Couture dress pattern

Couture Inspired Dress Pattern
This is an original pattern, created for the V&A Golden Age of Couture exhibition website. It is based on a 1950’s ready to wear dress from the V&A collection and has been sized for modern day UK sizes 10, 12 and 14. The dress is close fitting with a waist seam, flared skirt and pockets. It is fitted above the waist with band detail and lined top body.

Day dressby Horrockses Fashion. Grey cotton printed with pink roses and white daisies, Britain, 1953. Museum no. T.640-1996

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You will need
• • A 20in (51cm) zipper (the original dress used a 19in zipper, but these are now difficult to find). One large press stud.

Fabrics:
The original dress was made from floral cotton, with white cotton lining on upper body. You may want to be creative whenyou make your dress and choose a fabric that suits your own taste.

Fabric cutting lengths:
Main dress fabric: For fabrics that are… • 115cm (45in) wide • 150cm (60in) wide

400cm length of fabric is required 350cm length of fabric is required

If you are using fabric with a pattern, you may need more fabric than the amounts given above. Lining fabric: For fabrics that are… • 115cm (45in)wide

60cm length of fabric is required

Body Measurements (in cm)
The pattern has been made for modern day UK sizes 10, 12 (sizes are given in cm): Size Bust Waist Hips Shoulder Nape to waist Waist to knee 10 84 64 89 12 39.5 58 12 88 68 93 14 92 72 97

12.25 12.5 40 58.5 40.5 59

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About the pattern
The pattern is available to download from the V&A Golden Age of Couture website:www.vam.ac.uk/couture/ There are two versions of the pattern available for you to download: 1. A4/Print at Home This version of the pattern has been arranged onto A4 sized pages, for you to print and assemble at home. 2. Large paper size This version of the pattern appears in this pdf as a single, large page. Each version of the pattern comprises of 2 documents, one for the pieces that form the bodyof the dress, the other for the skirt pieces.

How to assembling the A4/print at home pattern
1. Download the following files: • • 1_top_va_dress_pattern_A4.doc 2_skirt_va_dress_pattern_A4.doc

2. Open the files in Adobe Acrobat (or Acrobat Reader). 3. Print the files. • • • Do not select ‘scale to fit’ or ‘crop’. Do ensure that ‘None’ is selected the ‘Page Scaling’ option. Print each patternpiece single sided; do not use duplex/double sided printing.

4. Each page of the pattern is numbered to help you assemble the pattern. • • The number appears on the bottom right of each pattern page. Page 1 appears is at the top left of the pattern, the numbering then proceeds across the top row, then down to the start of the next row (on the left side) and so on until the last piece, at thebottom right.

5. Use the pattern diagram on page 4 of this document to help you assemble the pattern. 6. Each pattern piece has a small margin around it. You may wish to cut off the margin on one side of each join between two pieces to prevent overlap. 7. Use the dots and crosses on the pattern to help line up the pieces.

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Notes for printing the large file
If you decide to print thelarge file at a printer’s, please ensure that they do not ‘scale to fit’, that they use the least expensive paper available for printing the pattern and they use paper of a suitable width for the pattern.

Pattern Pieces:
1. Front body 2. Front shoulder piece 3. Back body 4. Back shoulder piece 5. Band 6. Front lower body 7. Back lower body 8. Back bow piece 9. Folded bow piece 10. Central bowpiece 11. Centre front skirt panel 12. Side front skirt panel 13. Centre back skirt panel 14. Side back skirt panel 15. Centre back zip fastening 16. Lower side skirt 17. Pocket bag 18. Upper side skirt panel (cut 1 main fabric & 1 lining) (cut 2 main fabric & 2 lining) (cut 2 main fabric & 2 lining) (cut 2 main fabric & 2 lining) (cut 1) (cut 1) (cut 1) (cut 1) (cut 1) (cut 1) (cut 1) (cut 2) (cut...