Vogue Couturier 236: 1940s Uncut WWII Designer Dress 34B Vintage Sewing Pattern
Original circa 1945 Vogue Couturier Design Pattern No. 236 – One-Piece Dress
Original circa 1945 Vogue Couturier Design Pattern No. 236 for a tailored women's one-piece dress. A slim skirt with a bias-cut tiered front panel joins the blouse beneath a belt, with a lining yoke supporting the tiers and a hip dart in place of a side seam. The blouse buttons below a notched narrow collar and revers, with a diagonal dart releasing bust fullness. Choose long sleeves or bracelet-length sleeves with cuffs, both set into a deep armhole. Factory Folded.
Quick Facts
- Pattern Number: Vogue Couturier Design No. 236
- Year: Circa 1945
- Garment: One-Piece Dress
- Size: 16 (34" Bust, 37" Hip)
- Condition: Factory Folded
Design
Vogue 236 builds its skirt from bias-cut tiers set on a lining yoke, joining the blouse beneath a belt for a defined waistline with no side seam interrupting the tiered effect — a hip dart shapes the fit instead. The blouse itself buttons below a notched narrow collar and revers, with a diagonal dart releasing fullness at the bust and a matching diagonal dart pleat rising from the front waistline. Long sleeves or bracelet-length sleeves finished with cuffs both set into a deep armhole for ease of movement — a sophisticated construction suited to crepe, satin, surah, or a lightweight wool.
A Moment in Fashion History
By 1945, with the war drawing to a close, Vogue's Couturier line continued to showcase construction techniques with real technical ambition — bias-cut tiered skirts, lining yokes, and diagonal darts released for fit rather than simple seaming. This pattern reflects that quiet sophistication, offering home sewists a genuinely couture-level construction just as fashion stood on the edge of the dramatic postwar changes soon to come.
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 Vogue pattern envelope.
Connections
This pattern is part of our ongoing exhibit, Always in Vogue — a growing collection celebrating the fashion-forward spirit of Vogue's home sewing patterns. Come take a look.
