Hollywood 1612: 1940s Cute Uncut Girls Sun Dress Size 8 Vintage Sewing Pattern
Original circa 1945 Hollywood Pattern No. 1612 - Child's Sun-Back Dress and Bolero
Original circa 1945 Hollywood Pattern No. 1612 for a child's sun-back dress and bolero, sized for a girl of 8. View 1 is a crisp sundress with wide crisscross straps, a gathered neckline, and a shirred pouch pocket. View 2 pairs the same flared skirt with a jaunty collarless bolero for cooler days. Factory Folded and Unused.
Quick Facts
- Pattern Number: Hollywood No. 1612
- Year: Circa 1945
- Garment: Child's Sun-Back Dress and Bolero
- Size: 8 Years (26" Breast, 28" Hip)
- Condition: Factory Folded
Design
Hollywood 1612 builds a single flared skirt onto a gathered bodice by way of an inset waistband, with wide straps that cross over the shoulders and continue into the back waistband to give the sun-back dress its name. A shirred pouch pocket adds a playful detail to the skirt front, while the matching bolero is cut collarless with cap sleeves in one piece, meant to be worn open over the sundress for cooler weather or dressier occasions. The pattern's ten pieces allow the dress and bolero to be made in a single fabric or, per View 2, in contrasting tones.
A Moment in Fashion History
By the mid-1940s, children's play clothes had adopted the same easy, uncluttered lines defining women's wartime fashion. Sun-back dresses like this one let a girl move and play freely, while a coordinating bolero offered a quick way to dress the same outfit up for a visit or a photograph without sewing an entirely separate garment.
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 Hollywood pattern envelope.
Connections
This pattern is part of our ongoing exhibit, Sporty Looks for Active Gals — a growing collection of casual looks for girls and women moving through history, from the 1920s through the 1970s. Come take a look.
