Patron-Modele A 75282 - Tablier (Apron)

Mid 1930's.  

Aprons from the 1930's generally have very nice lines, and the French do justice in this model.  The little advertising slip found with the pattern pieces assures you that their patterns are always the most stylish for today (which is neither that of yesterday nor of tomorrow.)

The description of the apron translates roughly as:

The apron is gathered slightly into the bodice descending into a point at center front. A bias fabric borders the square neckline; sleeve caps fall over the arms.

I like the illustrations on the front showing the construction.  There is no separate instruction sheet.

Excella 1111 - Men's Jumper

Men's patterns can be hard to date, but I'd guess this one is from the early 20's. The term jumper is unusual. My Women's Institute booklet Miscellaneous Garments, with a copyright date of 1917, uses the term jumper in its discussion of making garments for men and boys.  It seems to be a regional term for what we call a barn or chore coat.   The term shows up in the Winter 1929 catalog from Charles Williams Stores (based in New York City):

The Chicago-based Montgomery Ward catalog for the same time features the same garment but consistently calls it a jacket, never a jumper.

The version with the banded bottom makes this a relative of the working blouse.  With a size 30 chest, this jumper would probably have been made for an older boy.

Here is a card of buttons that dates to roughly the same period or a little later.  These buttons have been dyed a shade of blue that will match chambray and denim very well.  Twelve buttons is more than you generally need for a single shirt, so you'll have some spares on hand.  Remember that this is long before electric washing machines with spin dry cycles; buttons sometimes cracked going through the ringer.

This unprinted pattern appears to have been used.

Originally posted on 8/3/2008; re-posted on 3/14/2010 with updated content and new graphics.  Reposted on 11/30/2017 with scan of envelope back.

New York 1378 - Men's and Boys' Shirt

Based on the style and the typeface, I'd guess mid to late 1930's.

This pattern offers a sporty, slip-over, short-sleeved version with an attached collar as well as a standard long-sleeved, coat closing style, which can be made up with a detachable collar.  Of course, when you make shirts yourself, you have the wherewithal to make up extra collars and cuffs.  I know I'd have to make myself do this when I was constructing the shirt, because otherwise it's sort of fiddly work to track down the pattern and the fabric and the interfacing and just make up a collar and cuffs, and the gentleman would be short a shirt in his weekly allotment the entire time I was trying to get this organized.

The trick would be to remember where I'd stashed the extras once I'd made them.  If you have the extra collar and cuffs on hand, it's relatively quick to remove the worn ones and replace them.

And then there are the extra cards of buttons to keep on hand. Here's a lovely card of shirt buttons.  Pipe-smoking was apparently obligatory for gentlemen wearing dress shirts.  Note the nice stiff breeze for both sailing and fluttering neck ties in a jaunty manner.

I haven't made up this shirt pattern.  I've made up some New York patterns for women's clothes, however, and the quality of the drafting is mediocre.  The instructions are lovely, though.

Originally posted 10/20/2009; re-posted on 3/12/2010 with additional graphics.