Sunday, 8 May 2022

McCall Style News, 1939

A picture-heavy and text-light post this week, as I've been unwell and have spent a fair chunk of the last four days in bed.

Last weekend I went to the Festival of Vintage in York. I had a great time, finally met a few online friends in person, and of course bought a few goodies - including this sales booklet from McCall (as it was then) Patterns.

As ever, a stylish image achieved with just one colour

It is similar to the 1940 Vogue leaflet which I blogged about last year, but much larger. This is 24 pages (including covers), whereas the Vogue version was only four. I can't tell if this was normal for Vogue, or due to wartime limits on paper. As an aside, I was amused by the "Insist on a McCall pattern" strapline - in over 40 years of dressmaking, I cannot recall a single occasion where I have had to stand my ground while a shop assistant tried to fob me off with a different make of pattern!

The booklet was printed in America, so has prices in both U.S dollars and U.K. sterling. There is space on both the front and back covers for the shop to add its own details.

The back cover is a full page advertisement for the store

On the subject of prices, I had always assumed that Vogue patterns were the most expensive brand. However, whereas the patterns in the Vogue leaflet ranged from 1s 6d to 2s 6d (18 old pence to 30 old pence), the majority of the McCall patterns from a year earlier were 2s 1d (25 old pence), and a few were 3s 1½d (37½ old pence). Clearly you paid a premium for printed patterns.

So without any more ado, here is the leaflet. Click on any image to enlarge.

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Page 5

Page 6

Page 7

Page 8

Page 9

Page 10

Page 11

Page 12

Page 13

Page 14

Page 15

Page 16

Page 17

Pages 16 and 17 are a double-page spread. I like the way that the horizon continues acres both images, even though they are drawn in different colours.

Page 18

Page 19

Pages 20 and 21

Page 22

Page 23, McCall craft patterns

1 comment:

  1. Thank you! There are so many elegant designs in there.

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