Not currently on display at the V&A

Paper Dress

1967 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Paper dresses were a brief but spectacular 1960s sensation. They were cheap, and the simple 2-D shape was ideal for the bold graphic prints that were so fashionable. Paper manufacturers in the USA predicted that disposable clothing would transform the clothing industry, but in practice, most paper garments creased and tore too easily. High street fashions in conventional fabrics were changing every week, and were at affordable prices too, and the novelty of paper dresses soon wore off.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Printed and bonded cellulose fibre
Brief description
Short sleeveless paper dress of bonded cellulose fibre, made by Wastebasket Boutique by Mars, North Carolina, 1967
Physical description
Short sleeveless paper dress of bonded cellulose fibre with a printed design of stylised flowers on green.
Marks and inscriptions
'Waste Basket Boutique (T.M.) by Mars of Asheville N.C.' (Printed label stitched inside neck of dress)
Credit line
Bequeathed by Audie Bancroft
Object history
Registered File number 1992/122.
Subject depicted
Summary
Paper dresses were a brief but spectacular 1960s sensation. They were cheap, and the simple 2-D shape was ideal for the bold graphic prints that were so fashionable. Paper manufacturers in the USA predicted that disposable clothing would transform the clothing industry, but in practice, most paper garments creased and tore too easily. High street fashions in conventional fabrics were changing every week, and were at affordable prices too, and the novelty of paper dresses soon wore off.
Collection
Accession number
T.32-1992

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Record createdJune 21, 2006
Record URL
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