If you’re a vintage sewing enthusiast, you would probably already heard or know of the infamous ‘walk away’ dress or Butterick 4790. This pattern, a vintage reproduction of the true vintage pattern Butterick 6015 originally published in 1952, is an apron style dress which boasts being so quick to sew, you can “walk away” in it very quickly. The dress pattern is styled like a poncho where the dress is put over the head and then wrapped around the body and doesn’t require any complicated sewing however, where it get’s its infamy from is the fact that Butterick 4790 is considered one of the worse reproductions released in the last few years. There are countless articles, videos and blogs all attempting to create this dress, all of which highlight the disaster this dress is to fit and alter and although I’ve never personally made it, I think I might one day in the future just to see how it goes. The walk away dress was popular because it was such a quick and easy sew. The pattern has very few pieces and as long as you can sew on bias tape, you’re good to go. However, Butterick 4790 (or the original Butterick 6015) was not the only dress of its kind. In todays post, I wanted to share a list of some of the other walk away dresses I have found over the years and I am hoping to make some and compare them but that won’t be for a little while yet.
Vogue 8025 has since been reproduced and can be found printed under the code Vogue 1864. The original pattern was released in 1953.
Butterick 6655; can be made into a short apron style or longer; both with pockets. Released 1955
Butterick 6119 released 1952, comes in a fitted or flared version.
Butterick 8151 released 1951.
Simplicity 3967 released in 1952.
Butterick 6836 released 1954, comes in a fitted or flared version with collar.
Butterick 7349 released 1955 comes in a halter neck style bodice and can have both a fitted and flared skirt in one garment.
McCalls 2104 released in 1956 is very much an apron dress and comes with a large pocket.
Butterick 6914 released during the 1950s.
Butterick 4899 released 1951.
Butterick 7500 released 1955.
Butterick 6472 originally released in 1953 has since been reproduced under the name Butterick 6211 and is readily available for purchase.
Butterick 5368 released 1969.
Simplicity 8817 released 1970 is a young girls jiffy pattern.
Simplicity 8125 released in 1969 is also a jiffy pattern. It has since been reproduced under the code Simplicity 1356.
Simplicity 9970 released in 1972.
Simplicity 8771 released 1970.
Simplicity 5449 released 1964
The concept of the ‘walk away’ dress was quite popular especially during the early 1950s and there’s still hope that some of these vintage patterns can be reproduced with better results than the infamous Butterick 4790. If you are looking to purchase some of these patterns, you may have to hunt around for a while or be prepared to pay a pretty penny. I have included some 60s and 70s style walk away dresses as these could be easier to find and hopefully a little cheaper. With some dress length adjustments, you could easily mimic the original walk away dress.
Note: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions and thoughts expressed are solely my own and not influenced in any way. There are no affiliate links and I do not benefit from any link clicks or purchases made.
Dear Miss Monmon
I was thoroughly intrigued by your article on the walk away dress.
Recently, I spent a pretty penny on the purchase of a vintage slip pattern because I hadn’t been able to find it in any newer pattern. I have always found sewing my own clothes intriguing but never learned its finer aspects until about four years ago during the pandemic.
In 2000 I was diagnosed with bipolar. Years prior, I’d gotten into art rubber-stamping. It was fun at the beginning but then it became a chore. I didn’t lack ideas. Oh contrare! It was that I couldn’t replicate my ideas to paper. Even when I did, which was rare, the length of time to completion was ridiculous. About a month before I realized that I really wanted to ditch the whole lot of it, I bought a state of the art paper trimmer that cost just shy of $400. Still, with giving it up, I have no regrets.
My husband let me know that I needed a hobby. I didn’t really know what to do with that until I started sewing face masks. I made some for me and some for a friend. Then my Viking Husqvarna replicate of 13 years (a knockoff called HuskyStar made in China and mostly plastic) gave up the ghost. It had served me well but now I was out a machine. I tried trading it in for a BabyLock which I had only known as a serger. It became a bait and switch kind of deal. The sales person couldn’t even get the bobbin into the sewing machine they were trying to sell me! So I took back mine and beatfeet it to the door. What a disappointment that was. No serger and no machine.
A few months prior to this, I had found my dream machine online and had made inquiries without response. Just after the serger fiasco I get a phone call. I was given the nomenclature but had no idea what they were talking about. It ended up being the response about my dream machine! What is my idea of my dream machine? A ~1980s cam operated Swedish made Viking Husqvarna sewing machine. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s predominantly metal so it weighs roughly 25lbs.
There’s been a number of times that I’ve gone manic because of a number of factors: stress, lack of sleep, overtaxing myself with too many things, &. Such was the case when I seriously became interested in making my own clothes. The statement “It’s so easy” should be stricken from all languages. It’s one of the most absurd statements that I’ve ever heard. On the other side is “you could never make this”. Both are so untrue. The first one makes me want to run in the opposite direction with my arms flailing and screaming at the top of my lungs. The other one does the exact opposite. I take as a triple dog dare.
So it is with the walk away dress. While I refuse to buy another original vintage pattern because it’s cost prohibitive, I own several vintage style patterns that I picked up for $1 each. In addition, I believe that I’ve found a way to add sleeves. I may make a wearable toile because I loathe the idea of a standard one. So much time spent with next to nothing to show for it just isn’t me.
During the four years, I’ve learned about the amazing amount of measurements to making clothes that truly fit. It took me five times to make a bodice block but I was thrilled it actually looked like a bodice! I bought my first and maybe last indie pattern about six months ago and recently sewed it. I actually made something that I could wear!
The problem with the indie pattern was the PDF. Instead of wasting a bunch of copy paper, I ended up also buying a flat pattern and had it mailed to me. Simple is best.
All that said, have you made any of the walk away dresses from your article?
All the best
Roberta