Ladies Home Journal 3718: 1920s Uncut Misses Purse Set Vintage Sewing Pattern
Original Spring 1923 Ladies' Home Journal Pattern No. 3718 - Set of Bags, Four Styles
Original Spring 1923 Ladies' Home Journal Pattern No. 3718, a set of four different handbag styles cut from a single envelope: a drawstring pouch bag, a gathered bag with handle and strap closure, a diamond-shaped bag with pockets, and a rounded bag with two pocket styles. Cut in one size only. Factory Folded and Unused.
Quick Facts
- Pattern Number: Ladies' Home Journal (Home Pattern Co.) No. 3718
- Year: Spring 1923, confirmed via The Ladies' Home Journal Fashion Quarterly, pages 5 and 45
- Garment: Set of Bags, Four Styles
- Size: One Size Only
- Condition: Factory Folded
Design
Pattern 3718 packs an entire wardrobe of handbags into one seventeen-piece envelope. View A is a drawstring pouch bag finished with a welt pocket. View B gathers into a softer silhouette, closing with a handle and strap. View C takes a graphic diamond shape, fitted with both a square and a round pocket. View D rounds out the set with a softly curved bag, its own handle and strap, and a choice of pocket styles. Together, the four views offered a home dressmaker a complete, coordinated set of accessories from a single pattern purchase.
A Moment in Fashion History
Pattern 3718 made two separate appearances in the same Spring 1923 Ladies' Home Journal Fashion Quarterly. On page 5, in a roundup of the season's smart finishing touches, the bags appear alongside the season's peplum and bertha trends. On page 45, in a feature on braid- and embroidery-trimmed costumes, two of the bags reappear carried alongside the season's jacquette and box coat suits - a small but telling sign of how central a well-made bag was considered to a finished, fashionable outfit.
Illustration
The cover illustration has been digitally restored and enhanced by Judy Yates to highlight the original fashion artwork while preserving the character and artistry of this historic Ladies' Home Journal pattern envelope.
Connections
This pattern is part of our ongoing exhibit, Ladies Journal New Old Stock - View our entire Ladies Home Journal for a rare glimpse of how sewing patterns were designed and marketed for the whole family.
