Summer in January, 1928

Title of a page in Butterick’s Delineator magazine, January 1928. Page 33. [From a black and white illustration.]

It was traditional for fashion magazines to show cruise or resort clothes in the dead of winter. Here are all eight “Summer Modes” and their pattern information.

Butterick 1828, from January 1928. “A typical southern frock.” Available up to size 44 bust. Soft fabric petals accent one shoulder.

Then as now, people who could afford a vacation headed south for a little sunshine during winter months.

Butterick coat 1821 and frock 1581, January 1928. I love the dress fabric, a pattern of umbrellas and rainbows in falling rain. The sheer coat has a decorative fabric flower on the shoulder.

Butterick 1824, a spectator sports outfit from January 1928. This cardigan costume — with velvet sleeveless cardigan — has two color bands at hip and wrist, the lighter band matching the cardigan vest’s color.

Butterick 1818 from January 1928. Sheer georgette chiffon in a floral print worn over a light colored slip, probably the same color as the “plain Georgette” which trims the neck and forms a long bow.

Four outfits featured on the bottom of page 33. Delineator, January 1928.

Butterick 1819, a coat illustrated in a boldly patterned striped shantung silk. It is also shown sleeveless. The dress barely covers the kneecap, and the 7/8 length coat suits it perfectly.

I love this silk coat. I think it is meant to be worn open, and is not for warmth, but I like the deep triangular pockets and that fabric! I hope it really existed and was not the illustrator’s invention.

Jean Patou had popularized monogrammed sports wear (his own monogram on couture) in the early twenties, and many stylized alphabets were available as embroidery patterns.

Butterick 1816, a sports frock from January 1928. Stylized monograms were quite popular, so that may be an “M” embroidered in thread to match the striped neckline and belt. The box pleats are applied on top of the belt.

By a happy coincidence, The Midvale Cottage blog just shared illustrated sewing instructions by Ruth Wyeth Spears for sewing exactly this type of pointed 1920’s pleat. Click here.

Butterick 1822, a three piece sport ensemble from January 1928. It is not a knit fabric, but Shantung. The blouse has a bold sun ray applique.

So, that’s one cardigan made of velveteen and one made from silk Shantung. Without the pattern descriptions, I would have assumed they were jersey knits.

Butterick party frock 1826, from January 1928. It could also be made with long sleeves, and the pattern was available for teens or small women, and for women up to size 44 bust.  Notice the ruching at the shoulder, which creates a little fullness for the bust. The pattern for the slip that goes under the sheer chiffon Georgette was not mentioned.

We think of the twenties as the era of the slim, boyish figure, but all eight of these Butterick patterns were available in sizes up to 44 inches bust measurement, hip 47 inches.

Smart Dresses for Summer, 1928

This is a full page article from Delineator, June 1928. Seven Butterick patterns are illustrated in full color, as if the seven models were on a rather formal family outing to a park.

“New Smartness,” Delineator, June 1928, page 32. These are Butterick patterns for women and girls.

The blouson effect, with a wide, tight hip band — called a girdle — was chic in 1928.  If you want to make a dress like this, attaching it to an underbodice will suspend the weight of the skirt from your shoulders, keeping the blouson in place.

Closer views, followed by their pattern descriptions:

Butterick patterns 2074, 2078, and 2026. June, 1928.

Butterick patterns 2071, 2065. 2024, and 2068. June, 1928; Delineator magazine.

Pattern descriptions and alternate views:

Closer views of Butterick dresses 2074, 2078, and 2026. June, 1928.

The printed chiffon dress is an afternoon dress, worn for dressier occasions than shopping. This pattern could be purchased for bust measurements up to 46 inches. The corresponding hip measurement would be about 49″.

The pink dress could have long or short sleeves, and be gathered or pleated.

The print dress at far right is surprisingly “an afternoon frock of the more formal type” made in silk crepe, satin or rayon. More formal than chiffon?

These two dresses are for girls. The smocked dress on the left could also be made in a long sleeved version. Since smocking requires time-consuming hand sewing, machine shirring was also a possibility.

Closer views of girls’ dresses 2071 and 2065. Butterick patterns for June 1928.

Butterick dresses 2024 and 2068. June, 1928.

I suspect that many women made this print dress without the cape in back. Border print fabrics gave 1920’s dresses like this one their impact, although solids and small prints could also be used.

No. 2068 was a pattern that could be used for day (with long or short sleeves) or modified for evening wear by making it sleeveless, with a deeper cut neckline and armholes.

Bodice tucks on No. 2068 would allow for (modest) feminine curves. 1928.

The lines of tucks on the bodice front (right) remind us that by 1928 breasts were no longer being flattened by young women, although older women might continue to wear a foundation like this “Bien Jolie corsette.”

Ad for an “exquisite” “Bien Jolie” [“Very Pretty”] foundation garment. Delineator, February 1926. A garment like this shapes the body like casing shapes a sausage.

 You can read more about corsets and corsolettes by clicking here. For bust flatteners and bandeaux, click here.