Overheard a tailor at a fabric shop change my mind on using vintage patterns

I used to think vintage sewing patterns were just a waste of time. Too many fit issues and the instructions are usually terrible. But last Saturday I was at a fabric shop downtown and I heard this older tailor explaining to a student how vintage patterns actually have better drafting. He said modern patterns are designed for speed not for fit. He pointed out how the shoulder slope and armhole curves are way more natural on patterns from the 50s and 60s. That got me thinking so I tried one out on a simple A-line skirt. I had to adjust a few things but the final fit was honestly better than any modern pattern I have used. Has anyone else had luck mixing vintage and modern pattern pieces?

2 comments

2 Comments

emma5225d ago

That older tailor's point about modern patterns being designed for speed makes a lot of sense.

finley_lopez985d ago

@emma522 gets it. But I gotta disagree with the tailor a bit. Vintage patterns are drafted for a different body type than most of us have right now. Shorter torsos, different waist placements. That A-line skirt worked for you but try a fitted bodice from 1952. Big difference. Mixing vintage and modern pieces is the real trick. Take the shoulder slope from vintage and the waist from modern. Best of both worlds.