Mail Order Patterns

The history of mail-order patterns began with the rise of sewing patterns in the mid-1800s, which were initially offered through magazines and sold via mail order, with early examples including those from Godey's Lady's Book and Mme. Demorest's Mirror of Fashion. The demand for sewing patterns grew significantly with the invention of graded (multi-sized) patterns by Ebenezer Butterick in 1863 and the establishment of mail-order catalog businesses like Montgomery Ward and Sears, which began selling patterns alongside other goods in the late 1800s. These catalogs and other mail-order services, such as those from newspapers like The American Weekly, made patterns more accessible to a wider audience.