BEHIND THE SEAMS
Simplicity Unstitched
Ever wondered how Simplicity Patterns became a household name for the sewing industry? We have all the answers
WORDS: AMY SCARR
SIMPLICITY PATTERNS
Makers around the world know the ‘Big 4’ pattern brands – the core four brands that have been a staple in sewing rooms for over 100 years. But in case you didn’t know, by 2019 the brands had all merged into a single company called Simplicity Patterns.
We produce the bestselling historic brands Simplicity, McCall’s, Butterick and Vogue Patterns, plus newer Know Me and New Look pattern brands. With our head office and printing warehouse in the US, plus offices in the UK and Sydney, we supply patterns globally in four languages. But how did we get here, and how do we produce our designs?
A BRIEF HISTORY OF OUR BRANDS
Ebenezer Butterick is regarded as the inventor of standardised paper patterns for clothing, going on to mass-produce designs by 1866. James McCall, a Scottish tailor, founded McCall's Patterns in 1870, and then Joseph M. Shapiro founded Simplicity in 1927.
Our success came from the popularity of mail order patterns with promotion in magazines where you could be inspired by the latest styles and send off for the patterns. Founded in 1899, Vogue Pattern Service was a spinoff of Vogue Magazine’s weekly pattern feature. Another influential publication, The Delineator (1869) provided Butterick sewing patterns and instructions, helping to standardize home sewing practices. We have images from the amazing archive of magazine pages decorating our offices.