The other day I had a chance to do a quick trip along Sydney Road (Brunswick) to check out the op-shops and numerous fabric stores there. As DH was with me (we had just had our 12 week ultrasound- exciting!!!) it really was a brief visit, fabric stores make hubby twitch - especially big, often unorganised ones like Spotlight...but more on that later...
We stopped in at Savers, this massive supermaket-style op shop, which has proper shopping trolleys, check-outs and a very organised tagging and arrangment system for all the pre-loved goodies. However I think this is the type of store that you have to visit regularly - judging by the amount of people there I'd say it has a fairly high turnover rate- if you are after anything crafty/sewing related. There were a few rolls of plain colour synthetic type fabrics there at a good price but as I am looking more for baby suitable stuff I left it. Also I really couldn't see myself using it for anything - am I getting better a resisting 2nd hand fabric or is this a new wonderous side effect of pregnancy? Maybe not ;)
Next stop was this little traditional style op-shop (I can't remember the name sorry , I think it was Don or Donny something), where I managed to pick up this retro delight:
Check out the sizing - 16 1/2 !!!! Yay finally an vintage pattern that I might actually have a hope of fitting. Someday. After the babies are born. ...and I'm back to my old self....
Well anyway I was soo excited to have finally have found something close to my "Normal" bust and hip measurement - even if it might make me look like Mrs Brady from the Brady Bunch (you never know 60's and 70's parties are happening all the time right?).
Then I got home and read the back - "Specially sized for misses and women about 157 to 160 cm (5'2" to 5'3")" - yikes ! Give that I'm 5'9" thats gonna still mean a lot of adjustment if I ever make this baby up, or I'm going to have an indecently short dress :(
Am wondering if that what the 1/2 size refers to? It's not something that seems to be used in modern patterns so will have to look it up....
3 comments:
Half Sizes are an old pattern sizing that were phased out in the 80's I think. It use to be thought of as the "mature figure type".
The half-size lady has a fully developed figure but is shorter, about 5'2" to 5'3" tall. The waist is also larger in proportion to the bust, and the shoulders are narrower. HTH
oh.. i miss my shopping...
Half sizes were usually sized halfway between two sizes, so a 16 and a half was between the measurements for a 16 and 18. They couldn't use odd numbers for the sizing (eg. a 15 or a 17) because those were already being used for juniors and would have just created confusion.
As Sew4Fun suggested, half sizes are supposed to be better suited to more of a "been round the block a few times" physique than misses sizes: little shorter, bust bigger and lower, and thicker through the waist. But, as vintage patterns run small, half sizes work out pretty well for us modern girls.
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