Reading Between the Seams : The Commercial Sewing Pattern Industry Contextualized

Abstract

Towards the end of the nineteenth century, there were many revolutionary changes in the world of fashion, including the extremely important concurrent evolution of women's magazines and the paper sewing pattern. Two entrepreneurs, Ebenezer Butterick and Madame Demorest, were responsible for the innovation of the commercial sewing pattern, and from these ventures a new kind of women's magazine was created, including Butterick' s magazine The Delineator. Working together, The Delineator and Butterick's patterns gave more women access to fashion, stylish clothing, and many women's interest articles. This new access allowed many women to explore new areas of interest, and to become more heavily involved in the once unobtainable fashion world. An examination of The Delineator alongside the birth of the commercial sewing pattern industry allows these lifestyle changes to be better understood.