NewVintageLady: Catalog Sunday

Catalog Sunday

More Lane Bryant 1940s goodness.

2 comments:

AnonymousAugust 20, 2013 at 12:39 PM
"There's no such thing as a 'problem' figure."
YES!! There are just patterns not drafted to fit my particular figure (lots of 'em).
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Sharid57May 14, 2019 at 2:45 AM
I have been collecting vintage Lane Bryant catalogs for several years, and have quite a few in my personal collection now.

Being a "stout" figured lady (as they used to call it) for many years, I have been fighting "the Battle of the Bulge" unsuccessfully just as long. However, this makes the plight of the vintage "stout figure" close to my heart.

I've also been a student of 40's history for decades, and combine the two whenever possible, hence the collection of vintage plus size Lane Bryant catalogs!

Something I have noticed about these catalogs, and more specifically about the ordering process, is that they require that you not only select a requested size for each garment you wish to purchase, but also that you send in your specific body measurements as well, for which they provide very simply written instructions and diagrams. They are generally written in order on the order form in a specific place, so that when the form is folded a certain way, the list of measurements come out a certain way, in order to be easily read while the order is being filled.

According to what I have read in the catalog, these measurements allow them to be able to make sure that the size you have requested is actually the size for that garment to fit your body properly.

For instance, if your measurements don't coincide with a specific size right down the line, which is common, you can rely on the bust measurement to size your blouses, and dresses where the hip measurement is not as important; and the waist and/or hip measurements for selecting skirts, slacks, and certain dresses. But if someone mistakenly orders a garment size based on the complete series of measurements, instead of relying on the most pertinent one, the staff have your measurements handy to double check your selection, and are able to send the correct size and help avoid having the customer sending garments back for size exchanges.

It makes great sense, and helps increase the quality of customer service from the start! They also request that you take and send the most current measurements with each order! Not to rely on those you sent several months back, with a previous order, which makes perfect sense again.

They have always shown the most flattering designs, in beautiful colors, although they do show them in mostly drawings up until the later 40's or early 50's, when more photographs take their places. But, in either case, they always look quite realistic and flattering. It really is too bad sometimes that we can't still order some of these dresses and other garments brand new!

I can't even have anything like these reproduced by a seamstress using a contemporary sewing pattern, because they always seem to come out 3" or 4" short in the back waist length, as most all the patterns are drawn to 18" long, and I need a 21" length, due to a spinal curvature issue (not scoliosis.)

Well, I think that's really all I have for now! Thanks so much for publishing all these great catalog images! They are so much fun to look at!
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Catalog Sunday

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