Gertie Sews Vintage Casual: A Modern Guide to Sportswear Styles of the 1940s and 1950s

Hirsch (Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing) brings her love of midcentury retro fashion to casualwear—think sweater-girl tops, Hepburn-style slacks, and stylish skirts—in her latest sewing guide. The coverage of the basics is extensive and a wide variety of techniques are covered before the sewing even begins. Highlights include a detailed chapter on pattern adjustments, with a variety of scenarios given for both tops and bottoms, and the chapter on fitting, which explains exactly what measurements need to be taken to properly fit a garment to the wearer's body. The result is a sewing reference with patterns, and sewists will likely find themselves picking up this book when they need advice on adjusting a pattern or finishing a seam. The designs include a variety of basic garments, many with variations that change the style of the original, transforming them into something entirely different. The garments are modeled by women of a variety of body types, and the patterns range from sizes two through 16.