Original circa 1935-1936 New York Pattern No. 729 - Girls' Front-Closing Dress

Original circa 1935-1936 New York Pattern No. 729 for a girls' front-closing dress in Size 4, with an attached collar, long or short sleeves gathered into bands, and a gathered skirt. Factory Folded and Unused.

Quick Facts

• Pattern Number: New York Pattern No. 729
• Year: Circa 1935-1936
• Garment: Girls' Front-Closing Dress
• Size: 4 Years (23" Breast)
• Pattern Condition: Factory Folded

Design

New York Pattern 729 is a girls' front-closing dress. The waist has an attached collar and long or short set-in sleeves that are gathered into straight bands, and it is joined to an attached two-piece gathered skirt. The cover shows two versions: an older girl's dress in a plain fabric with a pointed collar, short puffed sleeves with bands, and a row of buttons down the front, and a toddler's dress in a novelty print, with zigzag braid trim along the collar, front edge, sleeve bands, and hem. The pattern has nine pieces (front and back of the waist, collar, short sleeve, sleeve band, long sleeve, wrist band, and front and back of the skirt), and a 3-inch hem is allowed. The envelope lists sizes 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 years, with breast measurements of 23, 24, 26, 28, and 30 inches. For Size 4 (23-inch breast), the back length from neck to lower edge is 24 inches, and the skirt's width at the lower edge, for medium sizes, is about 1⅝ yards. Without nap, the short-sleeved dress with contrasting sleeves and collar calls for 1¼ yards of 35-inch or 39-inch fabric, plus ⅝ yard of 35-inch contrasting fabric and 3¼ yards of braid. The long-sleeved dress with contrasting collar calls for 1⅝ yards of 35-inch or 39-inch fabric, plus ¼ yard of 35-inch contrasting fabric. Suggested materials are cottons, rayon, sheer wool, shantung, pongee, and prints. The instruction chart is printed inside the envelope.

A Moment in Fashion History

In the mid-1930s, little girls' dresses echoed grown-up fashion, with puffed sleeves, gathered skirts, and crisp collars, and a novelty print with braid trim added a playful touch for the youngest. The cover shows an older girl dressed up in a flowered hat and gloves, carrying a small bouquet, beside a toddler in the printed version with its braid-trimmed collar, sleeve bands, and hem. The front of the envelope carries no company name, but the back carries a large stencil-style wordmark reading "New York Pattern" with "Woman's World" set between the words, one of the named lines the company issued, along with the company's printed imprint and the assurances that every pattern was manufactured in accordance with the U.S. Bureau of Standards and guaranteed true to measure. We date it circa 1935-1936.

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 New York Pattern envelope.

Connections

This pattern is part of our ongoing exhibit, In Name Only - a growing collection of New York Patterns and Own Name Patterns from the 1930s. Come take a look.