Blueprints of Fashion by Wade Laboissonniere (1999, Paperback)

I have had this book from Wade Laboissonniere and it is really helpful if you collect patterns of the 1950s . It gives concrete concepts and wonderful illustrations to help you date and understand the reason for the fashion trends of the 1950s. There is info about the companies and trends in the industry. There are some High Fashion designs that are amazing and a section for actually dating your collection. This is a great book and I use it all the time. It not only addresses ladies patterns of all kinds but dolls, men's, accessories and more. This is a must have!
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Wade Laboissonniere has written 2 books to assist the vintage pattern collector. I recommend this book for both the novice and experienced collector. I purchased this book to help with dating my patterns, but there is more to the book than just vintage pattern dating. The author takes you through the history / beginnings of the sewing pattern industry, promotions pattern companies have run over the years, how patterns are designed, and so much more. The icing on the cake is almost 100 pages of lucious illustrations of various kinds of vintage sewing patterns. The dating methods Laboissonniere employs are number series, combined with envelope appearance as well as style of dress. Also included is helpful information regarding conservation and storage of your patterns. (Best take away tip: Always nestle your instructions BETWEEN the tissue pattern pieces to prolong the life of your pattern envelope. The tissue does not react to the acidity of the instructions in the same way the envelope will.) I definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in vintage sewing.