Standard 8327: 1900s Rare Uncut Infants Hooded Cloak Vintage Sewing Pattern
Original Pre-1905 Standard Fashion Company Pattern No. 8327 - Infants' Circular Cloak
Original Pre-1905 Standard Fashion Company Pattern No. 8327, an infants' circular cloak without sleeves, made with or without its own circular cape, hood, or collar. An unprinted pattern from the era before printed cutting lines: each piece is marked by perforations rather than printed markings, with the pattern's brief directions printed on a small paper slip affixed to the largest piece rather than a separate instruction sheet. Factory Folded and Unused.
Quick Facts
- Pattern Number: Standard Fashion Company No. 8327
- Year: Pre-1905 (Descriptive Era Label)
- Garment: Infants' Circular Cloak Without Sleeves, with or without Cape, Hood, or Collar
- Size: One Size
- Condition: Factory Folded and Unused
Design
Standard 8327 is built in just four pieces - one half of the cloak, plus the cape, hood, and collar - reflecting the genuinely spare construction of turn-of-the-century infantswear patterns. The cloak itself falls in a full circular sweep from the shoulders with no sleeves at all, closed with a simple lapped front edge. A separate circular cape can be layered over the cloak's neckline, and the wearer's head is covered by either a shirred, gathered hood or a simpler flat collar, both interchangeable at the same neck edge. This is an unprinted pattern: rather than printed cutting lines and a fold-out guide sheet, every seam and dart is marked with perforations of varying sizes, each with its own specific meaning, and the pattern's entire set of directions is condensed onto a small slip of paper glued directly to the largest pattern piece - the standard method for a pattern of this vintage, well before illustrated, printed instruction sheets became the norm.
A Moment in Fashion History
Patterns like Standard 8327 predate the printed-pattern era entirely, relying on a system of perforations patented by the Standard Fashion Company in 1887 and refined again in 1899 - dates printed on the envelope itself, though they mark the patent for the construction method rather than the year this particular pattern was cut. Infants of this era were commonly dressed in long, sweeping cloaks like this one for outdoor wear, a style that prioritized ease of wrapping and unwrapping the baby over any fitted shaping.
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 Standard Fashion Company pattern envelope.
Connections
This pattern is part of our upcoming exhibit, Nursery Notions - maternity wear, layettes, crib covers, and quilts, the sewing life around having a baby. Come take a look.
