. That's why I was delighted to find this book. It contains a brief but thorough history of the American home-sewing and pattern industry as well as extremely valuable information on the effect of War Regulations on clothing. The text was easy to read and very well illustrated. Better yet, the author includes a detailed bibliography to guide those who need to know where to look for more information. The book does not contain reproductions of the actual tissue pattern pieces. That's not important since patterns of that time are built off the same basic pieces as patterns of today. The beauty of the book is that it includes copious reproductions of actual home sewing pattern envelopes and counter catalogues. There are hundreds of pictures and they are beautifully photographed so that the reader can get a good idea of the details of the clothing including silhouettes

I was amazed to receive this book. I learned about how rationing during WWII affected clothing and fashion. I saw how fashion evolved during a decade that began with war and ended with Paris reviving their Haute Couture.

I think that the one aspect of Blueprints Of Fashion that caught me completely by surprise was the nostalgic feeling that looking at home sewing catalogue illustrations returned to me. I remember spending hours browsing through catalogues with my Mom during the 60's and 70's. I noticed the change of illustration styles, and the use of more photography, throughout those 2 decades of the big 3--Simplicity, Butterick/Vogue, and McCall's. In the 40's there were many more brands and that much more variation in illustration styles.

Mr. Laboissoniere has done a great job of grouping the pattern face cards into a journey through the fashionable 40's. Even though he meant this as a guide for collectors, there are so many facets to his research that he has created something truly extraordinary.

This book begins with a lot of information about sewing pattern companies, sewing in the beginning half of the century, and fashion changes during the forties that are worth the price of this book. The second half is all reproductions of the fronts of pattern envelopes which provide inspiration for design as well as pointing out how much more advanced the average sewer seemed to be in the forties compared to today.

This is a wondreful look at a time in fashion when looking your best when in public or private did matter. The fashions are an inspiration to those who love classic design. The only statement being made by these fasions are upbeat ones. Thanks for a great book that any sewer will treasure forever!!

As a dealer in vintage patterns, (...) Wade's book is an indispensable resource in accurate dating of my pattern inventory. This in turn helps me to better serve my customers. Wonderful color examples of all the catagories, styles and companies.

The front chapter gives a history of pattern companies, how the small ones started and eventually merged into Simplicity, McCalls and Butterick. Also includes history on styles that were popular in the early '40s and how WWII affected these styles and the home sewing industry. The majority of the book is pattern covers. This is a valuable source for anyone who has vintage patterns and would like to date them. Or for someone who is trying to sew vintage from new patterns. If you're using new basic patterns, it's possible to recreate sleeves, hemlines, pockets, and other details to make the garment look vintage. Great inspiration!! Highly recommended for anyone interested in the 1940s!!

The text is written in the style of a formal essay, and the sentences are dense with information, reflecting a tremendous amount of research on the home sewing industry, including the sewing machine industry and how it was affected by and responded to the war). What you won't find in this book is a discussion of how women worked with the patterns--how often they purchased patterns, what skills were generally known, the quantity or type of garments seamstresses sewed for themselves vs those made for others or what percentage of clothing was homemade vs store bought; in other words, this is an industry-focused, not consumer-focused examination. There is no discussion of children's patterns, and very little on the subject of men's patterns. When looking through the illustrations, I noted that while the author includes a full date range of patterns in each of several categories, patterns from the mid-to-late-1940s are represented in the greatest numbers. All of the illustrations are reproduced in full color and on heavy, glossy paper. I consider myself fairly well-informed on this topic, but still learned a great deal, as this book is packed with interesting anecdotes, answering such questions as: How did pattern companies borrow designs from one another while still distinguishing their products from those of competitors? How did couture houses collaborate with the home sewing industry? How were movie costumes and movie stars used in the design and promotion of patterns? How did the industry support the war effort and changing standards for acceptable women's dress? What was the role of the USDA in pattern development? An excellent read for someone more interested in facts than generalizations.

this is one of the great fashion books. very well put together, interesting...unlike most fashion books (in terms of text) and classy and LOTS of images. Both of Laboissonniere's books are great.

The selection of pattern images is very good. I want to make one of each of them.

Doing research in clothing of the 1940's, I came upon this book on Amazon.com. It has been a wonderful source of accurate information. Entertaining at the very least, it has helped me as I research clothing of the era. As a costume designer, I would recommend purchasing this important book.