19-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Friday, July 10 – Saturday, July 11, 1914: Forgot the particulars of these days.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Since Grandma didn’t write any specific for this date, I’ll share an advertisement that I found for Acme Dress Forms. I knew a few people who had dress forms when I was a kid. Does anyone have them anymore?
I actually own a dress form right now but would love to have the one you pictured. I do a lot of sewing and am probably more of a tailor but love to have a garment on my form that I can see and admire. Wish I could have the one above!!!
It’s awesome that you have a dress form, You must be a very skilled seamstress. I bet that you make some beautiful outfits.
You might find this interesting.
http://www.meetzorp.com/2004/09/the-l-m-adjustable-dress-form-company-makers-of-acme-form/
Thanks for finding this wonderful link. It’s fun to see several of these vintage dress forms.
These days you can make a perfect replica of your body with duct tape! Check this out! https://www.youtube.com/v/H1lB456OS9A%26hl=en_US%26fs=1%26
Diana xo
Amazing. . . who would have thunk? 🙂
Wow, over one hundred adjustments, I have sewed without a dress form.
It sounds like it must have been complex and time consuming to get everything adjusted right.
Helena is really dropping the ball lately! Lazy days of summer?
She’s making my job more difficult. But I peaked ahead and promise that it will get better. 🙂
My daughter and I made one using the duct tape method described by dianaschwenk. She’s much older now, so it’s fun to compare how much her little torso has grown and changed.
What a wonderful project. . .And, it sounds like so much fun to be still have it years later.
Our granddaughters are mini dress designers of sorts & use modern dress forms. They are many places that have new versions, but would be grand to have an antique Acme.
What a fun activity for you granddaughters! I bet they look gorgeous.
My daughter-in-law is a fashion designer and has a dress form of some soft-surface black material…these antique ones are much nicer!
The old ones are awesome!
So cool. Reminds me of my grandmother. Not the form, the idea of it haha.
Somehow it seems almost like a symbol of simpler times. 🙂
Yes, that might be it!
It sounds like Grandma was too tired to think. Bless her heart.
A lot of the women back then did some sort of needlework or sewing, I wonder if your Grandma had a dress form.
I always wanted a dress form. I’ve got it in my mind that I may try and make one someday using the duct-tape idea, but I probably won’t.
I always wanted one, too–though I’m not sure why. I never was a very good seamstress and I haven’t sewed in years.
Grandma must have been having some busy days, and going back to write in her diary at a later date.
That’s was I think, too. . . that she was working very hard.
I don’t still have one, but I did back in the 60s. I wish I had it now just so I could check to see how much my figure has changed, not that I’d expect good news.
I never had a dress from–but if I did I’m sure that I’d find it depressing how my figure has changed across the years. 🙂
Sheryl,
My great-grandfather started the Acme Dress Form Company/L&M, which actually was based in Brooklyn, NY. He was the first to patent an adjustable dress-form. Four of his five sons went into the business and then my father and his first cousin. The business thrived for some time, but by about 1980 when it was owned solely by my father the home sewing market had dwindled so significantly that the company was closed. I just recently bought what seems to be a 1912 dress form and another without the stand from the 1940’s. My father and grandfather weren’t very chatty, so I know little of the company’s history. Was excited to see your posting. Is there anyway to get a picture suitable for framing. I would happily reimburse you. Hope this note will pop up. Thanks much, Jill Levin, Great-grandfather, Isaac Levin.
It’s really interesting to learn about the company. It’s awesome that you’ve been able to get a couple of the dress forms from different time periods. Thanks for sharing. I don’t have any versions of the picture that are higher quality than the one that is posted on this blog. You can download it by right-clicking on it. You may also be able to find a copy of the original magazine on Ebay or somewhere else, and get an original version of the advertisement.