Mail Order 1-468: 1950s Chic Uncut Misses Wiggle Dress 34B Vintage Sewing Pattern
Original circa 1959 Patt-O-Rama Pattern No. 1-468 - One-Piece Dress
Original circa 1959 Patt-O-Rama Pattern No. 1-468 for a misses' one-piece dress, designed for daytime wear. A fitted bodice with a notched round collar, single button trim, and cap sleeves tops a dropped-waist skirt finished with a soft, gathered drape at the hip - a diagonal detail that gives the dress a two-piece look without the seaming of an actual two-piece garment. Factory Folded and Unused.
Quick Facts
- Pattern Number: Patt-O-Rama No. 1-468
- Year: Circa 1959
- Garment: One-Piece Dress
- Size: 14 (34" Bust, 26" Waist, 36" Hip)
- Condition: Factory Folded and Unused
- Format: No envelope - issued as a syndicated newspaper mail-order pattern (Famous Features Syndicate), with its own photo-guide assembly sheet in place of an illustrated envelope
Design
This 7-piece pattern pairs a trim, collared bodice with a dropped-waist skirt for a look that reads as two garments from one. The notched round collar and single button trim keep the neckline crisp, while cap sleeves and a fitted waist seam carry the eye down to the skirt, where a softly gathered diagonal drape at the hip does the visual work of a separate overskirt or apron front. A center-back zipper and self-fabric belt with buckle finish the silhouette.
A Moment in Fashion History
Patt-O-Rama, distributed through Famous Features Syndicate, brought affordable, current fashion to home sewers through their local newspaper rather than a department store pattern counter - complete with its own illustrated "Photo-Guide" assembly system in place of a traditional printed envelope. The dropped-waist, draped-hip silhouette here reflects the late-1950s fondness for dresses that suggested more construction than they actually required, giving a home sewer a distinctive, two-piece-look dress from a single pattern.
Illustration
The Photo-Guide artwork has been digitally restored and enhanced by Judy Yates to highlight the original line art while preserving the character of this historic Patt-O-Rama mail-order pattern.
Connections
This pattern is part of our ongoing exhibit, Pillbox and Polish - a growing collection tracing the bridge between 1950s structure and 1960s youth culture. Come take a look.
