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Hello! I'm Suzannah, a serious DIYer and mom of two little ones. Follow along with my DIY fixer upper house renovations, sewing and crafty projects, real food recipes, and de-stressing goals.
I believe you can love your home just the way it is, AND have the power to design and make big changes to make it better.
I'm also the author of DIY Wardrobe Makeovers!

Sewing Circle: Mad Men-inspired patterns!!

I know many of you will have helpful ideas on this Sewing Circle question--we all love Mad Men style!  Christina wrote...

Q: Hi! I love your blog and all the beautiful dresses you make! Sewing has definitely renewed my love of the dress! I've been watching Mad Men lately (I know, I know...late to the party!) and absolutely love the dresses. I'm wondering if you might have any recommendations for a pattern that is Mad Men inspired? 

A: Hi, Christina! There are so many great Mad Men-inspired patterns out there, I have a hard time summarizing!

For starters, note that any of the big pattern companies often have a collection of vintage-inspired or sometimes reprinted patterns. Here are some:
Of course you should also check out Colette Patterns for some vintage-inspired styles. Also, Simplicity recently did a vintage-inspired event with these patterns. In the rest of the blog world, I’ve seen mention of a “Mad Men Challenge,” so be sure to look for those posts, too! 

At your local antique store, vintage shop, or even thrift store, you may find some cute actual vintage patterns, and if they're close to your size and have all the pieces, you can definitely use them!  Or ask relatives and friends if they have any vintage pattern collections.  And, there are lots of modern dress patterns that totally have a vintage look. Here are some of my personal faves!!!
Simplicity 2588 has a cute scoop yoke:

Simplicity 3823 has a classic full-skirted halter
 

Simplicity 1873 is new and so cute! 

I just bought McCall's M6350!

So it totally depends what you're looking for, but there are lots of fun patterns out there!

I’m sure that gets you started, and I’m sure other readers can chime in!  What's your fave vintage-inspired pattern you'd recommend for a Mad Men look?

12 comments

  1. Anonymous6/12/2012

    Simplicity 2444, I got loads of comments that my version was very 'mad men'. I've seen great versions of New Look 6000 as well that fit the bill.

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    1. Very cool! Simplicity 2444 is the best, I looooove it and have made it so many times!

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  2. Totally agree with New Look 6000 - I made one that looks alot like Joan's red satin dress in the pic above, and I feel pretty foxy in it ;-). Love your other pattern suggestions, too!

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    1. Cool!! Yes, that one is great and very elegant!

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  3. Just searching Etsy for ' mad men pattern ' brings up thousands of beautiful options! They're not more expensive - I vote for sewing with actual vintage :) Browsing Vintage Pattern Wikia is a fun distraction too!

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    1. Cool, I hadn't thought to try that! Guess people are marketing their vintage patterns with Mad Men!

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  4. I have a couple of Retro Butterick patterns t that I really love... And the simplicity inspired by project runway pattern is a great pattern too. I also like Simplicity 2401.

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    1. Very cool. 2401 would be great for a summery Betty-ish dress!

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  5. See this is the reason I need to learn to sew! Gorgeous dresses!
    Xx
    Callie

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  6. Anonymous6/12/2012

    I just looked through the Vintage Vogue patterns today. They are spot on Mad Men. I'm going to pick up a few over the next couple weeks.

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  7. Ooooo I have the Simplicity 2588 and the Simplicity 1873 I am just trying to find the right material then I am straight on the Mad Men band wagon...Which reminds me I need to watch tonight's episode :)

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    1. Very cool, I'm sure they'll be fun to make! I'm not caught up this season either... oops...

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