Style

50's Dress Patterns

Vintage Dress Patterns from the 1950's.

By Rain Blanken, About.com Guide

Sock hops, record players and dialing that rotary phone. The 1950's had a special charm, and part of that vision is the modest dresses that were popular in the day. Here are some resources so you can get your hands on a vintage pattern and relive your own Pleasantville.

1. Great Selection at Scissorhappy

Scissorhappy

Scissorhappy has a multitude of vintage patterns from the 50's. This is the #1 source that I could find for selection and price.

See the vintage dress patterns at Scissorhappy.com

2. Marilyn Monroe Dress from Patterns of Time

Patterns of Time, Inc.

A lot of stitchers who are looking for a 50's dress are inevitably beating around the bush, in pursuit of a Marilyn Monroe style of dress like this one. If you are going for the Marilyn look, this $18.00 pattern from Patterns of Time is a good bet.

Get the pattern at the Patterns of Time shop.

3. Click Around at Patterns from the Past

OldPatterns.com

Patterns from the Past is a site that has around ten 1950's patterns at a time in each pattern manufacturer. You have to click around a lot on their 'master list' in order to see dress patterns from Advance, McCalls, Butterick and more.

They do accurately describe the condition of the pattern and offer styles that are very typical of the era for a great price.

See the vintage dress patterns at Patterns from the Past

4. Multitudes of Pricey Patterns at So Vintage

SoVintagePatterns.com

If you are looking for the widest selection without regard to price, then So Vintage is a good spot to check. Here you can find just about any dress pattern from the 1950's, but they are often priced at $28.00 to $75.00. I love browsing here for ideas and inspiration.

See the vintage dress patterns at So Vintage

5. Get Fabrics for Up to 65% Off

Fabric.com

Fabric.com is one of my favorite places to score dress fabric because you can get a lot of it at a cheap price. The site has oodles of info about the fabrics, with lots of patterns and types to choose from.

I highly recommend scoring your fabric for cheap, especially since shipping is free on all orders over $35.00.

Buy Direct

6. The Few and the Proud at Lulu's Vintage

Lulu's Vintage

Lulu's Vintage usually only has a few 50's dress patterns up at a time, but they are moderately priced and come with Lulu's personal touch. Lulu has a frequently updated blog at her site and her email address is available if you have any special concerns or requests.

See the vintage dress patterns at Lulu's Vintage

7. Custom Pattern Search at The Rusty Zipper

The Rusty Zipper

What I love about the Rusty Zipper site is that you can do a search in your own size when hunting down a pattern. A search for '50's Dress Patterns' reaps about 80 results, which hover around $20.00 in price. If you are looking for something specific and moderately priced, this is the site to consult.

See the vintage dress patterns at The Rusty Zipper

8. Fairly Cheap and Plentiful at Abracadabra Vintage

Abracadabra Vintage Clothing

While there aren't as many patterns here as some of the other sites (around 20 when I looked), I saw a few 1950's patterns on Abracadabra Vintage for as little as $12.00. They do charge more for the typical 'poodle skirt' patterns, but I think this is still a good spot to check for deals.

See the vintage dress patterns at Abracadabra Vintage

9. The Cheapest: Best Vintage Patterns

Best Vintage Patterns

Best Vintage Patterns had just around 30 dress patterns from the 1950's when I checked, but you just can't beat their prices. $6.00 a pattern for some of the most popular styles of 1950's dresses.

See the vintage dress patterns at Best Vintage Patterns

10. Vintage Patterns from the 60's, 70's and More

Abracadabra Vintage Clothing

For all you time travelers, here is a comprehensive list of some of the best vintage pattern sites on the web. I've done the homework to find out which sites are offering the best variety, quality and cheapest deals in vintage patterns.

See all the great vintage pattern resources.

11. More Sweet DIY Fashion

Rain Blanken

Easy Clothes to Make:
How-To Pants . How-To Skirts . How-To Dresses . Recycle Your Clothes . 10 Clothing Repairs You Should Know . Beginner Sewing Projects . T-Shirt Surgery . Stencils Library . Top 10 Hippie Clothes . Punk Clothes to Make

Bracelets, Earrings, Necklaces and More:
Junk Drawer Jewelry . Decoupage Jewelry . Make Bracelets . Jewelry Making . Hemp Jewelry

Bags, Hats, and More Accessores:
Free Hat Patterns . How-To Bags . Make Scarves . College Student Accessories . Index of Accessory Projects . Gloves and Wristbands

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