Springtime and Teens: McCalls 3695There are signs of spring near me, so I thought I would feature th

Springtime and Teens: McCalls 3695There are signs of spring near me, so I thought I would feature this pattern from 1956. It is marked in a “Junior” size which means it was meant to teenagers. After the 1930s and before the 1960s, girls longed to look older, so some of the clothing styles offered to them were cut very much like clothing for women, but with more playful details that suited their age. With the introduction of Christian Dior’s New Look, known for its soft shoulders, tiny waists and long, voluminous skirts, also came long, tight skirts. We remember the long flared skirts better, perhaps because we have our own tight skirts today. 1956 was the height of the sheath dress. This pattern featured both versions. You can see how the full-skirted version in a playful print would be nice for summer when you want some air flow, and how the tight-skirted version could look more serious. Although this hot pink version looks like a party dress. Imagine it in navy with a matched jacket or cardigan over it, and it would suit office work. The playful print and the hot pink are two signs of its youth. So too the novelty neckline with cutout which could be worn plain or with a jaunty scarf pulled through. You could choose choose short sleeves or none, a sign that it was meant as a spring or summer dress.  The pattern also tells us repeatedly that it is “easy to sew.” But ponder what easy amounted to in terms of time and technique. In addition to the seams and darts, there was the novelty neckline, facings for neckline and armholes or sleeve, and a zipper at the back neck and another one at the side opening. Easy? Not by today’s standards. Which tells us the definition of easy dressmaking has changed over time.  Even though this pattern had more sewing instructions included than patterns from earlier decades. Whoever made this, teen or mom or grandma or ???, they knew a lot of abut dressmaking.   -- source link

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