Vintage Couture Style, Using Vintage Dressmaking Patterns

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Vintage Couture: A Fashion Style You Won't Find In The Shops

Collecting vintage couture dressmaking patterns is enjoyable, interesting and chic. Enjoyable because trying to be different fashionably, is exciting in a way. Interesting because researching, discovering and imbibing the fashionable vintage inspired style is distinct, and chic because vintage couture allows for creativity in a unique fashion sense.

You can create this own one-of-a-kind dress style without having to rummage through garage sales or estate buys by simply investing in affordable vintage dress patterns. Plus you will enjoy the fact that there won't be copies all around town, nor will you find anyone at any event wearing your personal style of fashionable clothing. This is simply because your style will be classic and original.

Vintage Singer Sewing Machine

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Collecting Vintage Dressmaking Patterns

It's easy to achieve a personal vintage inspired signature by buying, collecting, or simply reproducing vintage patterns. And finding any dress pattern associated with the 20th century is best achieved online. That way, you are open to a wide array of pattern choice and if you can sew your own clothes, that's great.

However, if you are hardly the sewing 'buff', someone else can always sew these clothes for you using your vintage sewing patterns. And if you desire the tailored looks of the fifties for example, why not employ the services of a professional tailor, for a worthwhile tailoring fee.

How You Can Use Vintage Couture Patterns

1) There's Fun In Vintage Couture Pattern Collecting.

It's fun and exciting. Absolutely any fashion conscious woman can first experiment using inexpensive vintage dress making patterns.

Whatever it is that makes you love vintage couture, you will easily find the most awesome patterns and designs online. You can go back in time to the styles of 1900's to the 1980's

2) Financially Rewarding

When people who admire your vintage dress style keep complimenting you and asking you where you get your outfits from, you may consider starting a dressmaking business, with emphasis on vintage fashion trends. Why not! There are women out there who will want what you have, and there is also the great opportunity to become a reseller.

Or you may decide to 'reproduce' your great grandmother's old and worn dress pattern collections. Find them, gently piece together as much as is possible, trace, cut, fold and keep in a PVC folder or sell them on eBay.

You may simply be a vintage collector that is always on the look-out for rare vintage dress making patterns. They can be collated, catalogued, and then displayed for those of interest to view at garden or weekend sales.

You may be a fashion designer or a professional seamstress, who buys vintage sewing patterns for inspiration or to make unique dresses for clients or yourself. You can sell vintage couture clothing exclusively to a few select clients of like interests in fashion and style.

Custom made wedding gowns can be produced using vintage dressmaking patterns. Maybe for a select few who desire vintage themed weddings and require the appropriate vintage bridal gowns and veils.

Authentic Vintage Dress Patterns

It may be unrealistic to expect to find authentic antique or vintage clothes patterns in near perfect condition as they are just what they are called, old, sometimes worn or torn, but nonetheless vintage.

There are most likely some missing pieces from a set of authentic dress patterns and buyers or collectors need to be careful when purchasing old classic patterns. Envelopes, instructions or even some few pattern parts may be long lost, however, you don't need to worry much about missing envelopes, which can be reproduced if you want to have them as design collectibles.

Also, minor missing pieces such as trims or facings need not bother you either, but its good to ensure you never purchase dress making patterns with the important missing instructions. It may become difficult to figure them out and as such become un-reproducible without the master instructions.

Having said that, it all depends on what you need the vintage patterns for, whether its because you collect patterns envelope art or you desire a vintage couture outfit. But many vintage dressmaking patterns are 'untouched' and just slightly tainted with the passing times, and there are available options and style variations of sewing patterns, more than can be imagined.

How To Search For Dress Making Patterns

At present, there is an abundance of affordable 20th century dressmaking patterns. They are not that hard to search for online which means you can collect patterns to your hearts content, and create your own style without worrying about your finances.

Asides finding them online, they can also be found in:
Thrift stores
Yard sales
Boot sales
Estate sales
Auctions

Or in the basement or attic, stored away with other pieces of items from a past era.

You will find that most of them complete with all the pieces, and most likely still factory folded that's never been used. It's ever so exciting when you get some with their original silk label included in their packages, just ready for making your vintage outfit.

You can look out especially for:
Vintage Vogue Paris Originals
Vogue Couture Design Patterns
Vogue Special Designer Antique & Vintage dressmaking patterns.

Other bespoke and reputable vintage dress patterns producers are:
Butterick
Hollywood
Advance
Simplicity
McCall's
DuBarry.

Any which way, there's an abundance of patterns out there, and collectors can pick up vintage dress patterns almost by the 'trunk load', with prices starting for as little as $10 while some unique ones may cost as much as $200.00 per pattern pack.

It is a bit difficult to pinpoint an average price for vintage sewing patterns because of fluctuations in sellers prices, reasons for interest in purchasing, and the uniqueness of the pattern.

Vintage Clothes Patterns And What To Look Out For

There are a number of important things to consider before purchasing vintage clothing patterns:

Dress size
Women's sizes has gone through several changes throughout the history of fashion. They are now taller, bustier and even larger than the 1940's woman, 'no thanks' to our modern diet.

Bust size
Using the right bust size is the most appropriate way to shop for the right sized dressmaking pattern. One never goes wrong with that crucial decision, and that's the way to get the perfect fit.

Resources
If knowing the right bust size poses a problem, there are excellent resources online that will show very clear step-by-step instructions on how to size up or size down dress making patterns to fit your size and shape. These photographed instructions are provided by pattern makers and manufacturers.

You Don't Require Sewing Skills

You probably may think you need to know how to sew vintage garments with these patterns. Well, you're 'dead' wrong. Many people use sewing services to produce their chosen couture designs, with some having a delivery time of as little as 72hrs

Vintage Fabrics And Accessories For Vintage Inspired Styles
You can use vintage inspired fabrics found abundantly online or in fabric stores if the right vintage dressmaking patterns can't be found. Some fabric stores specialize in vintage works and there are several websites, including eBay and Amazon, that market vintage fabrics and apparel.

However, the best way to show authenticity of haute couture vintage clothing is by using vintage sewing patterns, whilst utilising the appropriate vintage fabrics.

Asides the right fabric being an important aspect of sewing vintage clothing, using vintage buttons, diamante, and clasps adds pizzazz to the outfit's uniqueness. All these wonderful sewing accessories can be found the same way vintage fabrics are found, and usually within the same stores.

Other sources are buttons found on antique or ready to be discarded vintage outfits. This is a form of recycling as nothing goes to waste. Vintage buttons and clasps are great for sophisticated vintage dresses and chic suits.

Patterns, Not Only For Vintage Couture Fashion & Style

Vintage dressmaking patterns are also great to use to create fun styles with a retro flair or unique fancy dress costume and attires, and recent demands for vintage couture has raised the price for some rare classic dress patterns.

And though genuine vintage sewing patterns are much more difficult to find than recently manufactured vintage inspired sewing patterns, there is still enough demand out there to make them available to anyone passionate enough to seek them.

Its great to be different and unique. You can be a woman of style by utilising vintage couture patterns and dazzle all, in your stylish vintage apparel, similar to those worn by the movie stars of a bygone era.

Making Your Own Patterns?

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Vintage Fashion For Inspiration

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Vintage: Links Of Interest

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Beautiful Vintage Jewellry - Mid-20th Century's Glamorous Vintage Style Jewelry
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Taking this kind of strategy of successfully utilising vintage collectibles is simple and inexpensive. In achieving this overall look of a blend of the past with the present, one must employ a bit of creativity, an objective balance plus some personal originality.
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Sewing Vintage Wedding Gowns
Finding vintage wedding gowns off the rack is not as easy as one may think, so the next best thing is to have vintage wedding dresses custom-made by bespoke wedding attire designers.

Sewing vintage wedding gowns is so easy to achieve with bridal gowns sewing patterns. You can have your vintage wedding gown designs fashioned after the vintage styles between the 1940's and the 1980's. These vintage bridal style designs are always one of a kind, as they are the authentic vintage wedding patterns of bridal attires of the past era.
Using vintage buttons, diamanté, and clasps, etc.. adds pizazz to the outfit's uniqueness
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Viryabo

Virginia is a professional Interior Designer who's been in private practice for many years.

She loves playing chess, scrabble, sudoku, enjoys danci...
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