Advance Patterns of New York

The house brand of J C Penny Company from 1933 until it and was purchased by Puritan Fashions in 1966. 

Original prices began at 10 cents and climbed to 75 cents by 1964.

Since Advance did not date their patterns, it is difficult to pin down actual dates.  The information below is an approximation based on observation and experience, styling details and historical research of designers.

Advance started with the number 1000 and finished the decade with the 2300 series.  Notice the Eiffel Tower in the logo.  Implying that these were Paris Designs.

One of the companies most popular patterns was the Buttons and Bows apron used as a give away promotion in 1948 for the Movie "Pale Face" staring Jane Russell and Bob Hope. 

The decade started in the 2300 sequence and finished around 5300. 

Notice that the font and placement of the Name changed around 1948.

The 1950's were a more prolific time for Advance.  They started the decade in the 5300 series and finished around 9200.  They also featured many celebrity and designer patterns, including the I LOVE LUCY pattern. 

 There was small issue of Import Designer's which have not all been discovered yet.  But they did include #101 Carven, #103 Simonetta,  #113 Aurora Battilocchi and #115 Fontana. 

 American designers were issued in the regular line (without special numbers) that included Adele Simpson,  Suzy Perette and Luis Estevez  and there was a line of New York Times Designer Fashions called  Patterns of the Times.

The Block letter font stays prominent and at the top.

Advance sold to Puritan in 1966 and the last known number group is the 3500's.   From 1960-1965 they were quite prolific and produced many wonderful and stylish patterns.  As one of the last companies to go to printed patterns the announced the fact by putting "A Printed Pattern" on each envelope.

The block letter font moved to the side in 1960, moved to the bottom with the Sew Easy indication around 1962 and then moved back to the side around 1964.

After several years selling and handling old sewing patterns and catalogs, I have compiled this list of dates and pattern numbers.  Since most patterns are not printed with the copyright information on them this list is computed using information from magazines, pattern books and other published sources.  The best I can do most of the time is assume that if a pattern is published in a catalog that is it's date of release.  There are of course crossovers and some patterns are rereleased.  So there is definitely room for error in my calculations. 

This guide is meant as just that.......A GUIDE.  It is not a definitive copyright date source.

Many Thanks to: Erin at "A Dress A Day" for creating the wonderful "Sewing Pattern Wiki", all of the contributors to the Wiki, and all of my wonderful friends and pattern sellers, (especially Birgit at Stitches and Loops ) and collectors who share their information and photos and knowledge.  (there are too many to list here, but you can find them on my Links Page,) and last but definitely not least, my Dear Husband for giving me tons of help and encouragement to research all of the data to compile for your research benefit.