Warning: That denim jacket pattern from the 70s needs a second look

Tbh I found a vintage pattern at a thrift store in Portland last month for $2 and got excited. But when I unfolded it, the armhole measurements were totally off by like 3 inches compared to modern sizing. I ended up having to redraft the whole sleeve cap to get it to fit right. Has anyone else run into weird sizing issues with old patterns from before the 80s?

2 comments

2 Comments

fionarodriguez29d ago

Wait, aren't vintage patterns already smaller than modern ones cause of old sizing charts?

elliot_lane9628d ago

Oh man, that exact thing happened to me with a 70s jumpsuit pattern I found at a flea market in Austin! The armhole curve was so shallow I could barely lift my arms. @fionarodriguez you're totally right about the sizing being smaller, but it's not just the waist and bust. The whole geometry of patterns shifted sometime in the late 80s or early 90s. I spent a whole weekend comparing old patterns side by side with new ones and the shoulder slope is way different too. Pretty sure it's because they changed how ease is distributed across the body. I just trace everything onto Swedish tracing paper first now, adjust the armhole and sleeve cap, then cut. Saves me from ruining good fabric.