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Retro/vintage reprints from 50s/60s with long sleeves Mad Men style
lareine   Intermediate NEW ZEALAND Member since 11/10/06 Posts: 1037	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 5/10/12 4:15 AM Did women in the mid to late 50s and early 60s not get cold arms? Nearly all my vintage reprints or retro style patterns have no sleeves at all, never mind long sleeves. Are there good patterns out there that I'm missing? I've been invited to a Mad Men themed birthday party in two weeks and I'm very excited about it, but I don't know what to wear. It's a house party and it's winter here, and the house is cold and damp even with the heater on (many New Zealand houses have only one single heat source in the whole house, and no insulation or damp-proofing). I cannot possibly go sleeveless unless I hit the tequila first, and a jacket might be a bit too formal. I do own Vogue 1044 and Vogue 2903 which both have long sleeves, but that's about it. Am I missing some really obvious patterns?
LDT2011 Advanced Beginner UNITED KINGDOM Member since 11/18/11 Posts: 451	Login to reply to this post In reply to lareine << Like this post Date: 5/10/12 4:42 AM Quote: lareine Did women in the mid to late 50s and early 60s not get cold arms? Nearly all my vintage reprints or retro style patterns have no sleeves at all, never mind long sleeves. Are there good patterns out there that I'm missing? I've been invited to a Mad Men themed birthday party in two weeks and I'm very excited about it, but I don't know what to wear. It's a house party and it's winter here, and the house is cold and damp even with the heater on (many New Zealand houses have only one single heat source in the whole house, and no insulation or damp-proofing). I cannot possibly go sleeveless unless I hit the tequila first, and a jacket might be a bit too formal. I do own Vogue 1044 and Vogue 2903 which both have long sleeves, but that's about it. Am I missing some really obvious patterns? I know what you mean. Living in rainy cold UK it would be nice to have some longsleeve 40's, 50's and early 60's dresses. There are a couple of butterick ones with 3/4 or long sleeves http://butterick.mccall.com/retro-pages-371.php But not much of a 'choice' really. Only option is to make a nice jacket or buy a cardigan. ------ 'The purpose of most fashion is to be ostentatiously non-functional.'
happytobehere Beginner Member since 7/31/10 Posts: 250	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 5/10/12 11:05 AM My older sisters always wore those thin sweaters that came with the twin sets.
Member since 12/31/69	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 5/10/12 2:02 PM They did what we do today: draft, frenkenpattern or use a sleeve pattern. 3/4 sleeves with elbow darts were more common in the era then anything else with sleeves (if magazines, the patterns and people are to be believed), and even then they're not an option on everything. I have a handful of those from 50s-60s that have sleeveless, short, long and 3/4, but those fit just about every other pattern from there. I cannot wear sleeveless at all. Doesn't matter if it's from 1880 or 2080, I have to have sleeves.
GlButterfly Intermediate CA USA Member since 8/28/08 Posts: 2388	Login to reply to this post In reply to 0 << Like this post Date: 5/10/12 4:05 PM You are correct: short and 3/4 sleeves were more common than long sleeves during those years. I never thought about that much until this thread came up. Looking through old photographs I don't see many long-sleeved dresses either. And--rarely sleeveless on women over (approximately) 40. Lareine, as someone mentioned sweaters were usually worn over the dresses if it got chilly. ------ I have not yet begun to procrastinate
michellep74   Intermediate CA USA Member since 7/19/07 Posts: 2300	Login to reply to this post 1 member likes this. Date: 5/10/12 4:30 PM Have you thought about going with a more "Joan" look than a "Betty Draper" look? I remember that shift dress that you made a while back that fits you like a glove. Joan wears dresses with a similar silhouette quite a bit, and you could probably change the neckline/frankenpattern some sleeves onto it, make up the dress in a royal blue or purple, add a broach and a pen on a chain around your neck and be ready to go. ------ --Michelle *** Blog: http://happilycaffeinated.blogspot.com/
lareine   Intermediate NEW ZEALAND Member since 11/10/06 Posts: 1037	Login to reply to this post In reply to michellep74 << Like this post Date: 5/10/12 4:58 PM Quote: michellep74 Have you thought about going with a more "Joan" look than a "Betty Draper" look? I remember that shift dress that you made a while back that fits you like a glove. Joan wears dresses with a similar silhouette quite a bit, and you could probably change the neckline/frankenpattern some sleeves onto it, make up the dress in a royal blue or purple, add a broach and a pen on a chain around your neck and be ready to go. I think my shape lends itself much more to Joan's style of dressing, but for this particular occasion I don't want to be too va va voom. The host (a generally very sweet guy who's a friend of my husband) has something of a crush on me which becomes quite overt when he has been drinking, and I don't want to get him too hot under the collar Does Joan have anything in her wardrobe that isn't va va voom? I think all her outfits are very figure-hugging but i might have missed something. I was actually going to go for Peggy style as I don't have a small enough waist to pull off Betty style properly, but all her necklines are so high that I'd look like an overstuffed pillow. Sigh. I'm probably overthinking the whole sleeves thing. I can cobble something together from an existing pattern and add long sleeves to suit myself. Even if it's not quite period-correct it's not likely that any of my friends will realise or care
stirwatersblue Intermediate KS USA Member since 12/13/08 Posts: 2468	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 5/10/12 7:23 PM Quote: Did women in the mid to late 50s and early 60s not get cold arms? Heck, haven't you noticed dresses NOW? I spent all of last summer trying to find a RTW dress with even *short* sleeves. I never go anywhere that's warm enough for me to go sleeveless. The sleevelessness of women's dress is a perplexing fashion trend that has repeated through the centuries (hard to find ancient Greek clothing that covered the arms, and Regency/Empire fashion favored short sleeves--even in chilly England!). And I am completely perplexed by the current trend toward short sleeved sweaters and jackets. When is that for?! Anyway--I think a cardigan would add an extra dose of sweet & demure, but I will still want it OVER sleeves! Good luck! ------ ~Gem in the prairie
beginagain   Intermediate KY USA Member since 10/30/06 Posts: 268	Login to reply to this post 1 member likes this. Date: 5/10/12 9:25 PM I know that cardigans were worn. I had a little chain with clips that kept it on my shoulders when my arms weren't in the sleeves. People washed dishes by hand more often. I know that I hate doing that with long sleeves. I have a hard time keeping the edges dry. ------ If you wait for the perfect time to start, you'll never start.
lareine   Intermediate NEW ZEALAND Member since 11/10/06 Posts: 1037	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 5/10/12 11:11 PM We don't have a dishwasher and I certainly know the annoyance of wet cuffs! Rubber gloves don't seem to help that much. You have reminded me that I do have a sweater guard somewhere that is similar to the one you described. I haven't seen it in at least a year -- must have a root around to see if it's down the back of a drawer somewhere. It might come in very handy.

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