Quick Facts
Original Vogue Pattern 9042
- Original Copyright 1957
- Misses Slender Suit Pattern
- Factory Folded and Unused
- Size 36" Bust
- Nice Overall Condition
Design
Vogue 9042 captures the clean, elegant tailoring that defined fashionable suits of the late 1950s. The fitted jacket features a graceful shawl collar, concealed side pockets, and your choice of long sleeves or shorter sleeves with turned-back cuffs. Paired with a slim skirt featuring a graceful back pleat, the result is a polished ensemble equally at home in the office, on a shopping trip, or for an afternoon luncheon. Vogue recommended everything from wool crepe and tweed for cooler weather to linen and shantung for lighter seasonal versions.
A Moment in Fashion History
While the 1950s are often remembered for dramatic full-skirted dresses, tailored suits remained an essential part of many women's wardrobes. As more women pursued careers, volunteered in civic organizations, traveled, and shopped in growing suburban business districts, a well-made suit projected confidence and refinement. Vogue patterns offered home sewists the opportunity to recreate the sophisticated look of expensive ready-to-wear fashions while choosing their own fabrics and personal finishing touches. The cover illustration itself tells a small story—a stylish woman pausing to look inside her handbag—capturing an everyday moment of fashionable mid-century life.
Illustration
The enlarged fashion illustrations included in our photographs were created from the original pattern envelope by Judy Yates. Vintage sewing pattern artwork is one of the most beautiful—and often overlooked—parts of these historical designs. Judy's enlargements preserve the artistry of the original illustrators while allowing today's collectors and sewists to appreciate details that are often difficult to see on the original vintage envelopes.
Connections
This pattern was released alongside Vogue Pattern 9040, only two pattern numbers away. Together they illustrate Vogue's approach to wardrobe planning during the late 1950s. Vogue 9042 offered the polished sophistication of a tailored suit, while 9040 represented graceful daytime elegance. Seen together, they suggest that Vogue was designing for the many occasions of a woman's life rather than promoting a single style.
