1970s Vintage Mail Order Sewing Pattern 8340 Uncut Misses Jet Age Dress Sz 37 B
Original circa 1973 Mail-Order Pattern No. 8340 - Dress
Original circa 1973 Mail-Order Pattern No. 8340 for a crisp A-line dress designed for women's everyday and office wear. This early-1970s design features a stand collar, a bib-front panel outlined in seaming, a single-button tab at the waist, and three sleeve options. Factory Folded and Unused.
Quick Facts
- Pattern Number: Mail-Order No. 8340
- Year: Circa 1973
- Garment: Dress
- Size: 15 (37" Bust, 28" Waist, 39" Hip)
- Condition: Factory Folded, Mail-Order Pattern (No Envelope, as Issued)
Design
Pattern 8340 builds its look from seaming rather than trim. Shaped side-front panels curve around the bodice to frame a bib-shaped center front, and a belt tab extends across the waist to fasten with a bound buttonhole and a single button. A stand collar finishes the neckline, or the dress may be made collarless. Sleeves may be three-quarter length, short, or omitted entirely, and the A-line skirt falls to about 42 inches from the back of the neck in this size, closing with a zipper at the back. Outlining the seams in a contrasting piping, as the illustration shows, gives the dress a sharp, almost uniform-like polish. Suggested fabrics include polished cotton, Dacron and cotton, silk and acetate, linen, Orlon, and lightweight wools.
A Moment in Fashion History
By the early 1970s, the neat, structured dresses of the jet age were giving way to softer styles, yet tailored A-line shapes remained a staple of working wardrobes. Clean seaming, a high collar, and a single crisp closure gave this kind of dress the poise once associated with airline uniforms, now worn by women heading to the office. Easy-care fabrics like Dacron blends and Orlon made such dresses practical for a busy life. This pattern was sold by mail as a Sew-Easy Ready-to-Use Photo-Guide pattern, with no margins to trim, and carries a "New Sizing" mark reflecting the industry's updated body measurements. It is sized in the odd-numbered junior range.
Illustration
The 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 mail-order instruction sheet.
