I found a dress pattern from 1985 and tried it next to a 2024 pattern - the difference is shocking

3 comments

3 Comments

Saw a sewing blogger break this down last week. The 80s pattern had like 8 inches of ease in the hips alone. Modern ones barely have 2 inches. Shoulder pads too - 1985 patterns were basically built for football players. My wife tried a vintage Vogue pattern and the sleeves looked like bell bottoms.

derek6561mo ago

Oh man, what is it with 80s patterns and treating sleeve holes like they're designing a parachute? I tried a 1985 Simplicity pattern last year and the armhole was so low I could practically see my belly button through the side seam. The hip ease thing is wild too - my vintage jeans pattern had 10 inches of extra room, so I looked like I was wearing a garbage bag. Modern patterns are basically cling wrap compared to that old stuff.

brown.gavin1mo ago

That 8 inches of hip ease sounds about right honestly, I measured a 1984 McCall's shirt pattern once and it had 6 inches of ease in the chest (which is just bonkers). The shoulder pads thing is so real too, I tried on a finished 80s blazer from an estate sale and the pads stuck out like I had linebacker gear under the fabric. Modern patterns feel like they expect you to never move, while the 80s patterns assumed you were going to break into a full sprint at any moment.