Original circa 1952 Simplicity Pattern No. 3858 - One-Piece Dress and Jacket

Original circa 1952 Simplicity Pattern No. 3858 for a junior misses' and misses' one-piece dress and jacket designed for women's warm-weather wear. A sleeveless fitted bodice and belted waist open into a sweeping flared skirt, topped by a brief collarless bolero. Choose a Peter Pan collar or a tie collar with a wide bow. Complete Nice Condition.

Quick Facts

• Pattern Number: Simplicity No. 3858
• Year: Circa 1952
• Garment: Junior Misses' and Misses' One-Piece Dress and Jacket
• Size: 12 (30" Bust, 25" Waist, 33" Hip)
• Condition: Complete Nice Condition, Envelope Worn and Professionally Repaired

Design

Simplicity Pattern 3858 pairs a sleeveless dress, softly pleated at the front neck edge, with a fitted bodice and a flared skirt that falls in soft pleats from the front waistline. The skirt is dramatically full, measuring about 159 inches around the hem in this size. View 1 has a Peter Pan collar and a contrasting jacket. View 2 has a tie collar finished with a wide bow, shown in lengthwise stripes that form chevrons down the skirt. The brief, collarless jacket has three-quarter kimono sleeves. The dress closes with a 12-inch side zipper, and an optional belt marks the waist. Simplicity suggested cotton, piqué, rayon, or surah for the dress, velveteen or wool for the jacket, and striped cotton, rayon, silk, taffeta, or faille for View 2.

A Moment in Fashion History

Five years after Dior's 1947 collection, the New Look's full skirt and cinched waist had become everyday wear for young American women. This pattern puts more than four and a third yards of hem into a simple summer dress, shown standing out over a petticoat, and finishes it with a brief bolero that echoes the cropped jackets of couture. Sized for junior misses as well as misses, it shows how quickly the silhouette moved from Paris salons to the home sewing table and the younger generation.

Connections

This pattern is part of our ongoing exhibit, The Ladies of the New Look - a growing collection celebrating Dior's 1947 silhouette, remade for the home seamstress. Come take a look.