Sewing a Blouse from a Vintage Pattern

I love vintage clothing…the styles…the materials…the functionality…the details. I have several 1950’s skirts which I have had for a long time. I think they’re gorgeous, but the only thing that I’ve found to wear with them is a plain white blouse.

This year, I’ve been trying to get more wear out of my favorite pieces so I decided to make a top which go with the skirts. I acquired many more vintage patterns this year as well as some fabric. I chose to make view 3 of Simplicity Pattern 4213 (c.1953). I thought the wide V-neck very flattering and I loved the gathering detail along the sleeves. I liked the yellow in the illustration and I had just enough yardage of yellow fabric in a shade that would match well with multiple vintage skirts.

I made a mock-up as usual and found I needed to add a little bit to the length and side seams. I adjusted this when I cut out the pieces from my yellow fabric. I used tailor tacks as prescribed to make the darts, etc. Though they take a lot of time initially, tailor tacks are very helpful when it comes to marking the fabric accurately. For fitted clothing, I think it is worth the extra effort to get the right look.

Because I had practice on the mock-up, the actual construction was fairly simple. I added a little bit of braid to the neckline as they had illustrated. I’m excited to have this new option!

Happy with how it turned out! Enjoy my garden in the background. =)

After wearing it for the first time, I decided to add a little trick I had seen on another vintage outfit. Because of the wide V-neck, this will help keep straps in place and unseen.

Bonus: I also made a dickie to go with this vintage sweater. I used Butterick 7507.

Vintage shoes, skirt, and sweater, with reproduction dickie

I usually just wear a tank top under this sweater, but the collar of the dickie looks so much more authentic. This project took less than an hour because it was essentially only a collar and shirt front. It goes over the head and then an elastic strap fastens around the waist so it fits smoothly under the fitted sweater. There were snaps in the vintage top which would seem to have matched with a dickie, though I don’t know exactly what style the original would have been.