Original 1945 Advance Pattern No. 3951 - Wrap Dress with Scalloped Neckline

Original 1945 Advance Pattern No. 3951 for a misses' one-piece dress designed for women's summer daytime wear. This charming design features a surplice wrap bodice gathered softly from the shoulders, short cap sleeves, a gored skirt, and a choice of a scalloped neckline with a tie belt or a straight neckline with a buckled belt. Complete Nice Condition.

Quick Facts

• Pattern Number: Advance No. 3951
• Year: Dated 1945, found in the June 1945 Advance Pattern Fashion News, Page 5
• Garment: Misses' Dress
• Size: 14 (32" Bust, 26" Waist, 35" Hip)
• Condition: Complete Nice Condition; Unprinted Pattern; Envelope Worn

Design

Advance Pattern 3951 is built on a surplice bodice: the fronts cross over each other in a deep V, with soft gathers falling from a smooth shoulder yoke line into a fitted waist. Short cap sleeves extend from the shoulders, finished with armhole facings, and a shoulder pad pattern is included for the squared wartime line. View 1 edges the crossover with a shaped scallop underfacing and ties at the waist with a soft belt and bow, while View 2 keeps the neckline straight and tailored, closing with a buckled belt. The gored skirt is cut in four sections per side for a smooth, slightly flared fall, about 66 inches around the hem in size 14, with a 2-inch hem allowed. The placket closes with snaps, a slide fastener, or a zipper. The pattern has 11 unprinted pieces.

A Moment in Fashion History

When Advance chose this dress for the cover of its June 1945 Pattern Fashion News, the war in Europe had ended only weeks earlier, but rationing and the government's fabric limits were still in force. Designs like 3951 made the most of those limits: a short, gently gored skirt, cap sleeves that used almost no extra yardage, and interest that came from cut and finishing rather than added fabric, here the scalloped wrap edge. The flyer recommended it for shantung or linen, and its back cover still urged readers to buy more bonds, a reminder that summer sewing in 1945 happened while the Pacific war continued.

Illustration

The envelope front and back are shown as scanned, framed on our blue mat without retouching, so the artwork appears in its true color and condition. The front shows View 1 in a soft blue-gray print with its scalloped neckline and bow-tied belt, the model reading a letter with flowers pinned in her hair, beside View 2 in blue-and-white stripes with a buckled belt and gloves in hand. We've also included page 5 of the June 1945 Advance Pattern Fashion News, where this dress appears alongside a shirt dress with novel pockets, a button-front shirt frock, a heart-neck dress with a yoke and bow, and a cardigan suit; the same dress is the flyer's cover model. The complete eight-page flyer is available as a digital download; see our listing.

Connections

This pattern is part of our exhibit, Women of WWII -- a growing collection celebrating the resourcefulness and everyday style of wartime home sewing. Come take a look.