1950s Sewing Patterns - The 'Fabulous Fifties'

An hourglass figure dominated the look of 1950s dress patterns. These featured tea-length swing dresses with petticoats for fullness and slim sheath dresses. The pea motif, along with the bright patterned dresses demonstrates a playfulness that emerged in patterns while the Charles James “Clover Leaf” dress and Balenciaga evening dress show the experimentation in construction that took place in the fifties. 1950s skirt patterns featured pencil or circle skirts, and poodle skirts for teens. The poodle skirt is a wide swing skirt with a poodle appliqued or transferred onto the fabric. Pleated 1950s skirts complimented the tailored look favored in the 1950s. Hemlines were to the knee or just below it.. A variation of the swing skirt was modified to make a peasant style of flare.

Top French designers of the day included the Christian Dior, as well as Jacques Fath, Nina Ricci, Coco Chanel, Pierre Balmain, Hubert de Givenchy and Christobal Balenciaga. The A-line flair bottom dress represents the most popular style of dress worn by young adults to formal parties and proms. In the 50s Le Roy featured a full Length Nightdress or Pajamas with Optional Trouser Lengths. Also popular in this era were Peignoir (a woman’s light dressing gown or negligee). Robes and housecoats were still very prevalent in women’s homes, though many were shorter, and featured fuller skirts and nipped-in waists. Coats and jackets had a very different feel in the 50s, and the reason is because the 50s was such a perfect decade for woman’s figure, the dresses, the skirts, jackets, the Swing coats – all of it designed to accentuate a woman’s curves rather than hide them. Blouses and tops were worn with skirts, pants, and shorts. They were fitted to the waist but not tight. Sleeves came in long, short, cap sleeves, or sleeveless. 50s pants patterns reflected the Wide leg 1940s pants popularised by Katherine Hepburn were worn into the early '50s but with a more tailored fit, a higher crotch and without the pleats. Capri pants and high waisted jeans were also popular. Corselets, designed to be worn under evening gowns, were generally strapless and featured underwire cups for breast enhancement. The pinup was a common motif in intimate apparel advertisements in the mid-twentieth century. In the early 50s, despite the reaction to the two-piece swimsuit worn by Brigitte Bardot in Manina, the Girl in the Bikini in 1952, most women in the 1950s still wore one-piece suits. 1950s wedding dress patterns featured the sweetheart neckline, full skirt, and small waist was the classic silhouette for the retro 50s wedding dress. Fabrics used embraced a structure which easily moulded to the shape of the torso, as well as shaped the hips down until the floor.

The button down men’s shirt was a year round style in both long and short sleeves. Other styles included: rockabilly, the Nehru, double-yoke, regulation and the turtleneck shirt patterns. Men wore nightgowns, pajamas had two style changes: the “Yokojama” a half sleeve top with Asian inspired motifs and pants cropped just below the knee, and the “Skijamas” which were knit pullover tops and bottoms with rib knit cuffs. Men’s outerwear was influenced by Rockers like Elvis resulting in replacing trilbies with slick quiffs, ties with button-down shirts, and fusty flannels with featherweight fleck-linen jackets. While many brands had rebooted the classic 1950s fashion – high-waisted trousers, Perfecto leather jackets, Cuban-collar shirts, penny loafers

Our 1950's vintage sewing pattern collection includes 1950s dress patterns plus size and other 1950s patterns, and are available in sizes ranging from XXS – XXL. We offer either the original pattern, a high-quality true to scale 1950s sewing pattern reproduction or an easy PDF sewing pattern to download at home. You will have Glamorous 1950s Garment’s which Showcase your Unique Sense of Style.

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Collection: Vintage Sewing Patterns from the 1950s

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