1940s Fashions, Sweaters and other thoughts on vintage styles

I am really taken by the 1940s frocks and fashions that are around at the moment.

Vogue UK ran a feature in their August 2011 issue on the new Forties-inspired silhouettes. The dress on the front cover is one by Miu Miu, and should I have a cool £2480 that I wouldn't have a hernia spending on a dress then I would dearly love to purchase it. I really like the glamour and the flattering cut of the forties shape. I am definitely on the look-out for some frocks with hems that skirt my knees, and I'll be returning to my favourite pencil skirts in the Autumn.

Mildrid Pearce was recently shown on Sky Atlantic as a new adaptation featuring Kate Winslet in the title role. It was a tad bit depressing for its tale of betrayal - a girl doesn't always need to contemplate how divorce unravels (knitting better) a person's life - but the clothes were fab! A thirties and forties costume wardrobe that could keep me entertained for hours!

Ever since I took up knitting again in about 2004 I have been drawn to vintage knitting patterns that show really finely knit garments on women with impossible waistlines. So, I was excited to buy Jane Waller's Knitting Fashions of the 1940s: Styles, Patterns and History. I have knitted up three projects from this book; Ladies Jumper, Tim the Tiger, Snowflake Fair Isle Jumper, and 'In Blackberry Stitch' (which I didn't take a picture of as immediately disliked and unravelled). As a book it has a good-sized collection of patterns, over 50 of them, and to have knitted four, and anticipate knitting a further three is quite reasonable for a knitting book (I plan to knit; Sea Waves Jumper, Child's Fair Isle Hat and Mitts, and 'In Bramble Pattern'.)

One thing that is really noticeable is the gap between the uber-glam sillouhette of the women in the original pictures and the later ones. I'm still not clear on how much it is because of the models and the photography and how much it is to do with the patterns. The models are certainly an awful lot skinnier. Actually, I have recently found the original pattern for the ladies jumper on ravelry here and the finished product is noticeably slimmer in its proportions and, in my opinion, considerably more flattering as a result. The pattern in Jane Waller's book only gives instructions for one size and I suspect that the knitted garments are too large for the model that she has used - that and poor choices in the styling has somewhat reduced the overall glamour of the modern photographed items. To be honest, I would have expected the author to have taken the trouble to give instructions on how this can be re-sized (the maths would not be that challenging) - it rather detracts from the value of buying this as a modern collection - why not just build a library of the original patterns from ebay sellers etc? I was particularly disappointed with the Tim the Tiger pattern, which was very hard to follow, particularly when knitting the reverse side. For this reason I do not think the book would be suitable to a beginner at knitting.

In looking through my 1940s patterns the sweater seems to sit just on the hip - apparently a little shorter then a more modern shape - and most of the women appear to be wearing a pencil or slim-fitting skirt underneath. This appears to differ from the 1950s pictures where the sweater or 'blouse' is often tucked into the skirt, and/or the use of belts to accentuate the waist. There are a lot of fairly high round necks, and no curvy boobs for that to be a problem with! Quite a few patterns feature a gathered shoulder seam which I would have to strip out as being unflattering to my body shape. There are tons of patterns for wartime turbans or snoods around as well. My favourite are the very simple, round-neck sweaters that make use of some interesting intarisa patterns. I think if I make one of these and wear it with a pencil skirt then it will make a cool, funky look that I can happily wear into the office with no fear of looking like a corporate replica...

I also love the 1920s shape and the geometric prints - especially because I am very tall (6'2"), the long lines interest me, and the somewhat 'boy-ish' shape and dropped waist looks quite flattering too - although I have seen less of these patterns around. These sweaters with a long, straight-leg trousers and mannish brogues would also work well in the office. I have just started to get into the tv series Boardwalk Empire, which is set in the 1920s-30s and is another moving fashion catalogue - I'm not even watching it for the plot - just admiring the clothes!

In searching around on the internet for some information around vintage knitting I stumbled across Excelana yarns - Susan Crawford's yarn... I may have to dig out my vintage Vogue Knitting patterns and see what I can do! I'm not sure that I know my fashion history well enough but these shades look particularly suitable for 1950s patterns? I'm also keen to see a copy of A stitch in Time by Susan Crawford and Jane Waller... Hmmm.... V2 apparently has patterns especially for this yarn... The pre-order deal looks good... tempted... V1 is looking pretty good too... Quite a few people on ravelry have commented that the modernised versions in V1 contain mistakes and they have knitted from the originals... I think I will do so in like manner given my experience with Jane Waller's book above - either from individual 1940s patterns or from A Stitch in Time which apparently does contain the original pattern too.