Disposable paper dresses were a mad fad in the mid 1960s and it seemed like a great idea for the space age, after all, who is going to do laundry in space? However, the history of paper fashions goes back much further.
Bonnet trimmed with blue satin ribbons (1812/1814)Original Source: http://fashionhistorymuseum.com/
“Bonnet Board” Bonnet Trimmed with Satin Ribbons, English, c. 1812
‘Bonnet board’ was a heavy linen paper with stamped designs used for making summer bonnets and hats when fine Italian straw hats became scarce because of the Napoleonic Wars.
Paper Corset (c. 1916)Fashion History Museum
Paper Corset, Germany, c. 1916
During World War I, blockades kept shipments of textiles from entering Germany. Paper cut into strips, twisted and woven into cloth were used to make a variety of clothing with great success.
Halloween Costume (late 1920s)Fashion History Museum
Halloween Costume, late 1920s
From the late 1890s until the early 1960s, crepe paper was a popular and affordable material for making fancy dress costumes...
as long as it didn’t rain!
A Mad Fad
In spring 1966, the Scott Paper Company created an offer for a printed paper dress. With a coupon from a Scott product and $1.25, anyone could order a dress by mail in either a bandanna or Op Art print. Much to the company’s surprise, half a million orders came in.
Paper Dress (1966) by Mars of Asheville Co.Fashion History Museum
Paper Dress, Mars of Asheville Co., 1966
In the summer of 1966, Mars of Asheville, NC were the first to market paper clothes as a purely fashion enterprise.
Other companies followed, resulting in a paper shortage during 1966 and 1967.
Paper Pantsuit with Matching Mat (1966) by James Sterling Co.Fashion History Museum
Paper Pantsuit with Matching Hat, James Sterling Co., New York, 1966
Some companies experimented with more complicated clothing than A-line dresses, although these proved to be not very cost effective for resale.
Floral Print Spun Bonded Polyester Fibre Dress (1967)Fashion History Museum
Floral Print Dress made of Spun Bonded Polyester Fibre, 1967
With a paper shortage, other materials were substituted to sustain the disposable garment market: Rayon mesh (called Reemay), spun-bonded polyester, and plastic coated Tyvek were all used as alternatives.
Expo 67: Canadian Pulp and Paper Pavilion
Anticipating sales potential, the Canadian Pulp and Paper Industry showcased the potential of paper in their pavilion at Expo 67 in Montreal, including clothes for men and women, shoes, bedspreads, chairs and lamps -- the possibilities were endless.
Artist-Painted Paper Dress (c. 1967)Fashion History Museum
Artist-Painted Paper Dress, American, c. 1967
With scissor snips, poster paints, crayons, or the new felt-tip markers, customizing paper garments allowed wearers to “do your own thing”.
Bob Dylan Photo-print Paper Dress (1967) by Poster Dresses Ltd.Fashion History Museum
Bob Dylan Photo-Print Paper Dress, Poster Dresses Ltd., London, England, 1967
The first series of six photo-print dresses by Poster Dresses included Bob Dylan, who wouldn’t give his permission for an American printing later that same year.
Robert Kennedy Presidential Campaign Paper Dress (1968)Fashion History Museum
Robert Kennedy Presidential Campaign Paper Dress, 1968
American presidential candidates, Nixon, Romney, Rockefeller, and Bobby Kennedy, all took advantage of the paper dress “billboard” for their campaigns.
Campbell’s “Souper” Dress (1967)Fashion History Museum
Campbell’s “Souper” Dress, American, 1967
In the days before T-shirt art, marketing executives took advantage of the visual merchandising potential of the paper dress.
Campbell’s re-appropriated Andy Warhol’s soup can labels to produce the “Souper Dress” in 1967.
Gold Paper Dress (1967) by Elisa DaggsFashion History Museum
Gold Paper Dress, Elisa Daggs, New York, 1967
Trans World Airlines experimented with paper dresses, hiring New York fashion designer Elisa Daggs to create outfits for flight attendants.
Industrial Paper Fashion
The fad for paper clothing burned itself out quickly but that wasn’t the end of disposable clothing, which is used mostly in industrial settings today.
Highlights from the exhibition Ready to Tear: A History of Paper Fashion,
a travelling exhibition created by Jonathan Walford in 2001 for the Musee Marcil in Montreal. The show travelled to 5 other venues across Canada between 2004 and 2008. The success of this travelling show was a catalyst for the creation of the Fashion History Museum
All artifacts are from the collection of the Fashion History Museum.
