A 1940s dress pattern by Simplicity. I love this sharp dress with the buttons down the side! The feminine touches (bows, ruffle) just make this outfit shine.

A neat DuBarry dress with pleated skirt, circa 1945. Note the fitted hip yoke and the belt to emphasize the waist. Skirts are at knee length to help conserve fabric during WW2 rationing.

A late 1940s teen's dress for school by DuBarry. Note the fuller gored skirts hinting at the "new look" to come in the 1950s when fabric rationing was no longer a hindrance!

This 1940s tailored dress pattern has that famous tailored look, this time with the wide, pointed collar that was also seen on men's shirts in the 1940s and early 1950s. The shirt dress has been popular ever since.

DuBarry 1940s fitted suit dress. Classic! I love the short-sleeved look. In an era of fabric rationing, ladies really learned to keep a feminine silhouette with limited materials.

1945 ladies' blouse pattern with those classic wide shoulders and gathers below the yoke. Note the hairstyles on the models. You'll see a lot of these dropped shoulder yokes and gathered bodice fronts in this time period--a feature on my 1940s "Swing" Dress Pattern.

Here is a great 1940s woman's playsuit or dress pattern. Note the dropped shoulder yokes with gathers--a common feature in this time period. The styling is the classic shirt dress, which has never gone out of style since.

A 1940s older teen's blouse and skirt pattern. This is a wonderful look. It reminds me a lot of Shirley Temple's clothing from her teen films.

A young teen's dress pattern by DuBarry, circa 1944. I love the cummerbund waist and the gathered shoulder yokes, reminiscent of my ladies' 1940s "Swing" Dress Pattern. Note the option for a confirmation dress at the lower left-hand corner.

This 1940s teen dress has a bit of a "south-of-the-border" flavor to it. I love the embroidery featured around the hem and the neckline on the second dress. A simple but charming style for the older teenager.

A late 1930s dress pattern by DuBarry. The slim, willowy look is pure 1930s, but you'll notice that the skirt flares a bit and is not as long as earlier skirts from this decade. We're heading into the 1940s "swing" era now!

This 1938 dress pattern by Simplicity features a gored skirt, tailored bodice and puffed sleeves. Note the collar and pretty long-sleeved option. The sheer overlay on the far left is lovely.

Here is a trio of wonderful 1930s leading ladies. The 1930s "look" is so distinctive--particularly in films.

This Butterick pattern is for a slim 1930s day dress pattern. The long lines emphasize height, but the fairly straight silhouette is softened by the puffed sleeves and wonderful lace or ruffled collar. I especially like the elbow-length sleeves gathered just above the elbow.

I adore Shirley Temple and collected Shirley memorabilia as a teenager. Watching her films is a treat--even more so if you are a vintage fashion aficionado. It is truly fun to see how women wore the designs of the 1930s, and Shirley's clothing is always amazing.

The photo with Shirley Temple posing as a flower girl shows those ruffly early 1930s designs. Look at all the frou-frou on the wedding gown and bridesmaid gown! Shirley's mother designed and made Shirley's gown for this photo shoot. At the far right is a profile shot of Shirley wearing the same dress. Thanks to Rita Dubas for permission to share these!

Here is a scrap from my own collection, showing Shirley Temple on the set of "Just Around the Corner." What I love about children's fashions of the 1930s are the crisply tailored lines and delightful design details. Notice Shirley's ruffled pinafore that isn't "fussy" and the ribbon bows on the bodice front.

This is a wonderful 1930s girls' dress pattern--very Shirley Temple-esque--for girls' dresses. I love the tailored look of this era. Note the matching doll's dress.

This is a beautiful hand-colored photograph of a young woman dressed up in a party dress for a special occasion (wedding? dance? tea?). The overdress looks like organdy or silk georgette, and her sleeves flutter in the breeze. Her ornament of choice is a big bunch of flowers pinned at the waist. This is probably from the early 1930s, since her hairstyle still reflects the late 1920s to early 1930s "boy" cut. Looks like she had fun!