Style '79

Sometimes, life and my sewing time just don't co-operate with producing blog content in neat weekly chunks. My current project is a case in point. It isn't finished, but equally it isn't big enough to generate both a 'work in progress' post and a 'finished article' post. So instead, here is a picture-heavy post about what happens when you get bored during lockdown.

I've written before about my love of Style patterns, and how 1979 appears to be 'peak Style' for me. I already owned a few patterns from that year, and one evening found myself idly wondering if there were any more out there. . .

Indeed yes, there are

Obviously, trying to do a search on the word 'Style' produces far more erroneous results than does a search on the word 'Butterick', but it's amazing how persistent you can become you're stuck indoors for weeks. It also has the advantage of being a cheap pastime – late 1970s Style patterns just don't command the same prices online as, say, 1950s Vogue Paris Original patterns (I know, I know, I was astonished too!).

For the most part, patterns for dresses have a blue background to the logo and separates have a brown background, but there are some entirely random mauve backgrounds as well.

Three-piece suit

Dress/top and trousers

I'm entirely distracted by the spotty tights and strappy sandals combo!

Multi-option pattern with interesting front darts

Another half size pattern for my collection

Easier patterns were marked with the black outline and 'sew simple'

Faux wrap front and a hint of the 1940s

I owned (and disposed of, sigh) this pattern, and made view 2

More 1940s influence

Random mauve masthead

This reminds me of Simplicity 4896

I had forgotten how much shoulder yokes were a feature of the time

Another pattern I owned

I made this one, too - the sleeves were a nuisance!

Yet another nod to the 1940s

I did stray from my 1979 remit to buy one pattern from 1983. View 2, with a tie belt, was one of my favourite dresses ever (even though ironing the front pleats was a nightmare!), so when I saw it for sale I had to buy it. I even still have a little bit of the fabric; the stripes are about 1cm wide.

Nostalgia-fest!

Style’s numbering process seems to have been a bit messy; for example both 2581 and 2604 have a copyright date of 1979 on the pattern envelope, but 2594 has a date of 1978. However, the earliest pattern number I have for 1979 is 2564, and the latest is 2950, so there are potentially almost 400 patterns out there. The search continues!