Vintage pattern sizing runs much smaller than current clothing sizes. How do you choose the correct size?
Vanity Sizing:
Fairly early in the 20th century, the US government came up with a standard set of sizing that was based on average measurements of the day. Both commercially made and pattern made garments were the same. However, this state of affairs was not to last as commercial garment makers began to sell garments with a smaller size number for more money, appealing to the vanity of the customer. Each maker set their own standards and the situation devolved to the current state of affairs. However, pattern companies didn’t participate in this frenzy so the difference between them and commercially made garments became greater.
Vintage Sizing:
Pattern sizing has been fairly standardized between the major companies for most of the 20th century. In 1968, the sizing was enlarged a little across the pattern industry. The “new sizing” logo appeared on pattern envelopes from 1968 through 1970, as customers adjusted to the changes.
Determine Your Size:
First, look on the pattern or the company’s website and find the pattern company’s sizing charts. In the sizing charts you will see what measurements the pattern company uses to determine the size of the garment. (For women, this is often bust, waist, and hip. For men, this is often chest and waist, and may include inseam.) Using a measuring tape, take your measurements. Compare your actual measurements to the sizes in the chart. If you’re lucky enough to correspond exactly to one of the listed sizes, that’s your size for that pattern company.
Choosing a Size:
If you don’t correspond exactly (and many people don’t), you have several choices. You could just buy the pattern corresponding to your largest measurement and then live with everything else being a bit big or alter the garment. You could choose the size which corresponds to most of your measurements and then alter for the remaining measurement. You could choose the size of your most problem measurement and alter the rest, on the theory that that way you don’t have to alter for the one that’s the biggest problem. Simple S-M-L-XL type sizing varies more from pattern company to pattern company, so when purchasing patterns that use that sizing scheme, make sure to look up what these sizes mean and find out which one you should wear based on your actual body measurements.
