1961 McCall's Pattern No. 5810 - Dress with Slim or Full Skirt and Separate Cummerbund

1961 McCall's Pattern No. 5810 for a raglan-sleeve dress with a dart-fitted bodice, offered with a choice of skirts: a slim three-gore skirt with front folds and a low back pleat, or a full four-gore gathered skirt. The scoop neckline can be finished with or without a collar, and two-piece sleeves come in two lengths. A separate shirred and boned bias cummerbund hooks at the left side for a defined waist. Complete Nice Condition, with a professionally repaired envelope.

Quick Facts

• Pattern Number: McCall's No. 5810
• Year: 1961
• Garment: Dress with Slim or Full Skirt and Separate Cummerbund
• Size: 14 (34" Bust, 26" Waist, 36" Hip)
• Condition: Complete Nice Condition
• Envelope: Professionally Repaired

Design

McCall's 5810 builds one bodice into two very different silhouettes. The raglan sleeve and dart-fitted bodice stay constant across both views, with a scoop neckline that can be left plain or finished with a collar, and two-piece sleeves offered in two lengths. From there, the skirt makes the statement: View B's slim three-gore skirt uses soft front folds, waist darts, and a low back pleat for a close, tailored line, while View A's four-gore skirt gathers into a full, swinging shape. Either way, a separate shirred and boned bias cummerbund hooks at the left side, cinching the waist with its own built-in structure rather than relying on the dress seams alone. A center back zipper closes both versions.

A Moment in Fashion History

By the early 1960s, pattern companies increasingly offered a single bodice with interchangeable skirt options, letting one dress serve double duty for both a tailored daytime look and a fuller, more social silhouette. The separate boned cummerbund reflects this same appetite for engineered, structural details brought within reach of the home sewer, giving a simple dress the kind of defined waist that once required more complex construction.

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.