This week to fight the stress of looming exams, I’ve been revisiting a couple books that have collected dust on our shelves. Inspired by Alvin Toffler’s Future Shock (1970), I thought it would be fun to post some of the paper dresses that he mentions as an aside to his idea that “disposable” is the new vogue of the 60s.
I was delighted to come upon this photo of one of my favorite ladies, Jane Asher, modeling hers as well as the other cute ones featured here. I hope you find these as fun as I do!
(Photography via:cathyofcalifornia.typepad.com)
Packaging insert for a “Waste Basket Boutique” child’s dress, 1966–69 (photograph via: news.wisc.edu)
(Photograph via: britishairways.com)
(Photograph via:polyvore.com)
(photograph via Gallery of Design)
As a way of promoting their products, Scott Paper company spawned the idea of a ‘paper dress’ in 1966. The idea was that if you bought a dress and wore it only once or twice, you’d still be spending less money than if you purchased a lasting one and included maintenance costs. Scott Paper promoted their other products via ‘the paper dress’ by including coupons for their items with the purchase of a dress.
Because of the obvious problems with the dress design (i.e. shapelessness), the company was surprised when ‘the paper dress’ idea launched into a real trend. Shortly after, with a couple tweeks, companies took off with ideas of longer-lasting items such as bikinis, bell-bottoms, and even wedding dresses.
So why did these dresses fall out in the early part of 1970? Even though the dresses were much sturdier as time progressed, there was still a common complaint that they ripped too easily and were even a fire hazard. Plus as all trends come and go, this one went without much ado.
For more information about paper dresses of the 1960s, here’s a fun historical blurb with more photographs:
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/museum/artifacts/archives/003291.asp
*winks,
Lady<3
