Stuff You Should Know Short Stuff: The Paper Dress Fad
Nov 17, 2021
Discover the fascinating rise of paper dresses in the 1960s! This trend emerged as a bold marketing strategy, tapping into the era's obsession with disposable fashion. Explore how these unique garments offered artists creative freedom and reflected cultural shifts. Dive into the environmental implications of such styles and ponder the future of sustainable fashion. This whimsical moment in commercial history showcases the playful intersection of fashion and art, making it a captivating tale of innovation.
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The Paper Dress Fad
- Scott Paper Company created paper dresses as a marketing strategy for their new product, DuraWeave.
- The dresses, offered for around a dollar, unexpectedly became a huge fad, selling half a million in less than a year.
Unintentional Trendsetter
- The paper dresses' success wasn't profitable for Scott Paper Company because they sold them cheaply as a promotion.
- Other companies, recognizing the trend, started producing paper dresses to capitalize on the demand.
Cultural Convergence and Rapid Growth
- The paper dress fad reflected a cultural shift towards disposable, convenient items and aligned with the popularity of pop art and commercialism in art.
- The fad grew rapidly, with one design house, Waste Basket Boutique, producing 100,000 dresses weekly.