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Pattern Behavior: The Seamy Side of Fashion
For those who like their humor droll, deadpan, and hysterically funny, Pattern Behavior features more than 100 vintage McCall's patterns--with captions that will leave you in stitches .
Feeling nostalgic for your grandmother's old sewing patterns? Stitch some humor into your distant childhood with Pattern Behavior, featuring vintage covers from the McCall Pattern Company's archives. Based on the popular Tumblr blog, this droll comic collection brings the McCall's models back to life -- in a way you haven't seen before! Combining retro fashion and modern wit, Pattern Behavior shines a light on the outdated social ideals of yesteryear--all with a big dose of humor.
Feeling nostalgic for your grandmother's old sewing patterns? Stitch some humor into your distant childhood with Pattern Behavior, featuring vintage covers from the McCall Pattern Company's archives. Based on the popular Tumblr blog, this droll comic collection brings the McCall's models back to life -- in a way you haven't seen before! Combining retro fashion and modern wit, Pattern Behavior shines a light on the outdated social ideals of yesteryear--all with a big dose of humor.
160 pages, Hardcover
Published October 3, 2017
2 people are currently reading
176 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
June 30, 2023
I feel so sorry for the people who had to wear these clothes...but the book is funny and filled with nostalgic fun. Funny how fashion changes; I have to confess I have no fashion sense myself. I do admire people who do have fashion sense - guess I still have little time to work on it.
October 1, 2017
This is a book that's very close to my heart. I watched it go from a weird & hilarious Tumblr to a folder of scanned jpgs to a PDF to a binder to a REAL LIVE BOOK, and every draft made me laugh out loud. Natalie's genius is in identifying the strange in the everyday and sketching out a whole word in just a few lines of dialogue.
A perfect gift for that crafty friend with a twisted sense of humor!
A perfect gift for that crafty friend with a twisted sense of humor!
December 21, 2017
I bought this for a friend as a gift.
I am going to get me one for myself.
This book is hilarious. The kitschy vintage pattern pictures are paired with snarky commentary.
Seriously funny and I was honestly laughing out loud!
I am going to get me one for myself.
This book is hilarious. The kitschy vintage pattern pictures are paired with snarky commentary.
Seriously funny and I was honestly laughing out loud!
June 14, 2018
This is a laugh-out loud book of commentary by the author on vintage pattern covers... it was very funny, and I highly recommend it, especially given our depressing political era.
My mom had many patterns - she could also alter them for an exact fit - but I never picked up the knack of expert sewing, even though I did take home economics in junior high school, and vaguely remember possibly completing a simple sewing project, perhaps an apron.
My mom, though, not only could sew from patterns, she could make up her own patterns and copy styles, she could custom-sew, having gone to a technical school for sewing in Athens, Greece, before she immigrated to the US. I remember going to the material or sewing section of perhaps Macy's - or Abraham & Straus - department stores - way way back in the 50s, and her selecting patterns and buying fabric, notions, etc. There might have also been a small fabric store she could buy from in those days near the big department stores on Fulton Street in Brooklyn. She could also simply pick up remnants and turn them into styles - anything from a scarf, to a blouse, or skirt, practically instantly. She had a lot of imagination and flair, and all the neighborhood women as well as family friends would bring their clothes for alterations - for free of course. This was part of the social fabric, which also included bringing food back and forth between the women on the block, and inter-visiting for coffee. They would also invite us for the holidays and we would be included in family events such as invited to weddings and so forth. Looking good was always a priority for her - even if all she was doing was going a few blocks away to buy groceries. In fact, even if she didn't have to go anywhere, she would always fix herself up - make herself look good - in time for my dad's return from work. This must have been a generational thing.. she never gave up making the effort to look good, even when the casual look came in. She was never really casual in public nor even at home, other than when she was doing heavy housework, or during the day. I never figured out how she managed to get everything done - the housework, including the laundry, ironing, sew, shop, cook dinner, and look good - even though she could and did sleep late (after making breakfast for the family and seeing them off to work and school). She always told me I would never be a good wife unless I did everything very very quickly. She was right. I'm much more laid back - a trait I've had since childhood, when I was so dreamy it could take me hours to finish dinner. I'm not sure I wanted her frenetic life even though it must have been somewhat fun for her.
Anyway, this volume is an extremely funny stroll into the past, by way of McCall's vintage patterns. You can reminisce about styles, how styles have changed - how people once did have waistlines, people were once thin enough to wear clothing with waistlines, the successive fashion eras - the 50s, the 60s, 70s etc. It's fabulous to get this look back in time by means of patterns - every detail is interesting, frankly. And Ms. Kossar's comments are often hysterical -- really funny -- at one point I was laughing so hard I was almost crying! That's how funny the comments are!
From a sociological standpoint, the clothing - much of it, at least in eras prior to the 70s - quite tailored, and complicated, reflects a more conservative era that probably will never come back, now that people opt for comfort/ease over formality/style. Perhaps this is a democratizing trend, since people do not necessarily project status via clothing. The relaxed look of jeans, T-shirt, sneakers and so forth - is almost universal. Of course, business attire must still be worn in some professions, and there are also the legions of people who wear uniforms at work - but by and large, if given a choice, most people opt for a more laid back look. The era of pleats, for example, lace details - perhaps these are still found in ready-to-wear styles - but most people cannot be bothered with carefully ironing woven fabrics, would rather purchase washable knit styles or durable denim, that mostly do not require ironing. This of course does not apply for business suits, and so forth.
This book is guaranteed to entertain and make you laugh - while also providing plenty of nostalgia. You can marvel at the work involved in making some of the complicated styles of the 50s (or earlier) and contrast that with today's much less fashion-conscious world. I thought this was a great book - and recommend it to all!
My mom had many patterns - she could also alter them for an exact fit - but I never picked up the knack of expert sewing, even though I did take home economics in junior high school, and vaguely remember possibly completing a simple sewing project, perhaps an apron.
My mom, though, not only could sew from patterns, she could make up her own patterns and copy styles, she could custom-sew, having gone to a technical school for sewing in Athens, Greece, before she immigrated to the US. I remember going to the material or sewing section of perhaps Macy's - or Abraham & Straus - department stores - way way back in the 50s, and her selecting patterns and buying fabric, notions, etc. There might have also been a small fabric store she could buy from in those days near the big department stores on Fulton Street in Brooklyn. She could also simply pick up remnants and turn them into styles - anything from a scarf, to a blouse, or skirt, practically instantly. She had a lot of imagination and flair, and all the neighborhood women as well as family friends would bring their clothes for alterations - for free of course. This was part of the social fabric, which also included bringing food back and forth between the women on the block, and inter-visiting for coffee. They would also invite us for the holidays and we would be included in family events such as invited to weddings and so forth. Looking good was always a priority for her - even if all she was doing was going a few blocks away to buy groceries. In fact, even if she didn't have to go anywhere, she would always fix herself up - make herself look good - in time for my dad's return from work. This must have been a generational thing.. she never gave up making the effort to look good, even when the casual look came in. She was never really casual in public nor even at home, other than when she was doing heavy housework, or during the day. I never figured out how she managed to get everything done - the housework, including the laundry, ironing, sew, shop, cook dinner, and look good - even though she could and did sleep late (after making breakfast for the family and seeing them off to work and school). She always told me I would never be a good wife unless I did everything very very quickly. She was right. I'm much more laid back - a trait I've had since childhood, when I was so dreamy it could take me hours to finish dinner. I'm not sure I wanted her frenetic life even though it must have been somewhat fun for her.
Anyway, this volume is an extremely funny stroll into the past, by way of McCall's vintage patterns. You can reminisce about styles, how styles have changed - how people once did have waistlines, people were once thin enough to wear clothing with waistlines, the successive fashion eras - the 50s, the 60s, 70s etc. It's fabulous to get this look back in time by means of patterns - every detail is interesting, frankly. And Ms. Kossar's comments are often hysterical -- really funny -- at one point I was laughing so hard I was almost crying! That's how funny the comments are!
From a sociological standpoint, the clothing - much of it, at least in eras prior to the 70s - quite tailored, and complicated, reflects a more conservative era that probably will never come back, now that people opt for comfort/ease over formality/style. Perhaps this is a democratizing trend, since people do not necessarily project status via clothing. The relaxed look of jeans, T-shirt, sneakers and so forth - is almost universal. Of course, business attire must still be worn in some professions, and there are also the legions of people who wear uniforms at work - but by and large, if given a choice, most people opt for a more laid back look. The era of pleats, for example, lace details - perhaps these are still found in ready-to-wear styles - but most people cannot be bothered with carefully ironing woven fabrics, would rather purchase washable knit styles or durable denim, that mostly do not require ironing. This of course does not apply for business suits, and so forth.
This book is guaranteed to entertain and make you laugh - while also providing plenty of nostalgia. You can marvel at the work involved in making some of the complicated styles of the 50s (or earlier) and contrast that with today's much less fashion-conscious world. I thought this was a great book - and recommend it to all!
May 29, 2020
So...this wasn't what I expected. I thought it would be a short, humorous discussion about the history of sewing patterns, or perhaps a memoir of someone remembering their time working with sewing patterns, making their own clothes.
What it is, is about 100 pages of pictures of the front of old vintage sewing patterns with cute captions, in the style of Anne Taintor. If you don't know Anne Taintor, look her up. She's hilarious. The captions are cute, sometimes funny, and a few actually caused me to chuckle. They were major laugh out funny, though. It took all of about 10-15 minutes to read, so a bit of a letdown. If you need a few minutes to get your mind off of what's going on in the world, it's not a bad diversion. I would suggest you go check out Taintor's work though...you can find lots on the internet for free.
What it is, is about 100 pages of pictures of the front of old vintage sewing patterns with cute captions, in the style of Anne Taintor. If you don't know Anne Taintor, look her up. She's hilarious. The captions are cute, sometimes funny, and a few actually caused me to chuckle. They were major laugh out funny, though. It took all of about 10-15 minutes to read, so a bit of a letdown. If you need a few minutes to get your mind off of what's going on in the world, it's not a bad diversion. I would suggest you go check out Taintor's work though...you can find lots on the internet for free.
December 29, 2023
Hilarious! I'm buying this for all my friends.
January 31, 2019
This book is FANTASTIC. I almost peed myself laughing so hard. It's a keeper. DAMMIT GAYLE
December 27, 2017
OMG!! My sons girlfriend brought this book over to show it to me. She got it for Christmas. After reading the reviews on Amazon, I was a bit hesitant about it, BUT! WOW!! I NEVER laughed so hard in my life! It literally took me about 25 minutes to read, and I could NOT stop laughing! I NEED this book on my coffee table!! PRONTO!! I now want to go on ebay, buy old patterns, and make up funny conversations that the models are saying to each other! Best Book Ever!!
September 30, 2017
If you enjoy snarky and sometimes crude humor, this book is an excellent addition to your shelves. The author discovered a treasure trove of vintage McCall's pattern illustrations. The pictures alone are enough to make you smile, but paired with Kossar's brand of snark, it's guaranteed that you will laugh out loud while enjoying this book. It's just plain fun.
November 25, 2017
I bought this for my wife as a Christmas present (she sews...and really likes the old, or classic patterns). I sat down to flip through it and ended up going through the whole thing. Obviously not a long read....but there were some laugh out loud moments.
If you have a person who likes to sew in your life, they would probably find this amusing.
If you have a person who likes to sew in your life, they would probably find this amusing.
February 14, 2018
This book is hysterical! I remember going to the fabric store with my mom and flipping through those huge pattern books to pick out clothes for her to make us. Natalie Kossar added the best captions. The funniest part of this book, is that these are real patterns. I think my mom even had a couple of these patterns in her collection. Read with some girlfriend and a glass of wine!
June 12, 2018
Do you need a really good laugh? This book is for you :) I was almost crying when I read it.
Kossar takes old pattern designs like those by Simplicity or McCalls and adds captions or comments. I could not stop reading and could not stop laughing.
Kossar takes old pattern designs like those by Simplicity or McCalls and adds captions or comments. I could not stop reading and could not stop laughing.
January 7, 2018
This will take you all of 10 or 15 minutes to read through, but take your time. If you grew up sewing or around someone who sewed, you will appreciate this funny little book for the hilarious takes on vintage patterns.
November 5, 2017
Hilarious!
January 6, 2018
A fun, quick read that made me laugh out loud twice, and not many books do that. Really enjoyed this.
January 5, 2018
Natalie is a gem. I laughed a lot. This was just so great.
January 14, 2018
Hilarious. Author pokes fun at pattern models. A great pick me up on a cold, cloudy day.
February 3, 2018
Wow...not for me. There were like 3 funny pages though.
March 18, 2018
Clever, original and hilarious!
March 28, 2018
Bwahahaha! Sequel please!
May 6, 2018
Hysterically funny :D
February 27, 2019
Stitchy McYarnpants tried it with knitting patterns, and now this girl is trying it with sewing patterns. But only James Lileks can successfully whack the defenseless past and have hilarity ensue!
October 16, 2018
I kind of feel guilty for including this in my "read" books, because it is a super fast read. Captions to vintage McCall's patterns. But the book is so funny, and nostalgic - especially if you sew, or have looked through pattern books. I wouldn't have known about this book except it was in a display at the library with "Staff Favorites." I owe that staff person, big time.
August 22, 2018
A friend recommended this. I laughed so hard that I read it a second time. So much snark.
August 30, 2019
Drawings of models in 1950s-to-1970s clothes, with the author's captions. A very few of the captions are funny.
November 20, 2024
Love the concept - it’s fun to see so many vintage pattern illustrations collected together. The humour was a bit hit or miss for me.
November 19, 2017
I've only flipped through this book after discovering it at the bookstore by chance, and it's not really a book you sit down and read. It's mainly pictures with a funny caption, but it is still one of the funniest things I've read in quite some time. The captions for these vintage sewing pictures are snarky and crude and just plain silly, but they made me laugh so very much! I applaud the author and thank them for brightening up my day.
November 12, 2017
If you’re a fan of Arrested Development, you will love the humor in this book.
March 12, 2018
Maybe 2.5* The pattern cover illustrations, for the most part, were wonderful and covered a wide variety of styles, ages and periods, but the supposedly humorous captions, for me, fell woefully flat. I realize that she was trying to 'skewer outdated social ideas of gender and race or class' but that message never really came through for me. Many captions were too slight or just felt snarky.
Since I would imagine a major audience for this book other than followers of her blog would be people interested in fashion and sewing history the author should, at the very least, have included dates for each pattern illustration if not more detailed data on the sources.
An amusement that can be gotten through in mere minutes unless you want to spend more time admiring the vintage fashion details.
Since I would imagine a major audience for this book other than followers of her blog would be people interested in fashion and sewing history the author should, at the very least, have included dates for each pattern illustration if not more detailed data on the sources.
An amusement that can be gotten through in mere minutes unless you want to spend more time admiring the vintage fashion details.
August 16, 2019
Growing up, my mom was a seamstress. She sewed all of my Halloween costumes, as well as my Christmas and Easter dresses . She made gorgeous clothes for my Barbie dolls, prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses, and wedding dresses for our neighbors and family. She's very talented. She had drawers full of patterns. When I saw this book and some of the captions, I had to have it.
Some of these captions really cracked me up. Some are really clever. There are a few that are repetitive or not as funny but most are very good. I enjoyed it very much.
Some of these captions really cracked me up. Some are really clever. There are a few that are repetitive or not as funny but most are very good. I enjoyed it very much.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews