Late 1920s Womens Frock Downloads | Past Patterns 2072

These Late 1920s Womens Frock Downloads reproduce Butterick Pattern 2072, an elegant afternoon-dress design originally published in 1928. Created for women and young girls, this downloadable sewing pattern offers three period variations with sleeveless or long-sleeved treatments, a wide ribbon girdle, and gathered, pleated, scalloped, or even skirt options. The Late 1920s Womens Frock Downloads include six full-size pattern pieces in four digital formats, along with Butterick’s original illustrated Deltor construction directions. Download the files after purchase and select the format best suited to home printing, copy-shop printing, or sewing-projector use. Late 1920s Womens Frock Downloads from Butterick Butterick originally described Pattern 2072 as a “Frock for Women and Young Girls.” The design captures the changing silhouette of 1928, when fashionable dresses combined the low-waisted styling of the Jazz Age with softer skirts, asymmetrical hems, and increasingly elaborate surface treatments. This reproduction preserves the pattern’s original proportions and construction features. The bodice incorporates inverted tucks, shirring, and a fitted dart seam. A broad ribbon girdle emphasizes the low hipline, while three skirt and sleeve treatments allow the dressmaker to produce noticeably different interpretations without combining unrelated pattern features. Historical Context for This 1928 Afternoon Frock Pattern 2072 was featured in the June 1928 issue of The Delineator. The magazine presented the printed afternoon frock as an important fashion and highlighted its scalloped skirt, fashionable backward dip, wide ribbon girdle, round neckline, and long close-fitting sleeves. The Late 1920s Womens Frock Downloads offer an opportunity to recreate this distinctive moment in fashion history. Lightweight printed silk or rayon can create a fluid afternoon dress, while lace, georgette, chiffon, or silk voile can give the finished garment a more formal appearance. Three Distinct Late 1920s Frock Variations View A features a sleeveless bodice with a low round neckline, a wide ribbon girdle, and a gathered skirt with a dramatic scalloped lower edge. The scallops may be supported with picot edging or a lace foundation, depending upon the fabric and selected finishing method. View B combines a sleeveless bodice with a long pleated skirt. The original Deltor explains how to arrange and press the pleats so that they open toward the sides, producing a controlled yet graceful silhouette. View C includes long close-fitting sleeves and may be made with a lace or contrasting upper treatment. Its asymmetrical scalloped skirt creates the fashionable backward dip illustrated in the June 1928 Delineator. The scalloped skirt may also be cut with an even lower edge. Each view should be treated as a distinct design choice, allowing the dressmaker to reproduce a coherent Butterick variation rather than combining the features into an undocumented hybrid. Original Size and Pattern Pieces This is a single-size historical reproduction developed for the proportions of a late 1920s woman with the following measurements: Bust: 38 inches Hips: 40 1/2 inches Pattern pieces: 6 No additional sizes are included. Experienced sewists may alter the pattern for different measurements. Visit our Resizing Vintage Patterns guide for general information about adapting single-size historical patterns. Materials Required View A 4 7/8 yards of 36-inch-wide fabric Suggested fabrics include fine all-over lace, plain or printed georgette, silk voile, silk chiffon, soft rayon, Celanese, marquisette, crepe de Chine, taffeta, radium, or moiré View B 4 1/2 yards of 36-inch-wide fabric Suggested fabrics include fine all-over lace, plain or printed georgette, silk voile, silk chiffon, soft rayon, Celanese, marquisette, crepe de Chine, taffeta, or radium View C 5 3/8 yards of 36-inch-wide fabric Suggested fabrics include georgette, silk voile, chiffon, soft rayon, Celanese, marquisette, crepe de Chine, fine all-over lace, or similar lightweight dress fabrics All views require 3 yards of 6-inch-wide ribbon. These yardages reproduce Butterick’s original requirements for 36-inch-wide materials. Additional fabric may be needed for directional prints, matching, shrinkage, alterations, or different fabric widths. What Is Included with the Late 1920s Womens Frock Downloads? Six computer-drawn pattern pieces that emulate the original Butterick shapes and markings 36-inch-wide copy-shop pattern: 2 pages with no split pattern pieces A0 copy-shop pattern: 4 pages with 2 pattern pieces split between pages A4 tiled pattern: 70 pages 8.5″ × 11″ tiled pattern: 70 pages A4 instruction booklet: 10 pages 8.5″ × 11″ instruction booklet: 10 pages Reproduction of the original Butterick cover artwork and fabric recommendations Original cutting layouts, sizing information, and material requirements Butterick’s illustrated Deltor construction directions The Past Patterns Guide to Editing Garments Due to Bust Size The digital Late 1920s Womens Frock Downloads provide several printing choices. The A4 and 8.5″ × 11″ files are tiled for assembly at home. The 36-inch-wide file contains no split pattern pieces and is the simplest copy-shop option. The A0 file contains two pieces that must be joined after printing. Projector-Friendly Pattern Options Both the 36-inch-wide and A0 pattern files may be used with a sewing projector. Because the 36-inch-wide version contains no split pieces, it may provide the most convenient projector layout for this particular pattern. Review our Projector Sewing Help page for information about selecting a file, calibration, scale verification, and projecting Past Patterns designs. Skill Level: 4/5 — Intermediate to Advanced This pattern is rated 4/5 because construction includes inverted tucks, shirring, a fitted dart seam, a wide ribbon girdle, close-fitting sleeves, lace or picot finishing, and gathered or precisely pleated skirt options. The scalloped and asymmetrical hems require careful marking, stitching, clipping, pressing, and finishing. Although the original Deltor supplies illustrated directions, it assumes familiarity with vintage terminology and period sewing techniques. Previous experience fitting single-size patterns and handling lightweight, slippery, or delicate fabrics is recommended. Important Digital Product Information This listing is for a digital sewing pattern. No physical pattern will be mailed. The files are intended for personal printing, copy-shop printing, or sewing-projector use. Verify the test square before printing or projecting the complete pattern. Print tiled files at 100% or actual size unless the included file instructions specify otherwise. Prefer a Professionally Printed Pattern? A professionally printed edition of Past Patterns 2072 is available for customers who prefer full-size pattern sheets mailed in a reusable protective package. Copyright Past Patterns 1979–2026. All rights reserved. Disclaimer: This pattern is a historically accurate reproduction of Butterick Pattern 2072, first published in 1928. The original design is in the public domain. Past Patterns is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or licensed by Butterick or its current trademark owner. References to Butterick are included solely for historical and descriptive purposes and to identify the source of the original design.