239 Blonde Bombshell

Misses XS-3XL

Celebrate your femininity with this dramatic, full-skirted sewing pattern from the 1950s. Make it in colorful cotton for a summer sundress or shimmering brocade for an evening party any time of the year. 

The mid-1950s celebrated femininity with tight-waisted, full-skirted dresses like this, the Blonde Bombshell.  Fitted waists, halter tops, and circle skirts become popular again every few years from then on.

For summer, this dress is easily made in plain or printed cottons (think tropical!). For winter parties, try taffeta, satin, or crepe. The Blonde Bombshell is as versatile as it is flattering, and, of course, you don't have to be blonde! 

The dress is very easy to sew, with only five pattern pieces. Its bodice consists of midriff front and back. The halter ties at the back of the neck in View A or is fastened with hooks and eyes for View B. A low calf-length circular skirt fits smoothly into the waist in back, gathers softly in front, and zips up the center back.

The perfect cover-up is our soft Bolero Sweater that hugs the bodice and fastens with one button in front. Knit it in a worsted-weight mohair blend yarn in a simple stockinette stitch. Complete instructions are included for sizes XS-MD.

Suggested Fabrics:
Dress: Suitable for most light to medium-weight fabrics, such as cotton, cotton blends, silk, and silkies.
Sweater: Worsted weight blend of acrylic, wool, or mohair (165 yds/151m per 1¾ oz/50gm skein) or equivalent.

Yardage chart (.pdf)

This pattern is available as a Paper pattern and a PDF pattern.  Choose the option you want at the top. The paper pattern is printed on 18# white paper and will be mailed to you. The PDF pattern is available to download after checkout. The PDF pattern includes files for print at home (A4 or 8.5x11"), copy shop versions (A0 and 36" wide), instructions, and a projector file.  Files are layered by size.

LEARN MORE: 

• Bodice tips:
  • Note from a Folkwear dealer: If you happen to have any gaping at the side bust when wearing the dress, stitch in a strip of clear elastic along the bodice side seam at the bust to keep the bodice secure to the sides.
  • Rebecca, from Winter Springs, Florida, cut smaller size bust pieces, adjusted the gathers, and extended the halter straps to crisscross in the back and get stitched in at the waist. She says this gives her more confidence when wearing.
• Knit bolero tip:
  • Alison, from Australia, did some experimenting with different yarns and needle sizes to achieve the correct gauge for the #239 knitted Bolero. She suggests using 5.5mm needles (current U.S. size 9) for the body of the bolero and size 4.5mm needles (current U.S. size 7) for the sleeve cuffs to give the right gauge and right-sized garment. She used a size 4.5mm hook for the single crochet edging. Yarn type, needle size, and knitting style will impact gauge, so test your gauge to see what needle size works best for you.  
• Want to add inseam pockets to your skirt?  Use our tutorial (and free pocket pattern) to do so.