Dress Pattern 1935 - 1942

This dress pattern was sketched by Bessie Forman, who lived a long life, 1855-1995. It’s a tentative thing, this dress. A beginning, a proposal, a diagram of something to come. I imagine Bessie hunched over the paper, pencil in hand, trying to resolve the complexities of form into a set of instructions. She’s thinking about darts and seams and facings. She’s visualizing the fabric, how it will drape and fall. The lines are delicate, almost hesitant, and it’s so interesting to see her handwriting there too. It makes me think about the intimate connection between her hand, her mind, and the material world. It makes me wonder who she was making this for. All these artists, all these seamstresses, they’re all in conversation, working out problems of form and function. Each one building on the discoveries of the others, sharing knowledge and inspiration. A collective, ongoing project.