1960s Tailored Crochet Two-Piece Suit Pattern – Jacket & Skirt

1960s Tailored Crochet Suit Pattern PDF – Jacket & Skirt, Bust 32–40

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1960s Tailored Crochet Two-Piece Suit Pattern – Jacket & Skirt

This elegant 1960s crochet suit turns sport-yarn crochet into polished, tailored fashion. The fitted jacket, three-quarter sleeves, buttoned front, and straight skirt create the kind of coordinated city ensemble that defined early-1960s dressing—structured enough to read as a true suit, yet entirely handmade.

What’s Included

    • Complete vintage crochet directions for the jacket and matching skirt
    • Original vintage sizes 12, 14 and 16
    • Confirmed historical bust range: 32–40 inches
    • Original Brunswick materials, notions and gauge
    • Modern Maker’s Notes for fit, lining, zipper, interfacing and finishing

Original Sizing

Directions are written for vintage Size 12 with changes for Sizes 14 and 16. Using the corresponding 1960s size guide, the historical bust range is confirmed as 32–40 inches. Because vintage size numbers don’t correspond directly to modern ready-to-wear sizing, choose the pattern by body measurements and compare them with the original construction before you begin.

Original Materials & Yarn

Brunswick Pomfret Sport Yarn, 2-ounce skeins: 15 (16–17).

    • No. E aluminum crochet hook, or size required to obtain gauge
    • No. 0 steel crochet hook
    • 4 “La Mode” buttons
    • 3½ yards China Silk
    • 7-inch skirt zipper
    • 1 yard of 1½-inch grosgrain ribbon
    • ½ yard Pellon

Gauge

5 stitches = 1 inch; 10 rows = 3 inches.

Construction & Technique

This is not a soft, unstructured cardigan-and-skirt set. The original design uses lining, zipper, grosgrain ribbon, and Pellon to help the crocheted fabric behave more like tailored cloth. The jacket and skirt are meant to hold a clean silhouette, with dressmaking techniques supporting the crochet construction.

Modern Maker’s Notes

Swatch for fabric, not only gauge. Work a generous sample in the actual stitch pattern, then wash and dry it as the finished suit will be treated. Check stitch gauge, row gauge, opacity, drape, and recovery before purchasing the full yarn quantity.

Preserve the tailored structure. The lining, grosgrain, zipper and Pellon are part of the original design logic. Omitting them can change how the jacket fronts, skirt waist, and overall silhouette hang.

Choose a modern yarn by behavior. A substitute should create enough body for a suit without becoming board-like. A very soft yarn may collapse at the jacket edges; a heavy yarn may make the skirt stretch downward. Match the original gauge after washing and evaluate the weight of a larger swatch.

Check row gauge carefully. Row gauge affects jacket length, sleeve depth, and skirt shaping. If stitch gauge matches but row gauge does not, the proportions can change substantially.

Plan the sewing steps early. Block the crochet pieces before choosing the final zipper length, waist support and lining treatment. Modern notions can differ in weight and stiffness from their period equivalents, so test them against the blocked fabric before permanent assembly.

Then & Now

In the 1960s, coordinated suits remained a wardrobe standard, and this design shows how crochet could participate in that tailored fashion language. Today, the complete suit would be striking in winter white, black, camel, deep teal, lipstick red, or pale blush. The jacket can also be worn separately with tailored trousers or over a simple dress, while the skirt pairs beautifully with a fine-gauge knit or silk blouse.

Digital Download

This listing is for a digital historical crochet pattern PDF. No finished suit, yarn, lining, buttons, zipper, or other physical materials are included.

The original historical instructions remain the pattern authority. Modern Maker’s Notes are editorial guidance to help today’s maker interpret period materials, sizing, and finishing.

Printing Guidance

Print at 100% / Actual Size unless the source specifically instructs otherwise. Avoid “Fit to Page” when page scale matters.

Continue Exploring the Archive

Explore more vintage fashion through the Dazespast Archive, including 1960s fashion, coordinated separates and tailored crochet.

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