Vintage vs. Modern - one design, two patterns

Today I am comparing this pattern from 1947 with its reissue that came out in 2013. It is a really pretty blouse. A good one to choose for a modern reissue. But, I know for a fact that Simplicity did not use the original pattern pieces for the first few reissues they published. Simplicity does not have an archive. So, they just drafted from scratch using the pattern envelope illustrations.

CORRECTION! Since I published this blog I found out Simplicity does have a small archive. They used to have a huge plant in Niles, Michigan. When then closed the plant a couple people from the New York office went there and rescued the old patterns that were there! They also started buying vintage patterns to reissue as well. (June 27, 2019)

After the first few reissues, Simplicity started buying copies of vintage patterns to do a proper job in house and also used patterns from the vintage collection my sister Theresa LaQuey has. She has a lot Simplicity patterns to her name!

Anyway, back to this pattern, which I happen to really like. I used it when I wrote my article on piecing for Threads in their Feb/March 2017 issue.

But, let's cut to the chase! Ever since I realized I owned a copy of the original 1947 pattern, I've been wanting to see how they are different. As a retired person, I now have the time.

I will show you the two muslins I sewed up. I chose the scoop neck view because the vintage pattern I have is cut away at the lower neckline so I can't make the one with the collar. This older pattern has one pattern for all three views with a cut away for the different necklines.

Now, you can just SEE the differences. Original is on the left.

So, you can see the original pattern emphasizes the shoulders much more, which makes the waist appear smaller. The 1947 pattern uses shoulder pads, which build up the shoulders as well. Also, the peplum slopes more and has more of the fullness in in the back. A flattering line, I think.

Now I will compare the wearing ease for the two patterns.

My vintage pattern is a 12 (30" bust, 25" waist) but I added 1" all around and lengthened the waist 3/4" so it would fit my modern size 6 dress form.. So it is now for body measurements of a 31" bust and 26" waist. The finished garment measurements are 37" bust and 26" waist. This gives 6" ease in the bust and no ease for the waist.

I used size 8 from the modern reissue. The body measurements are 31 1/2" bust, 24" waist. The finished garment is 34 1/2" bust and 26 1/2" waist. This gives 3" ease in the bust and 2 1/2" in the waist. 

Hmmmm. 6" to 3" difference for the bust ease and 0" to 2 1/2" difference in the waist. Or to put it a different way, the difference between the bust and waist for the 1947 pattern was 11"" and for the 2013 pattern only 8".

A little ease in the waist is nice but maybe not 2 1/2". Interesting, too, considering the body measurements in 1947 had the waist larger in proportions to the bust than now a days, even though the garment silhouette was more narrow waisted.

So, let's get down to the nitty gritty! Take a look at the patterns pieces given for each version.

4 vs. 14!!!

Why is this? Well, here are the pieces the 2013 pattern has that the original doesn't.
2 additional fronts and backs (with a multi size pattern you can't have a cut away for a second necklines)(too many lines, too confusing)
4 facings (front and back for both necklines)(the original uses bias tape cut from scraps for the neck and the front pattern piece has an extension that folds back to form a self facing)
Waist ties (the original gives measurements to cut them by suggestion)
2 pieces for neck bow and knot (the original says to use a piece of knotted ribbon)

AND ...

2 different buttonhole placement strips (for the 2 different blouses in the 4 sizes offered in the multi sized pattern) That's a lot of tissue.

To amuse myself, I weighed the pattern pieces for each pattern. 

The pattern pieces for the 1947 pattern - 0.2 ounces, for the 2013 - 0.7 ounces.
Everything including envelope and instructions in 1947 - 0.7 oz, in 2013 1.6 oz.

WOW 

It is interesting to see the difference in the shoulders. The original has wider shoulder and a distinct underarm curve. The black dot along the shoulder seam in the original is for shoulder pad placement. 

For which, by the way, they give you no instructions or measurements. You were just expected to make shoulder pads.

The back shows the same differences even more clearly. 

You can see how the original pattern on the right has a tighter curve at the waist which gives the peplum more flare.

The original pattern instructs you to hem this peplum with bias tape used as a facing then hand slipped stitched in place. The newer pattern says to make a double rolled machine stitch hem. Just a sewing choice. 

I didn't make the view with the collar, but I thought you would be interested in comparing the two collar patterns. Very different!

Look at the two neck finishes. I really like the look of the bias tape. It does need to be hand slip stitched down. So it would take a little longer, but so nice! No big facing showing through.

Two more things to compare. I find it interesting that, to save fabric for some sizes, the older pattern asks the home sewer to open up the fabric to a single layer and wedge the pieces in very close. I don't think you can read it in the photo, but in tiny writing in the blank spaces on the older pattern is the word "bias", so people knew where to cut the bias for the neck, sleeve hem and peplum hem facings. Those spaces are not very large. This bias strips would have had to be pieced many times. And no where is a measurement for the length or width of this bias.

I'm not sure if the average modern sewer would have to patience to do all that, single layer cutting and making bias for everything. I would love to hear your opinions.

And last. The original pattern had 3 views, but the new one only 2. If you are just looking at the art on the envelope you can't really tell that one of the views is a high neck blouse without a collar. 

The original has a high neck with collar, high neck no collar and scoop neck views.
The newer one only had the high neck with collar and scoop neck.

So, there you have it. A glance into the minds of two pattern makers working 47 years apart from each other. Both pretty blouses, but different, for sure.

BUT, I'm thinking ... I bet I could modify the modern pattern to be more like the original. So, that will be a future blog, probably in a few weeks. Need to make a pair of pants that actually fit me. Pants are SO hard!!!