Haslam System of Dresscutting

The Haslam System of Dresscutting is a fascinating way of creating vintage clothing patterns to your own measurements. Rather than using a conventional ready-sized sewing pattern, the Haslam system works from a personal foundation draft, which is then adapted using the individual design books to create the finished garment pattern.

Here you’ll find our collection of Haslam dresscutting books and designs from the 1920s through to the 1960s, covering dresses, suits and coats, lingerie and nightwear, sportswear, beachwear, evening and bridal wear, maternity, fuller-figure designs and more.

New to Haslam? Most of the later design books are used with the separate Foundation Drafting Instructions and Drafting Boards, available individually or together as a complete starting set. Some of the earlier Haslam books include their own foundation drafting instructions; where this is the case it is clearly stated in the individual product description.

Once your foundation is prepared, the design instructions show you how to adapt it to create your chosen garment to your own measurements.

It’s an ingenious system for anyone interested in authentic vintage dressmaking and made-to-measure pattern drafting.