Original circa 1936 New York Pattern No. 737 - Ladies' and Misses' Dress and Princess Coat

Original circa 1936 New York Pattern No. 737 for a ladies' and misses' dress and princess coat in Size 18, with a draped-neck dress in a choice of two sleeve lengths and a coat with a one-piece collar and revers. Factory Folded and Unused.

Quick Facts

• Pattern Number: New York Pattern No. 737
• Year: Circa 1936
• Garment: Ladies' and Misses' Dress and Princess Coat
• Size: 18 (36" Bust, 39" Hip)
• Pattern Condition: Factory Folded

Design

New York Pattern 737 is a dress and princess coat ensemble. The dress waist has a draped neck and set-in sleeves in either of two lengths, short or three-quarter, and it is joined to an attached two-piece skirt whose front extends above the waistline. The dress is closed under the left arm and is slashed and closed at the back of the neck. The coat has an attached collar and revers cut in one piece, and long set-in sleeves that are perforated so they can be cut off for shorter sleeves. The cover shows a plain princess coat, with puffed shoulders, a belt, and three large buttons, worn over a dress in a bold floral print that shows at the open front of the skirt, beside the dress alone with a contrasting waistband. The pattern has twelve pieces (front and back of the waist, dress sleeve, front and back of the skirt, coat front, side front, side back, and back, collar, under facing, and coat sleeve), and a 3-inch hem is allowed. The skirt's width at the lower edge, for medium sizes, is about 2 yards, and the coat's width is about 1¾ yards. The envelope's chart runs from bust 34 to 48 inches. For Size 18 (36-inch bust, 39-inch hip), the back length from neck to lower edge is 53 inches. Without nap, the separate short-sleeved dress calls for 3½ yards of 35-inch or 3¼ yards of 39-inch fabric, and the three-quarter-sleeved dress calls for 3¼ yards of 39-inch. The three-quarter-sleeved coat calls for 5 yards of 39-inch fabric, and the long-sleeved coat calls for 5¼ yards of 39-inch or 3¼ yards of 54-inch, plus 3 yards of 39-inch lining. If the coat is cut from 39-inch material, ⅜ inch is allowed for a seam at center back. The instruction chart is printed inside the envelope.

A Moment in Fashion History

A dress and a coat cut to go together made a complete outfit from a single pattern, and this envelope shows the idea at its most polished: a princess-line coat with a wide collar and revers, worn with a beret and gloves over a floral-print dress, and the dress on its own, with a draped neck, puffed sleeves, and a contrasting waistband. The front of the envelope carries no company name, but the back carries a large stencil-style wordmark reading "New York Pattern" with "Woman's World" set between the words, one of the named lines the company issued, along with the company's printed imprint and the assurances that every pattern was manufactured in accordance with the U.S. Bureau of Standards and guaranteed true to measure. We date it circa 1936.

Connections

One of the things you learn when you see an entire store's collection is how entire ensembles came together. Check out our coats collection from New York and Our Own Name Patterns from the 1930s.