Godey’s Lady’s Book, 1859
Three technological developments assisted home and professional sewers and unintentionally contributed to making the ready-to-wear industry possible: the pattern industry, drafting systems, and the sewing machine. The full-size, pre-cut tissue paper pattern we know today was not introduced until the 1850s and not made in multiple sizes and widely available until the 1860s. Before that, American women had few pattern resources. Small-scale drawings, pioneered in French magazines in the 1830s appeared in American fashion publications in the 1850s. Small line drawings were hard to scale up, especially with their curves. Perhaps they were used more as a guide to new styles, not intended for actual sizing up. Most patterns were for children or loose-fitting outerwear.
Full-scale patterns were printed in magazine supplements beginning in the 1860s (see the Harper’s Bazar pattern in this section). Both types of patterns were made in one general size for an average, youthful figure. A good deal of adjusting of the patterns (mostly of the bodices) was necessary to get the custom fit needed for an individual wearer.
Gift of Fay M. Franck 95.103