Pattern Drafting System, 1884
Hollenbeck & Stodderd was one of dozens of companies offering pattern systems in the 1880s and 1890s. Using the curved piece to connect dots aligned with her measurements in the several rows of holes, a home seamstress could create a fitted bodice shape similar to the fit a dressmaker could provide, adding details to create an individual design. Although this seems daunting, it is not terribly difficult to use, assuming the dressmaker had rudimentary sewing skills; the challenge would come with adding the individual design features to create a custom look. The shapes created would eventually go out of style but were basic enough to last for several years. This one is dated 1884 but was used in the fall of 1889 by Katie Huff of Buchanan, Michigan, to make a dress for her January 1890 wedding.
Pattern systems coexisted with the paper-pattern industry, but by the 1890s, patterns had taken over in popularity. Patterns had to be adjusted for a custom fit, but seemed easier to use and were available in scores of designs updated every season, saving the trouble of inventing and patterning one’s own design details. Patterns also offered pieces for the entire dress, not just the bodice, as well as for every imaginable garment for women, children, and men (short of tailored garments).
The use of these systems by aspiring dressmakers were something of a double-edged sword. They helpfully allowed women to learn the trade when they were unable to learn from an established dressmaker, a boon especially in rural and less-populated western settlements. But self-teaching did not always lead to proficiency. In the end, the legacy of pattern systems was in other industries, as they became the basis for sizing paper patterns and women’s ready-to-wear.
Cardboard, made in Lafayette, Indiana. Gift of Marta K. Dodd 98.69.2