Is she/ Isn't she?

Keep them guessing with this [approx circa 1963] misses dress pattern!

While the main photo is pretty much typical for the era (bob haircut, makeup heavy on the upper eyeliner and a pose that looks like she's a bit too cool to be caught on a pattern cover) the illustrations above it are a little bit more ambiguous.

Is it just me or does the blonde in the top left hand corner look preggers?

There's no mention anywhere on the envelope- or in the instructions brief introduction-  that this is a maternity pattern and I find it unusual to have what appears to be maternity and regular fashion options in one pattern.

However if you look at the historical timeline in which this was published (end of the Baby Boom era, the lead up to the 1960s/1970s women's liberation movement) it might just begin to make sense. Women's roles in society were changing and no doubt companies were looking to keep up with their customers/cash in on it where they could.  

Maybe Advance were just hedging their bets either way with this one by offering what they thought the young female dressmaker wanted at the time (a modern fashion look that could be worn on a daily basis and even into pregnancy)?

OK think I have pondered enough over this one, who knew one could read so much into one "innocent" illustration?

Time to move on.....
;)
 
Kate x