what is a paper dress

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Paper Craft

How to Make a Paper Dress

Last Updated: December 8, 2022 Tested

This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff . Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. The wikiHow Video Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. This article has been viewed 265,735 times. Learn more...

A paper dress can be a fun project for an afternoon. You can also wear a paper dress to a costume party. The process of making a paper dress can take a long time, so have patience. You'll make the bottom first, and then make a top piece to go with it. Once you're finished, you'll have a fun, flowing paper dress to show off.

Collecting Supplies and Taking Measurements

Creating the Full Skirt

Forming the Dress's Top

Community Q&A

Video . By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube.

About This Article

To make a paper dress, start by laying two sheets of newspaper side by side and taping them together. Then, wrap the paper around your waist, overlap the ends, and point the ends downwards slightly to form a triangular shape. Once you're happy with the position, tape it together to form the skirt. Next, add several layers of newspaper to the middle of your skirt to lengthen it. To make the top, tape 2 sheets of paper together and cut the tops so you have 2 upward-facing curves that look like a low-cut dress. Then, secure the paper around your torso with tape. To learn how to make a draw string for your skirt and taper in the top at your waist, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Past Forward

Activating the henry ford archive of innovation.

“Pulp Fashion”: Paper Dresses of the 1960s

Glass case with four dress forms, each containing a garment, labels in front and additional artifacts on a low table

Another group of garments from The Henry Ford’s rich collection of clothing and accessories makes its debut in “ What We Wore ” in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. Who knew that a company that made toilet tissue and paper towels would start a fashion sensation? In April 1966, the Scott Paper Company launched a promotion for its new line of colorful paper products. Along with two proofs of purchase and $1.25 for shipping, customers could redeem a coupon for a paper dress, choosing from a red paisley bandana pattern or a black-and-white op art print. The media took immediate notice. So did the public. Scott’s “Paper Caper” dresses became a surprise hit. Soon fashion enthusiasts were wearing not only Scott’s dresses, but paper apparel created by other manufacturers and designers who quickly joined in the trend. The 1960s was an era of exploration and pushing boundaries. It was the space age--people envisioned an exciting future where everything was conveniently automated. New materials and disposability were in. Paper apparel promised convenience--you could simply discard it after one wearing. Altering the hemline was a snap--all it took was a pair of scissors and a steady hand. A tear? You could do a quick repair with sticky tape. The A-line shape and trendy prints of the paper dress fit perfectly with the youthful “Mod” look and aesthetic sensibilities of the 1960s. You could be up-to-the-minute at little cost--clothing could be quickly and cheaply replaced as trends shifted. There was a paper dress for every budget--from those on the shelves of mass-market retailer J.C. Penney to the chic creations carried by Manhattan boutiques. People bought over a million paper garments between 1966 and 1968. Some envisioned throwaway clothing as the wave of the future. Yet, by early 1968, the craze was beginning to cool. Paper clothing was not really practical or comfortable for everyday use. And the hippie movement--with its back-to-nature values and strong anti-pollution message--was changing public opinion. What had seemed hip and modern now seemed frivolous and wasteful. A bit of novelty in an era of experimentation, the paper dress fad was fun while it lasted.

The Dress That Launched a Fashion Craze

Red sleeveless shift dress with yellow paisley pattern

“Waste Basket Boutique”

Sleeveless jumpsuit in green, red, and orange floral pattern with ties at the shoulders

Walking Ads/Walking Art

Sleeveless dress with a pattern of red-and-white Campbell’s soup cans

Disposable Dresses Go Political

White dress with a large stylistic eagle in blue, red, and white stars, with text “Romney for President” forming part of the body

When You Care Enough to WEAR the Very Best

Hot pink package with drawing of woman with short dark hair, wearing dress with pattern of holly leaves and berries; also contains text

20th century , 1960s , What We Wore , popular culture , home life , Henry Ford Museum , fashion , by Jeanine Head Miller , advertising

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Paper Dresses: A Brief 1966 Fashion Fad

In 1966, the Scott Paper Company introduced the world to paper dresses, a type of disposable fad fashion that became a short-lived viral sensation. The Scott Paper Company was overwhelmed by the craze and rather unprepared for the huge influx of sales. In the first six months of offering paper dresses, the company sold more than half a million paper dresses. Other manufacturers quickly hopped on the bandwagon and, soon, paper garments were everywhere. Sales of disposable paper garments topped $3.5 million at the close of 1966. The novelty craze attracted the attention of wedding and formal wear designers and even pop artist, Andy Warhol.

Paper Dresses? What About Rain? Or Fire?

The paper dresses weren’t as flimsy as we may think they were. They were made of a disposable cellulose material called Dura-Weave, that had been invented and patented in 1958. The fabric was somewhat fire and water resistant. That didn’t mean that the wearer should swim in the outfit or smoke, but it did offer slightly more protection than traditional paper. The fabric was similar to the material used to make those over-sized bibs patients wear at the dentist’s office today.

Paper Dresses Captured The Mod Mood Of The Day

The paper dresses were designed in a simple, shift-dress style with an A-shaped mini skirt. This look was central to the trendy, modern fashions coming out of London and seen on many of icons of the sixties, such as supermodel Twiggy. The youth of the sixties were embracing modernism. They were the first true plastic generation and they grew up with a throw-away mindset. Paper dresses were hip and trendy, but they were also temporary. The wearer could dispose of the dress and move on to newer and better. One marketing slogan for paper dresses even boasted, “Won’t last forever… who cares? Wear it for kicks – then give it the air.”

A Viral Marketing Blitz Helped Make Paper Dresses a Must-Have

The Scott Paper Company thought the dresses would be a novelty item and they printed coupons for the paper garments on the wrappers for their other paper products, like napkins. But when the paper fashion trend picked up momentum, they decided to cash in on the popularity with a full-on marketing blitz. The 1960s was a time when marketing goods and services to the masses was becoming common place. Advertising and consumerism was in its heyday and paper dresses were caught up in the marketing frenzy.

Paper Dresses Became A Marketing, Pop Culture Tool

Pop culture was the phrase of the day in the mid-sixties. This was a time when pop artist Andy Warhol was making waves with his Campbell’s soup art. Commercialism extended into disposable fashion, too. Many of the paper dresses made featured large, over-sized product labels, like Campbell’s soup, candy bars, and soft drinks. It was cool, colorful, and captured the consumerism culture. Budding artist yourself? You could color in your own paper dress to personalize it.

Paper Dresses Expanded into Children’s Wear

As the paper dress fad continued, designers sought ways to expand the offerings to appeal to more and more consumers. One target group was children. The disposable nature of paper clothing was ideal for fast growing children. As one manufacturer’s ad read, it was “Just the thing for the ever-sprouting sprouts.” Most of the children’s offerings were for little girls…simple dresses and pinafores in a wide array of colors and patterns. But little boys could wear paper garments, too. There were paper coveralls designed for young lads.

Formal and Evening Wear Got the Paper Treatment

The affordability of paper dresses made them ideal for one-time formal wear dresses. Fancy evening gowns for sophisticated parties were being offered in the cellulose material. Paper prom dresses was a huge trend in the late 1960s. Brides-to-be could even purchase paper wedding gowns for their big day.

Paper Garments Were For Men, Too

Wear attire made from disposable paper wasn’t just for the ladies. Stylish and trendy men could purchase the novelty, brightly-colored vests, jumpers, bell-bottom pants, tunic shirts, and even full suits. Like the mod-styled paper dresses for young ladies, the clothing items for young men were cool, hip, and modern looking.

Paper Dresses Were a Short-Lived Trend

Even though they were billed as the ‘fabric of the future’ and the ‘new standard material’, the paper dress trend didn’t last long. By the end of the decade, paper garments had run their course. Fashion styles were changing and moving away from the mod mini dress. Plus the environmental awareness of the 1970s ushered in a new way of viewing disposable, throw-away items, like paper dresses. There’s just one thing to be said about paper dresses…they were fun while they lasted.

Vintage Spotlight: Paper Dresses

The 1960s frocks fascinated fashion-minded young ladies.

The ’60s produced beehive hair dos and surf rock and the decade also was when the paper dress had its heyday: a short-lived trend that offered avant garde fashion to the masses at a fraction of the price of even the cheapest of fabric dresses. These ingenious, disposable dresses would become one of the most iconic fashion moments of the era, despite the fact that not too many have survived (owing to the delicate nature of these fragile frocks).

Paper Mania

The trend got started in 1966 when the Scott Paper Company created a series of paper dresses to promote their new line of paper products featuring bright colors. The dresses came in two patterns, a red bandana paisley and a black and white optical illusion print. The original paper dresses were called “Paper Capers” and came with a note about how to wear them, “Your Paper Caper is an all-paper dress and intended for one time wear only. It is flame resistant, but washing, dry cleaning, or soaking will make the dress dangerously flammable when dry.”

Customers could send in 2 proofs of purchase and $1.25 and receive a paper dress in the mail. For comparison cotton shift dresses from the spring/summer Sears catalog cost between $5.00 and $9.00 each. And the Sears dresses didn’t come in nearly as far-out of designs as the Scott ones did!

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Goodbye Heart (@goodbyeheartvintage)

The dress was designed by the wife of a Scott engineer to showcase their new cellulose fabric called Duraweave, which she did with a simple, sleeveless, A-line dress. These dresses were made from cellulose and then treated to resist fire and other elements. Other companies had recently also come up with their own disposable “paper” fabrics for use in hospitals, nuclear facilities, and for medical products so the stage was set for a variety of paper dresses to be made following the Scott dresses.

Paper Dresses of all Kinds

By the end of 1966 half a million Scott dresses had been ordered and soon other companies began to cash in on the success with their own paper dresses. The new-fangled concept of disposable, flame-retardant clothing appealed to a certain space-age sensibility, as well as being an inexpensive novelty.

Many companies created paper dresses for promotional purposes, like Green Giant, the Yellow Pages phonebook, and many other brands.

The most famous of all the paper dresses was Souper Dress with an all-over design of Andy Warhols’s famous Campbell’s soup designs. According to the label for this famed dress it was made of 20% cotton and while it couldn’t be washed, it could be pressed with an iron .

Other paper dresses were sold blank along with a set of watercolor paints so that the wearer could truly wear a one-of-a-kind paper dress showcasing their (or their friends’) art skills.

By the time Richard Nixon ran for president a second time in 1968 even his campaign got in on the action by printing paper dresses with Nixon’s campaign logo all over it . Other incarnations of the idea were metallic paper dresses (more like chic versions of foil emergency blankets) and even a paper sari designed for Air India.

The short-lived fad was over by 1970, leaving paper dresses among the many discarded fashions of the decade.

Paper Dress Values Today

Some paper dresses can still be found in their unused state as deadstock for as little as $10 or $20 . Many dresses sat unused once their owners had worn one and felt how scratchy they could be. They also wrinkled easily and could be stiff to to wear or sit down in. For this reason many of the worn paper dresses are stained, have wrinkles, are torn, or are missing their printed designs in places.

More iconic or rare paper dresses can sell for much more money, such as the ultimate in paper dresses, the Souper Dress. A used Souper Dress sold in late 2020 for $1,200 . However, pristine versions of this dress currently have asking prices up to $5,500 .

When Paper Clothing Was the Perfect Fit

A war-weary world needed a new wardrobe, and this cheap, washable attire seemed to rise to the occasion

Greg Daugherty

For cost-conscious clothing shoppers in 1920, it must have seemed like a miracle: men’s suits in a choice of 50 different styles for a mere 60 cents each (about $7.66 today). What’s more, when a suit got dirty, you could easily clean it—with an eraser.

Paper clothing had arrived, largely imported from Germany and Austria, where World War I shortages of wool and other materials had spurred its development. It had already caught on in Italy and Turkey as well as England, which was still recovering from the effects of the war. As the Washington, D.C., Evening Star reported, German-made suits were selling in London for the equivalent of 46 cents to $1.95, and at the current exchange rate, a man could buy a new suit each week of the year for less than a single British-made wool suit would cost him.

Before the U.S. entered the war against Germany in April 1917, American newspapers and magazines ran admiring articles about the country’s inventiveness in developing substitutes for all kinds of raw materials. The German word ersatz , for “substitute” or “replacement,” was introduced to the everyday American vocabulary.

In January 1917, the New York Sun noted that the Germans had devised paper-based threads for making “sacks and bags, girdles, doilies, aprons, working garments,” as well as dresses and other clothing. “The inventors have discovered a way to give the ‘paper cloth’ great resistance to dampness,” the reported added, answering one obvious question on readers’ minds. Other articles noted that the Germans made parts of military uniforms out of paper, including those worn by their pilots and submarine crews.

Despite what skeptical readers may have assumed, the clothing wasn’t made by simply gluing sheets of paper together. As the trade publication Paper explained, the most common method was to “cut the paper into narrow strips and twist these strips on spindles” for weaving yarn. The yarn could then be woven into cloth on a loom, much like traditional fibers.

After the war’s end in November 1918, paper was heralded as an all-purpose super material perfect for the rebuilding of battle-ravaged France and Belgium. That included waterproof housing made of pasteboard and other paper products. “Such dwellings have oiled paper in place of glass windows. They will be put together with screws made of wood pulp,” the New York Sun reported in February 1919. “Tables, chairs and other bits of furniture now are being made of paper. Even kitchen utensils are so constructed.”

The advantage of paper-based products wasn’t just that they could be produced inexpensively; they were also lighter to ship. What’s more, although countries like Germany and Austria were able to import wool again after the war, there wasn’t enough of it to go around. Even the United States, a wool exporter, faced a shortage, in part because so much of the material had been diverted to make uniforms, blankets, and munitions during the war. Trees, however, remained relatively plentiful, and the Germans had discovered that in a pinch it was possible to make cloth from reeds and other plants.

But it was the possibilities of paper clothing that captured attention in the U.S., especially after the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce imported a batch of Austrian paper suits, displayed them at its offices in Washington, D.C., and then sent them on tour to cities around the country. When the Washington exhibit opened in September 1920, the Associated Press noted that “one suit is quoted at fifteen cents, and is washable.” The exhibit also featured paper table covers, laundry bags, wall decorations and twine, among other items.

The A.P. reported that the suits were “described as warm, comfortable and durable, considering the fabric of which they are made, and not liable to tear or go to pieces when wet.” But a widely published news photo taken around the same time seemed to belie that image. A family of three—“mama, papa, and sonny”—posed for the camera wearing paper suits from Austria and looking about as comfortable as if they’d been dressed in grocery sacks.

It might have seemed like a magnanimous gesture on the government’s part to promote products from nations the U.S. had recently fought on the battlefields of Europe. But there were more practical motives at work. The U.S. was still a major exporter of inexpensive clothing at that point, and American manufacturers would now have to compete against the far-cheaper paper products in foreign markets, where consumers often had little disposable income. The Commerce Department’s traveling exhibit could give clothing makers across the country a chance to examine their competition first-hand. What’s more, if paper clothing were to catch on, American paper mills and manufacturers might want in on the action too.

“It seems quite evident now that the German and Austrian manufacturers intend to cover the markets of the world with their paper substitutes for real clothing,” the American trade publication Textile World observed . On a more hopeful note, it added that, “Officials in Washington do not believe that this competition will ever be felt in the United States. The material used in the German product is too coarse and crude to meet with favor here to any extent unless many refinements are adopted.”

Still, the American public was intrigued, and some adventurous souls decided to try paper clothing on for size.

One reporter found a Philadelphia businessman strolling the boardwalk of Atlantic City in a “natty” suit of lightweight brown paper. Not only was his suit made of paper, he told his interviewer, but his shirt collar and necktie were as well. The suit had cost him 75 cents, the collar and tie 7 cents each, for a grand total of 89 cents. At the time, a wool suit alone would have cost him $30 or more.

While menswear seemed to get most of the attention, paper clothing for women and children was hitting the racks of many retailers, as well. A 1920 news photo showed three women happily modeling paper suits said to cost from 25 to 50 cents. And, the caption added, “they are washable.” In fact, some paper clothing could be washed, though only by hand, and it couldn’t be rung out afterwards but had to be hung up to dry.

The following summer, a news photographer snapped a female beachgoer in Chicago, modeling a $1.50 bathing costume created by a local paper manufacturer. The suit “has withstood surprisingly well all tests for rough treatment and water wear,” the caption reported. In the fall came reports of a Chicago manufacturer whose fancy $2 women’s hats offered an “imitation of straw and cloth [that] defies detection,” complete, in some cases, with paper feathers.

Also that fall, a paper suit created by a Wisconsin manufacturer drew crowds at a New York City trade show. The New-York Tribune reported that the suit was “extremely light in weight, a dark blue in color and to appearance very durable. At a short distance one easily mistakes it for a suit of tweed.”

Not everyone was convinced. A representative of the National Clothing Manufacturers’ Association scoffed that paper clothing “would not be practicable in America. We are too accustomed to pushing out our elbows or to stepping lively to exist long in a paper suit.”

The magazine Scientific American said that while the German imports “come pretty close to our American ideas of cheap but wearable clothes” they were “too heavy for comfort.”

Even the paper industry was unenthused. “No one,” a Yale professor of forest products wrote, “wants to wear paper clothing if he can get anything better.”

Indeed, by the mid-1920s, the novelty had worn off, due not only to paper’s limitations but to America’s roaring prosperity. It was a rare man who wanted to be seen about town in a 60-cent suit.

The arrival of the Great Depression in 1929 did little to revive interest in paper clothing, no matter how cheap. Consumers preferred to wear wool and cotton until it was threadbare rather than put on paper. Perhaps they thought they were suffering enough already.

Decades later, in the 1960s, paper dresses would make a brief comeback, with bold colors, pop-art patterns, and psychedelic designs. Groovy as the fad might have seemed at the time, it proved even shorter-lived than its 1920s forerunner.

While the ’60s dresses didn’t revolutionize the clothing business, they turned out to be a surprisingly good investment for anyone with the foresight to save one. An Andy Warhol-inspired paper dress featuring Campbell’s soup cans (which the soup company offered for $1 in 1968) sold for $1,600 at an auction this past May. Similar dresses are already in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington.

From that perspective, at least, paper clothing might not have been such a bad idea, after all.

Greg Daugherty | READ MORE

Greg Daugherty is a magazine editor and writer as well as a frequent contributor to Smithsonian.com. His books include You Can Write for Magazines .

See 1960s paper dresses, the retro dress-in-a-can, foil dresses & other novelty womenswear

Novelty fashion fads of the 60s paper dresses, foil dress-in-a-can

Categories: 1960s , Vintage advertisements , Vintage beauty & fashion , Vintage clothing

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After seeing the success of disposable 1960s paper dresses like these, some industry experts were elated.

“Five years from now, 75% of the nation will be wearing disposable clothing,” one said, while another said he soon expected annual paper dress sales of $200 million.

Alas, the disposable dress trend was no more than a short-lived fad. Some of the first cut-to-fit foil dresses and paper gowns were novelty promotional items with big logos (like Campbell’s Soup , Butterfinger and Brillo), while several other companies debuted versions you could buy for a dollar and some proofs of purchase.

Not everyone was sold on the concept of “wastebasket dresses,” though. Philadelphia Inquirer fashion editor Rubye Graham wrote in 1961 , “Despite all of the promises and savings thee garments hold in store for us, I hope their availability is far in the future — unless, of course, paper looks as beautiful as cloth.”

Even at its best, the paper dresses they made in the sixties couldn’t hold a candle to cloth… and that retro wear-and-toss trend burned out pretty quickly.

1966 Paper dresses beauty premium fashion

Paper dresses now a fashion fact (1966)

By Meta Blackwell – The San Bernardino County Sun (San Bernardino, California) Dec 11, 1966

It was bound to happen! The paper dress is no longer considered impossible — in fact, it has become an accepted thing.

It’s the newest idea going for young switched-on fashionables. Popularity and acceptance of the paper dress have reached new heights with the introduction of an exclusive design, full-length hostess gown of vivid floral pattern.

Referred to as “The Great Paper Dress,” It’s on the market in the form of a premium, but paper garments in packages also can be found at notion counters in department stores.

The paper dress offered as a premium is high styled in bright, rich colors and there are three sizes, small, medium and large.

It’s just-for-fun, featuring tie shoulders and side slits for ease in walking, and if it’s too long, there’s no problem of alteration — with a handy pair of scissors. And, when you’re through with it, merely toss it into the nearest wastebasket.

Fashion fad: Vintage 1960s paper dresses

The company offering the dress in the form of a premium, the Johnston Pie Co., worked closely with Scott Paper Co. in developing the dress for wearing at parties or for entertaining at home. Because of its textured appearance, few can guess it is made of paper.

MORE: Vintage colored paper towels: See 60+ old-fashioned patterns, colors & kitchen towel styles

Those who deplore the fact that it can’t be washed, can take heart, for that’s the next step, and Carnaby St. (U.S.A.) Inc., which is introducing Carnaby St. cosmetics to seven American cities in the next few months, has announced a new decision to manufacture women’s and men’s apparel, made from paper.

Hallmark paper dresses from the 60s - PaperFunAlia - Florescense party fashions

Joe Newman of Beverly Hills, executive director, said the paper clothing is expected to become a $1.5 billion business for the firm within two or three years.

“We are in final negotiations with a major U.S. paper company,” the spokesman said, and “we will license apparel manufacturing firms in 16 U.S. cities, as a start, and work with them on a royalty basis.”

The clothing, according to the official, will range from toddler’s attire to cocktail gowns and tuxedoes, Hawaiian shirts and muumuus. American cities, where manufacturing plants will be located, are Los Angeles, Kansas City, Dallas, Houston, St. Louis, Chicago, Shreveport, Miami, Jacksonville, Norfolk, Newark, Boston, Baltimore, New York City, Seattle and Honolulu.

Hallmark Flower Fantasy paper dress from the sixties

MORE: Remember these vintage Hallmark notecards & stationery sets from the ’60s & ’70s?

The company anticipates a business volume of $200 million annually in Honolulu, the first city selected for manufacturing and marketing paper clothing.

The Carnaby executive said the cost of each piece of paper clothing will be about twice that of drycleaning cloth apparel. The paper attire, he said, including women’s house dresses and men’s white business shirts, will be washable (one time, two times at the most), and it can be ironed by reversing the material.

Fashions will depend upon preferences where the clothing is manufactured, but will include the “Mod” styles the two-block-long Carnaby Street in London made famous.

Curtiss candy bar paper dresses - Baby Ruth and Butterfinger

The paper yardage may be sewn just like cloth materials, and will reflect a pure degree of color because it is a surface printing process, and there is no saturation of the colors.

The paper is said to be a no-run, no-fade material, which looks like and feels like regular cloth. Negotiations with the paper manufacturing firm are expected to be completed by Christmas, with manufacturing to start on a limited basis in January, to become a major force in the paper apparel market by April.

Little more resistance is expected from the public to an active and profitable market than that which greeted the ballpoint pen, processed foods and 2,000 m.p.h. airplanes.

LIFE Nov 25, 1966 Paper dresses beauty premium fashion 2

The company spokesman predicted the possibility that Production might not catch up with the demand for designed paper clothing for several years. Here, he said, “we rely upon the paper company to produce the material, and there are no looms or mills needed for our clothing.

“Every business in the United States is trying to reduce the amount of paper it uses,” he continued, “microfilm, for example, having replaced tons of it in storage.

“If we had all the paper in government storehouses turned into pulp, we could print enough apparel to clothe the world for 10 years. “As paper becomes cheaper,” he concluded, “the paper garments will become even less expensive than what we plan to sell them for today.”

1960s paper dresses - Toss-away fashion (1967)

The wastebasket dress has arrived

By Helen Carlton, LIFE magazine – November 25, 1966

This, at last, is the year of the paper dress that can be worn and then tossed in the wastebasket.

They are soft and comfortable to the touch, may be pressed with a cool iron, and are reasonably sturdy.

One of the chief attractions of a paper dress, of course, is that from any casual distance it does not look like paper at all — but more like cotton fabric. Most of the paperlike characteristics are visible only under close scrutiny.

For example, Kaycel, the Kimberly Stevens paper fabric, has a slightly bumpy surface resembling paper toweling, though its next-of-kin is actually Kleenex. Kaycel is made of 93% cellulose wadding (like Kleenex) plus 7% nylon.

The nylon, which is pressed inside the cellulose wadding, imparts two qualities essential to wearing apparel: strength and what is called “drapability” — i.e., it hangs like cloth.

With its flame-retardant finish, a paper dress will char, but not flare up when a lighted match is held to it. However, since the retardant tends to come off in water, it is advisable to throw away a dress that has been rained on or pushed into a pool.

This same problem precludes washing or dry cleaning. With normal use, barring spills and snags, a paper dress has remarkable durability; one garment survived a wear test by a woman who did her housework in it every day for a month. (This lady, a motherly type, was understandably a little tired of the dress when the test ended, but her one complaint was interesting in its nostalgia: “I like a dress I can wash.”)

Vintage shaggy-style paper dress from 1966

Paper dress fabric takes color well and can be shortened with scissors. Lengthening, more or less academic with current styles, can be accomplished by pasting on trim — like lace on a valentine.

The fabric does not wrinkle excessively, and can be pressed easily. It rustles slightly in motion, but no more audibly than taffeta.

Wearable paper fabric has been around for a decade in the form of shower slippers, hospital gowns, lobster bibs and the like; but its application to stylish apparel has been very recent.

Vintage Paper Dresses to GoGo from Breck (1967)

Much of the excitement was generated by the phenomenal success of a mail-order dress offered as a promotion for household paper products by the Scott Paper Company. Scott’s paper, called Dura-Weve, is 93% napkin stock and 7% rayon. Half a million orders resulted, and no retailer is going to pass up that sort of market evidence.

Paper apparel’s real pioneers, after years of speaking into deaf ears, are now talking ebulliently about a boundless future.

“Five years from now, 75% of the nation will be wearing disposable clothing,” says Ronald Bard, vice president of Mars Manufacturing Company, a family firm once devoted only to the making of women’s and children’s stretch tights.

Vintage Hallmark paper dress with flowers

Mars has sold 300,000 paper garments since last June, and a New York department store which carries them has been swamped with orders — one from a lady who cabled from London asking for two styles to be air expressed immediately.

Mr. Bard is broadening his firm’s line from dresses to football jerseys, uniforms for service personnel, graduation gowns, children’s wear and undershorts (three for $1) for the traveling salesman. “In paper,” he says, “you are only limited by your imagination.”

The Great Paper Dress - Johnston's Pie offer

Elisa Daggs, another of the early paper prophets, predicts a revolution in dressmaking techniques: “Paper needs its own architecture. Sealing machines will replace sewing machines.”

Farthest-out of all paper’s partisans is Julian Tomehin, a textile designer, who became fascinated with paper when he printed some for the Hartford Museum’s Paper Ball.

“It’s right for our age,” he says. “After all, who is going to do laundry in space?” Mr. Tomchin also believes that improved techniques will bring prices down until garments will be packaged in tear-off rolls, like sandwich bags, and sold for pennies.

Vintage 1960s gold foil mylar coat (1968)

The Souper Dress.

It’s a pretty groovy deal just for enjoying Campbell’s Vegetable Soup.

Now’s your chance to get the one, the only Souper Dress . . . a smashing paper put-on that could only come from Campbell’s. It’s got eye-poppin’ Campbell’s cans coming and going! And k’s all yours for eating your vegetables — your Campbell’s Vegetable Soups, that is.

Vintage 60s Campbell's Souper paper dress

You can choose from Campbell’s Old-Fashioned Vegetable, Vegetable Beef, Chicken Vegetable, Vegetarian Vegetable and Turkey Vegetable, as well as good old Campbell’s Vegetable Soup.

To get your Campbell Paper Dress, send the labels from any 2 different kinds of Campbell’s Vegetable Soups, $1.00 and your size (the Souper Dress comes in Small/5-8, Medium/9-12, or Large/13-16) with your name and address (remember your zip code!) to Dress Offer… Offer expires Mar. 31, 1968. Good only in the United States and Puerto Rico. Campbell’s Souper Dress. On you, it’ll look … Mmm, mmm good.

The foil dress fad

Alcoa Wrap announces the “Dazzler”trim-to-fit silver dress

The Dazzler catches the light and whirls it about — it’s a shimmering, glimmering sensation. Just trim the length to fit, pop it on and have a ball.

You’ll shimmer and glimmer and turn them all on in your Alcoa Dazzler, a new disposable dress gleaming with Alcoa Aluminum neatly married to the latest nonwoven material.

The Dazzler is being offered for a nominal price and the Better Packaging Label from any box of Alcoa Wrap. The Dazzler catches the light and whirls it about — it’s a shimmering, glimmering sensation. You don’t have to worry about size. You just trim the length to fit, pep it on and dazzle ’em.

You’ll find full details of this offer in the aluminum foil section at your favorite grocer’s. Get your order in early so you’ll have it in time for holiday gatherings.

Metalized paper handkerchief evening dress by Elisa Daggs - Aluminum foil

Get a brand new dress in a can! (1966)

By Meta Blackwell – The San Bernardino County Sun (California) December 11, 1966

Now dresses are available in cans, like vegetables, soups, fruits and practically everything else.

The canned dress idea comes from Patti Cappalli, designer for Whippette, one of the brightest names in young fashion. And what an idea! Imagine a dress so wrinkle-proof it can be packed into a can — along with its own flapper hat, no less!

There are six shapes to choose from . . . six prints to pick. What’s more, if you are looking for a Christmas idea for the smartest girl in town, who already has everything, here it is; and she’ll love the can for cookies, curlers, or what have you, and it comes right with the junior size dress, which has a swingy-clingy shape in a silky texturized Joyce-Ion nylon.

The prints are clangingly bright geometrics and naturally, the can has a gay montage in the same wild, wonderful colors.

A new kind of canned dressing (1966)

From LIFE magazine – December 9, 1966

What do you do when there’s a sudden invitation to go out and you haven’t a thing to wear? Why, open a can, of course.

Canned dresses, put up like beef stew but sold at department stores instead of supermarkets, are the season’s bright new idea for Christmas giving, and just the thing to keep in the pantry against the dressless rainy day.

Dreamed up by Wippette, a New York dress manufacturer, the dresses sell for $25, come in three styles and six colorful patterns in the 5-to-13 junior-size range, and are made of nylon jersey that packs without undue rumpling.

The containers themselves, far handier than the girl-size one at left, are no bigger than a one-pound tin of coffee. They provide plenty of space for sealed-in prettiness with room left over, at $6 extra, for a matching hat.

Popping out of an overscaled can, this girl wears a long-sleeved canned dress in a bold print with flared skirt. Other styles include a smock and a low-waisted shift.

ALSO SEE: 170 hip vintage 1970s dresses, skirts, pantsuits & other fab retro fashion for women

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Comments on this story, one response.

I can imagine that comfort and durability were major issues with paper dresses. Were they itchy and scratchy? What would happen to them if they got rained on or otherwise wet; did they fall apart? (Yikes!!) Was there ever a counterpart for men? And though it wasn’t a concern back then, were they recyclable? I guess the concept of “paper dresses” lives on today in disposable medical and surgical gowns.

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FYI & THE BASICS

Note: ClickAmericana.com features authentic historical information, and is not intended to represent current best practices on any topic, particularly with regard to health and safety, but also in terms of outdated cultural depictions and social values. Material on this site is provided for purposes of education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis. Now that you know, have fun looking around!

MORE GOOD STUFF

Note: ClickAmericana.com features authentic historical information, and is not intended to represent current best practices on any topic, particularly with regard to health and safety. Material on this site is provided for education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis. Now that you know, have fun looking around!

Paper Dresses of the 1960s

Paper Dresses

I will start with the earliest use of paper in fashionable dress and that is with fans in the 17th century. The idea of the folding paper fan was brought from the Far East and became a fashionable accessory in the early 1600s!

In the late 18th century a cardboard impressed and glazed to look like fancy straw work was used to make hats and bonnets. This example is from 1812.

This image, courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is a plaited newspaper purse from the 1860s. This was a common craft of the mid 19th century and was used to make bonnets as well as purses.

It was common to use paper for fancy dress balls beginning in the 1890s when crepe paper was first commercially marketed. This example from the 1895 edition of Fancy Dresses Described, however, uses the theme of a waste paper basket and includes old love letters sewn to the sleeves and crumpled paper to make a hat.

This American emergency raincoat made of brown kraft paper was patented in 1917, but during the First World War, many German citizens wore paper coats because of a lack of textiles which were blockaded from entering the country.

Crepe paper party dresses continued to be popular as cheap and fun costumes until the 1950s. This 1920s Halloween costume was surprisingly resiliant to tears unless it got wet, in which case it lost its strength and colour fastness.

Using paper for non-costume reasons increased in the 1920s, with the introduction of paper collars and cuffs for men who were travelling and didn’t want to deal with laundry. Also, the soda jerk hat, based on the WW1 doughboy Garrison cap but in paper rather than khaki wool, was the first piece of clothing to be used as a billboard for companies to advertise their products.

The other new development for paper in the 1920s was for hygiene products like facial tissues and tampons. Nobody thought of diapers however until after the Second World War. In about 1950 TWA commissioned Chux disposable diapers for their trans-atlantic passengers with babies.

1966 Scott paper offered two different styles of paper dresses as a promotional gimmick. Scott unwittingly set off a fad that would rage for the next few years – paper dresses!

Two major producers of paper clothing were quick to follow up on Scott’s success. Mars of Asheville, North Carolina, a hosiery company, bought reams of white paper (consisting of two layers of paper sandwiching a rayon scrim for strength) from Kimberly Stevens and had it printed in colourful stripe, polka-dot and other patterns, and made up ‘A’ line dresses that were sold inexpensively through department stores and shops. James Sterling produced a slightly higher end product with more complicated patterns including a two piece pant suit with matching hat in 1966.

Commercially produced paper dresses didn’t kill creativity. A paper dress ball held at the Wadsworth Atheneum in the fall of 1966 encouraged party-goers to have designers create couture one-offs for the event; some of the results were pictured in Life Magazine. Mars of Asheville also offered a plain white dress in the fall of 1966 that came with a water colour paint set. To promote this product Mars hired Andy Warhol to design one at a happening. He stencilled ‘fragile’ onto the dress while a model wore it and signed the dress ‘Dali’. The resulting garment, seen here, was donated to the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

By the spring of 1967 paper dresses were a full flung fad. At Expo 67 in Montreal seen above, paper dresses were featured in the pulp and paper pavillion. Hallmark picked up on the trend and produced paper dresses with matching paper plates, gift wrap, napkins, placemats and other party paraphernalia for a complete party theme!

By the end of 1967 the paper fad had expanded to include paper jewellery (including papier mache), shoes, and even duds for dogs!

Designers specializing in paper explored the possibilities of different types of paper garments including Elisa Daggs who was hired to create stewardess uniforms of paper including one in gold foil (a new type of paper recently introduced in the mid 1960s and used widly by fast food restaurants…) for transatlantic service from New York to Paris. The Indian paper sari, also designed by Elisa Daggs, was made for Air India but not for wear by stewardesses, but rather as a promotional item.

Probably the most famous paper dress ever is this one used as a promotion by Campbell’s Soup and called the ‘Souper’ dress in 1967. It could be purchased with some proofs of purchase of Campell’s soup and money for postage. Although the inspiration for the design was taken from Warhol’s use of the Campbell’s Soup label in his early 60s Graphic Art style works, Warhol did not design this dress or have any involvement in its creation. In fact, Warhol’s use of the label for his own artwork and Campbell’s use of Warhol’s style for their own product would today probably end up in a court battle over copyright infringement — for both parties!

Before T-shirt art, the paper dress became a billboard for advertisers, sometimes very artistically such as in this silk screen print of Hollywood faces to be seen in upcoming film releases in 1968, and sometimes patriotically, as seen in this dress for the democratic campaign of Bobby Kennedy in 1968.

As early as 1967 there was a serious shortage of paper for making paper garments and alternatives were experimented with including Fibron, a pressed rayon fibre with tiny perforations allover (still made today as J-CLoths and Handi-Wipes). These English made dresses used Fibron instead of paper, however, the market for which they were made was identified as ‘disposables’, so materials ranged from paper and Fibron to spun polyester Reemay and even light plastic dresses. The London Poster series was supposed to be the first of many but with the exception of Bob Dylan, another series was never produced by this company.

The flowered dress is a plasticized reemay, disposable perhaps, but it could take a thousands years to break down! Tyvek was the other new wonder ‘disposable’ material of the age and was used for making bathing suits. These new materials however were symptomatic of the demise of the paper dress trend. By late 1968 paper, fibron, reemay, tyvek and all other disposable material garments were languishing on store shelves and magazines with offers of premiums and give-aways of disposable garments dwindled with each passing month.

The Hippie movement with its strong anti-pollution message was effectively changing the late 1960s from one of self-consicous space-age modernity into a more planet friendly back to nature awareness — the conflict between these two extremes persist today!

In the late 1970s disposable tyvek bathing suits were once again being offered at hotels which now often had year round heated indoor swimming pools. Travellers not yet used to this luxury would arrive without a bathing suit. Dipsters brand came to the rescue for a few dollars each!

In the 1980s there was some experimentation with Tyvek. Spearheaded by Issey Miyake, he liked the papery qualities of Tyvek which was similar to the traditional Japanese oiled paper used for making rain capes and parasols. His 1985 coat seen here explored the modern use of Tyvek in fashion but for the most part it was traditionally cut jackets that were the most successful on the market. They were especially popular for those who went to open air concerts or sporting events unprepared for a change in the weather.

Written by Jonathan Walford, 2008

Question or Comment? Enter it below.

25 Amazing Paper Dresses Collection -Paper Clothing Ideas

Paper Clothing Ideas: Paper dresses are creatively made from recycled paper or newspapers. Newspaper dresses are in fashion and pretty trendy these days. Fashion shows are full of these cool dresses which are creatively designed by designers. You can easily DIY paper clothes too. In the past years, many fashions and textile design graduates have come up with some fantastic paper clothes in their final thesis also. If you are looking for paper dressing fashion ideas for your final projects or thesis, here is a collection of 26 of those dresses.

How To Style Paper Clothing

If you think that it must be difficult to create and wear dresses made from paper, then you might be wrong. This article proves that there are multiple options in which you can wear paper clothes. You can make a simple shirt, skirts, with newspapers, and other papers. You can even make mini dresses or a full dress with different designs with newspapers. And just like that, there are many other ways in which you can creatively transform a newspaper into a beautiful dress. These paper dresses are creative, unique, funky, and elegant. So you got a lot of options to utilize them as per the occasion. Don’t be reluctant to try them out. Good Luck.

25 Amazing Paper Dresses Collection -Paper Clothing Ideas

Tips For Wearing Paper Dresses

25 – Dress Made With Magazines

Don’t know what to do with the stockpile of old magazines in your home? Why don’t you make a dress out of them? As you can see in the picture, a bunch of different magazine papers are combined creatively to form a maxi dress. You can use paper of different colors to make a more colorful dress.

24 – A Corset Dress Made With Newspapers

Who knew we could wear newspapers someday? Well, instead of throwing your old newspapers away, you can make a beautiful dress like it from them. This would need a little bit of cutting and shaping, but the results will definitely shock everyone. The dress looks so amazing and realistic that you can wear it casually.

23 – Newspaper Shirt

Women’s Newspaper Print Tee Long Sleeve Round Neck $19.99

22 – Prom Dress With Recycled Newspaper

21 – Midi Paper Dress

You can even create a short and cute dress like this from paper. Add some cute jewelry and bright color heels with your look and you are good to go.

Women’s Pumps Platform High Heels for Women $36.99

20 – Models Wearing Paper Dresses In Fashion Shows

Ankle Boot w/Lug Sole Elastic Gore and Chunky Heel $59.99

19 – Elegant Wedding Day Newspaper Dress

18 – Paper High Slit Dress

Who doesn’t like a stylish slit dress? This one looks ravishing as it is completely made out of paper. The perfect way to look artistic and stylish at the same time.

17 – A Blue Dress

NINE WEST Women’s Pumps $144.88

16 – Pink Frill Paper Dress

15 – Short Newspaper Dress

Ankle Boot w/Lug Sole Elastic Gore and Chunky Heel $59.99

14 – Summer Paper Dress

13 – Mosaic Style Paper Dress

12 – Ballerina Paper Dress

11- Wrap Up Paper Dress

10 – Creative Paper Skirt For College

9 – Long Full Sleeve Paper Coat

Women’s 2 Piece Long Sleeve Open Front Cardigans+ Skinny Pants Suits $40.99

8 – French Newspaper Dress

Women’s V-Neck Bodycon Midi Dresses

7 – Helena Bonham Carter In A Paper Dress

6 – Bodycon Paper Dress

This is a really basic and stylish bodycon paper dress.

25 Amazing Paper Dresses Collection -Paper Clothing Ideas's Paper Dress

Girl’s Spaghetti Strap Plaid Bodycon Summer Short Dress $18.99

5 – Textured Paper Dress

4 – Unique Paper Dress For Kids

This can be a perfect and unique outfit for a costume party. Everything in this look is made from paper which looks absolutely stunning.

3 – Paper Tank Top

Paper tank tops are really common and easy to wear. So if you don’t want to be extra with your dressing, you can wear paper tank tops with denim.

Women’s Casual Sleeveless Workout Crop Tank Top $5.99

2 – Rolled Magazine Top

You can also make a top by just rolling the magazines and combining them in a beautiful way. Wear it with a paper skirt or pants and you are ready with a beautiful and unique outfit.

1 – Flower Newspaper Dress

To add some more beauty and creativity, you can also add paper flowers to your DIY dress.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. can clothes be made from paper.

Ans. Yes, of course, paper clothing is quite common and in trend these days. You can make any kind of dress or shirt with them and you can also wear them casually if you are comfortable in them. You can also show your DIY and creative skills by making a paper dress by yourself. The paper clothing trend was in high demand in the 1960s which is still followed by some fashion lovers. It is a unique and different trend that will definitely make you stand out from every other person.

Q. What year were paper dresses popular?

Ans. As mentioned above, paper clothing was popular in the 1960s. People were fascinated and attracted to the idea of dresses made from paper. Although the fashion trend didn’t last long, it is still considered a creative approach to the new fashion trends. Nowadays, we can see many high-end fashion brands displaying their paper dresses on fashion shows. Not everyone can wear and slay paper dresses easily, so if you are daring enough, you should definitely try it out.

Q. Can you wear paper dresses?

Ans. Well, you can definitely wear paper dresses if you want to. If you want to try something new and look different from everyone else, then you should definitely hop on this trend. Especially newspaper shirts are quite common and easy to wear. You can add different accessories and shoes to your look and wear them like any normal dress.

Yumna is an undergraduate business student and a freelance writer. Her life revolves around writing and reading. Being an introvert, she might not speak much but she can write for you as much as you want: )

thanks guys

this is gonna help me creative an assignment and I will make the newspaper dress for art. it will be different. Huge fan of fashion.

Thank you for your feedback, keep visiting 🙂 Best regards, Team Outfit Trends

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Paper Dress Template: Paper Dress DIY Tutorial

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Three collaged images show different angles of a small Mermaid themed paper dress decorated with purple, green, and blue paper decorations.

Mermaid Themed Paper Dress Template & Tutorial

I decided to come up with a new, fun paper design this week! Paper dresses! These Paper Dress Templates are a lot of fun to put together. They can be made in so many different ways and customized to fit any theme you can possibly imagine! So far, I’ve already made a fairy dress , wedding gown, this mermaid gown, and I am currently working on a unicorn-inspired paper gown.

A paper dress decorated to look like a unicorn, with many colorful flowers flowing down the paper skirt, and a unicorn face on the bodice of the paper dress.

Some folks ask, what do you use these for? Well, they make great dessert table-themed decor, nursery decor, or even a table centerpiece for a girl’s party!

They are really very simple to make. I spent the last couple of weeks coming up with eight, yes, eight different bodice designs. Four of the bodices come with straps (one is a halter!), and four that are strapless.

A collage of 8 images of different shaped paper dress bodice templates made from white paper.

I have a two-part video tutorial on how to make these beautiful paper dresses. I’m going to walk you through a picture tutorial for the mermaid dress and you can find the videos for more details at the bottom.

Let’s go over supplies first. You will need to decide how many tiers you want your paper dress to be. In this tutorial, I am making a 3 tiered gown. You can make a two-tiered gown or even one if you like.

Supplies Needed to Make a Mermaid-Themed Paper Dress

Download Your Free Dress Bodice Template

Find one sample free dress template in the Party section of my Freebie Vault or purchase the whole set here . Download the free dress template by signing up via the form below. If you are already a member, log in right here and find it by searching ‘dress’ or Design #15. Need help entering the vault? Read this helpful post here.

How to Make the Paper Dress Bodice

Cut out 2 dress bodice patterns. If you are cutting your templates by hand, you can use 8.5 x 11 cardstock or you can use our enlarged ledger PDF included to print at a local printer so that you can use the template with 12 x 12 cardstock , which is the size I use when I lay them out on my machine.

(Please note cutting machine users: Cutting machines sometimes like to enlarge the templates bigger than what I save them as. The goal is for the dress bodice to be within a 12 x 12 margin)

Two side-by-side images show a paper dress bodice template cut out from a seafoam green paper and purple paper.

Glue your 2 dress bodices together, one side over the other and then the opposite side, as shown above. Tip: try to make your seams go the same direction for a cleaner look.

Two side-by-side images show a woman's hand using a scissors to cut a slit into a large, light purple colored paper petal, which will be used to create a paper skirt.

How to Make The Paper Dress Skirt

For the dress skirt, you will be using giant flower templates. In this tutorial, I am using Lacey style’s extra-large petals for the first tier, Bella style’s large petals for the second tier, and Whimsy style’s medium and small petals for the third tier.

We are going to make the skirt the same way we build my giant flower designs. I’m using 8 XL Lacey petals, 7 large Bella petals, and 7 medium Whimsy petals.

Cut a slit at the bottom of each flower petal and overlap slightly. Curl the edges back. Glue your petals together in a circle.

Full video tutorial on the dresses at the bottom of this post for more details.

Two side-by-side images show the process for creating a paper dress skirt using large purple paper flower petals.

Follow the same process as above with Bella’s large petals and Whimsy’s medium petals.

Two side by side images show how to make a paper dress skirt using two different size purple paper flower petals.

Once you have your 3 tiers complete (or however many you choose to use), you will want to stack your top 2 tiers together.

The petals will naturally meet together when stacked. Add dots of glue to the underside to secure the tiers together.

Side by side images show how to layer the multiple layers of the paper dress skirt, made with purple paper flower petals.

Next, cut a small square or use a small circle punch to glue over the open hole.

This part can be optional; I like to add some small petals around the top for a more complete look. Here I added 7 small Whimsy petals.

Another set of side-by-side images show the process of making a paper dress skirt using purple paper flower petals, stacking them for a layered effect.

Your dress template will have small circle tabs at the bottom which you will fold inwards; add glue to these and attach them to the top of the dress’ skirt.

Twi side-by-side images show how to attach the green paper dress bodice to the purple paper skirt.

Stack the whole thing on top of the XL Lacey petals (shown in the very last photos below).

Two side by side images show the process of attaching the green paper dress bodice to the purple paper dress skirt, and how the bodice looks from above, when attached to the skirt.

How to Decorate the Mermaid Paper Dress

The final step is to decorate! There is a lot of creative freedom with these dresses, so there really is no right or wrong way to do it.

For this mermaid paper gown, I use small circles arranged to look like mermaid scales, small mum flowers , my seaweed templates, shell template, ribbon, green and purple rhinestones.

Two images show the different pieces of decoration for a mermaid themed paper dress; a colorful collection of purple and green glittery mermaid scales, and purple and green adhesive rhinestones.

Out of the ones I have made so far, this mermaid one is my favorite! You can see in these photos the Lacey tier has been stacked with the others. Check out the video tutorials below, where I make a wedding-style paper dress, plus photos of our very popular fairy paper dress!

Two side by side images show the final product - a purple and green mermaid themed paper dress, decorated with paper seashells, rhinestones, and small paper flowers.

Check out our free Under the Sea cake topper tutorial for a complete mermaid party paradise!

This fairy gown was made using my Lacey style template for the extra-large bottom tier and Whimsy for the second tier plus a few additional small Whimsy petals for the top of the skirt.

Two side by side images of a fairy themed paper dress, made with pink, blue, and gold paper and decorated with pink paper flowers.

How to Make a Paper Dress: Video Tutorials

Paper dresses part 1.

Paper Dresses Part 2

A green and purple Mermaid themed paper dress.

Mermaid Paper Dress

These adorable paper dresses are perfect for party decor! Create fun, whimsical, colorful themed paper dresses for birthday parties, baby and wedding showers, and so much more!

Instructions

How to make the paper dress bodice:.

How To Make The Paper Dress Skirt:

How To Decorate The Mermaid Paper Dress

Did you make this project?

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Share what you’ve been up to by using #DIYwithAbbi . I would love to see your creativity in the works so flaunt your flower power magic! You are a huge source of my inspiration!

My mission is to inspire you to nurture the creative magic inside your soul – bringing you fun, easy-to-learn DIY projects, and quality template designs. I share a variety of projects but specifically love paper crafting and paper flowers. Interested in more flower tutorials?! I’ve created dozens of signature designs for you to enjoy – starting with my bestseller, The Art of Giant Paper Flowers, the Giant Flower Library, and my shop of endless paper designs and flower templates.

A collage of three images show three different paper dresses. The top image is a pink, purple, and gold fairy paper dress with pink roses. The bottom left is a purple and green Mermaid themed paper dress. The bottom right is an all white paper wedding dress with white paper flowers.

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This 4-Year-Old Makes Paper Dresses With Her Mom -- And They Keep Getting More Amazing

By Ilana Wiles, Mommy Shorts

I started following @2sisters_angie a little over a year ago. Back then she was posting the typical stuff you see from moms on Instagram -- pics of her daughter at the park, pics of her daughter eating breakfast and lots of photos of her daughter playing dress-up.

You know, the same stuff I post.

Then, about nine months ago, Angie's feed started to change. It became clear Angie's daughter (she calls her "Mayhem") was more interested in fashion than the average 4-year-old. Mayhem shunned her store-bought princess dresses and started wrapping herself with scarves and sheets creating her own styles.

Then one day Angie got tired of finding her clothes in Mayhem's toy box and suggested they make a dress out of paper. Mayhem loved the idea and they haven't stopped creating paper dresses since.

I've been continually amazed every time Angie's pictures pop up in my feed. The dresses started like this:

And over the last few months, I've watched them evolve to this:

Having a 4-year-old daughter of my own, whose biggest fashion moment was putting a red bow around the waist of her green Super Soccer Stars t-shirt and calling herself "Peter Pan," I had a few questions for Angie. Namely...

How much is done by you and how much is done by your daughter?

The ideas are pretty much a 50/50 split, but Mayhem constructs a lot more than most people would probably believe. That's one of the best things about this project, I see her learning new skills every single day. At this point, she knows exactly how many sheets of construction paper she needs to make herself a top and a bottom. She can lay the entire thing out and tape it together all by herself. Definitely, the more complex designs have more of my time invested, but she's literally always beside me learning something new if she's not tearing or taping or gluing while I am.

Do you have an example of a dress she constructed on her own?

She made the dress below entirely by herself. I wasn't even home and she couldn't wait to show it to me and have me photograph it.

Are all the dresses made of paper?

Most of the time. We use a lot of construction paper, but we also use tissue paper, wrapping paper, and gift bags. We have also used silk scarves, tulle, and aluminum foil. Basically, if we can find it laying around the house and it's pliable, it's fair game. Clear packing tape and glue are our adhesives of choice.

Where does she find her inspiration? Is she watching runway shows and award shows?

We pull inspiration from wherever we go. The shark dress, for example, came as a direct result of her first visit to an aquarium.

She also gets a lot of ideas from shows that she watches or books we read, like Minnie Mouse, My Little Pony and Elsa from "Frozen."

Sometimes I'll Google images the day after award shows, so she can see the dresses worn on the red carpet and pick which ones she wants to make.

We also leave a tab open on our iPad with a search for "project runway dresses" so that we can quickly reference those as well. She's never actually seen an episode of Project Runway, but I did show her a clip one time explaining that there is a show all about making dresses and I thought she might hyperventilate.

Have you always been crafty? Were you a fashion designer in any sense before this started? No and no. I actually don't consider myself to be the least bit crafty. Don't ask me to build something out of popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners ... you'll be incredibly disappointed! Cutting and taping paper is about all we do. And the most ironic part of this whole project is that I am literally the least fashionable person you will ever meet. In reality, I know nothing about fashion and cannot sew a straight line to save my life. A friend suggested I could start sewing these creations from scraps of fabric and I laughed at her. I'll take paper and tape any day over getting anywhere near a sewing machine!

Do you think this is going to be a lifelong interest for Mayhem?

After we made our first paper dress, Mayhem requested another the very next day. Then another the day after that. And no one is more surprised than I am, that she still wants to make them nearly 9 months later. I have no idea if it will continue, but as long as she wants to make them, we'll keep doing it.

Follow @2sisters_angie and #fashionbymayhem on Instagram. You'll be one of the first.

If you aren't on Instagram, check out more of Mayhem's creations on FashionByMayhem.com .

If you'd like see my daughter wearing the same striped leggings every day, follow @mommyshorts on Instagram .

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Isabelle de borchgrave: the magic of paper dresses.

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Paper dresses

In the 1960s, society fell in love with the idea of progress. Young people with disposable incomes embraced the cult of the new, becoming keen consumers of fun, informal and fast-changing trends. This appetite for novelty fuelled one of the decade's most frivolous fashion crazes: the paper dress.

The perfect expression of fashion's own fickleness, these two-dimensional shift dresses were cheap and 'disposable' – designed to be worn only once or twice – and proved ideal vehicles for the bold, graphic prints that had become so popular during the decade.

The invention of mass-produced paper fashion is attributed to Scott Paper, an American company that made toilet tissues, baby wipes and other sanitary products. In 1966 Scott Paper produced a simple disposable shift dress out of 'Dura-Weave', a cellulose material already used to make laundry-reducing garments for hospital workers. The dress, which was printed in two patterns – one monochrome and strikingly Op Art, the other in red paisley – was intended to be a short-lived 'teaser' product, a promo for the company’s new throwaway tableware range. You could get one of the dresses in the post, along with coupons for the tableware range, by sending Scott just $1.25. They became a surprise sensation, with over half a million orders received in less than a year.

The huge potential of the 'promotional dress' was soon capitalised on by other companies and concerns, such as the 1967 'Souper Dress'. Printed with rows of identical Campbell's Soup tins, this wearable advertising was a wry take on the iconic Warhol painting which had turned a homely foodstuff in to conceptual art five years before. The power of the throwaway dress as a vehicle for bold prints was also harnessed for political ends. In the US the 1968 Nixon presidential campaign commissioned a special design – the letters N-I-X-O-N in red, interspersed with blue stars – for female supporters to wear at rallies.

The fashion world in the US and then the UK adopted the paper dress as the answer to the decade's restless appetite for 'the new'. Labels such as Poster Dress, Wastebasket Boutique and Dipso were dedicated to producing fast-changing ranges of disposable garments that allowed customers to easily stay abreast of trends. Designers like Ossie Clark also launched their own range of 'throwaways'. At the height of demand, Mars Hosiery (the makers behind Wastebasket Boutique) was producing 100,000 dresses a week. The 'no sew' nature of paper dresses made them a good fit for female consumers keen to reject the 'Make Do and Mend' attitude of the previous generation. Paper dresses could be altered in minutes with scissors and Sellotape: much more fun than spending a night in with your sewing basket. And for those young women who were keen to explore the decade's increasing freedoms, going out in a dress that was blatantly easy to tear off posed an exciting way to underline the new sexual politics.

Other women wanted their dress to last for longer than a single wear. Unsurprisingly, the original paper-fibre dresses were prone to tearing or creasing, so manufacturers capitalised on advances in material technology to make more robust versions from wood pulp mixed with synthetic fibres (rayon, nylon and polyester). These new composite fabrics could be 'refreshed' by ironing on a cool setting, or even washed (although not more than once or twice). For a brief time, it looked like the paper dress might be the long-term future of clothes manufacturing. That is until high-street shops were able to compete by offering a quicker turnover of everyday fashions in materials that were cheap, relatively long lasting and far more wearable than cellulose. The political mood was shifting, too, encouraging people to fall out of love with the paper dress. Towards the end of the decade, hippy culture began to foster distaste for consumerist, throwaway ideas. By the end of 1968, the 'paper caper' garments that had been so popular only two years earlier had become yesterday's news.

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The Paper Dress - History of a Ready to Tear Invention

Paper Dress

In 1966, Scott Paper Company invented the paper dress, intended as a marketing tool. For one dollar, women could buy the dress and also receive coupons for Scott paper products. The paper dress, shapeless and unattractive, wasn't an invention meant to be taken seriously, but women surprised the company by ordering half a million of these dresses in under a year. It might sound surprising to us, but when you remember that this was a time in history that had just gotten used to disposable cutlery, plates and diapers, this new fashion was appealing. People were demanding more convenience and instant gratification. What was more instantly gratifying than a dress you could hem yourself with only a pair of scissors, or a dress that could simply be thrown out if it got dirty? As the trend took off, companies began to experiment with style and fabric, adding other materials to the paper to make a sturdier garment that could even be washed. Mars Manufacturing Company invented a wide range of paper dresses, from a basic A-line style to a paper evening dress to a full paper wedding gown, all for under $20. Other companies followed suit, inventing such things as paper slippers, paper bell-bottom suits and waterproofed paper raincoats and bikinis. There was even a paper dress invented that grew herbs when water was added. In their short history, paper dresses became more stylish than the original, patterned with '60s paisley and psychedelic prints. Some paper dresses were sold that could be decorated by the consumer. Even Andy Warhol got in on the trend, creating a design based on his famous Campbell's soup can print.

Paper dresses sounded like the next great invention - convenient, cheap and fashionable. So why aren't they around today? It certainly wasn't for lack of marketing. According to a Time Magazine article from 1967, "Sterling Paper believes in paper resort wear, the idea being that vacationers could buy paper clothes at the hotel when they arrive, throw them away when they depart, thus eliminating packing and carrying heavy luggage." Paper dresses were also lauded in fashion magazines of the times. However, the physical limitations of a dress made from paper were too great to large up to critical acclaim. Despite efforts to invent a durable paper-based fabric, the dresses ripped too easily. Also, though some dresses had chemicals added to prevent them catching fire, repeated washings removed this protection.

Only a few years after the invention of the paper dress, the fad had become obsolete. It remains, however, a testament to the innovation of the '60s, a period in history known for its willingness to take risks and be daring.

Our Guest Blogger, Samantha Marcelo, is a freelance and fiction writer living in Calgary, Alberta. Samantha has a keen interest in all things history-related, and wanted to share some remarkable historical inventions with the readers of InventorSpot.com

Sources: Time and Vintage Connection Images: Flickr and Wikipedia

Samantha Marcelo Guest Blogger InventorSpot.com

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Nov 27, 2017

This wild paper clothing trend of the 1960s was the early version of fast fashion

Before h&m and forever 21, these wear-it-once garments charmed america.

M ichael Scott— The Office ’s paper company petty tyrant—would have lost his mind. Women were strutting down the street in paper shift dresses they had colored with crayons. Others folded themselves into elaborate paper saris. Some even invested in paper wedding dresses, for $15 a pop. This was 1966, and thanks to one viral marketing campaign, the hottest material in America wasn’t lace or velvet — it was paper napkin. And it proved people were primed for fast fashion.

Scott Paper Company (no relation to Michael) needed to sell napkins and toilet paper. To promote its new Dura-Weve material, made of 93 percent paper napkin stock and 7 percent rayon scrim, it introduced two styles of shift dress made entirely in said paper. For $1.25, a woman received her choice of color: red bandana print or black-and-white pop art.

What was intended as a schtick sold 500,000 units in eight months.

Scott Paper was overwhelmed, to put it mildly. The company didn’t intend to pivot to fashion. It was sticking with napkins and paper plates. But other entrepreneurs and marketers jumped to cash in on the paper craze in a very big way.

By the end of 1966, national sales of paper clothes had topped $3.5 million. In March of 1967, Time magazine published a list of paper clothing offerings. Customers could buy kabuki slippers, bellbottom jumpsuits, evening gowns, aprons, and men’s vests from Sterling Paper Products. The company grossed $6 million in one year, thanks to popular products like its zebra-print pantsuit for $7.50. Department stores like Lord & Taylor contracted in-house designers for specially treated raincoats and bikinis, disposable after three uses. Undergarment company Formfit Rogers released a paper bra, pettiskirt, and kerchief set for $3. Hallmark designed matching party kits, with printed shift dress, cups, plates, placemats, and invitations. One of the most unusual paper dresses was implanted with seeds; upon watering the garment, the fabric sprouted tiny blossoms.

On the West Coast, Joseph Magnin Co. prepared to open 28 pop-up stores stocked with only paper fashion. Kaycel, the paper material used to make $12 fire-resistant men’s suits, calculated that it would make $300 million worth of disposable goods within five years, at this rate of demand. At one point in January of 1967, the demand for paper was so high that it prompted a shortage. “We couldn’t fill spring orders. The stores lived through a period of horror. It’s a miracle anyone survived,” said fashion designer Elisa Daggs . A stunning, comical cottage industry had blossomed overnight.

Paper outfits didn’t look particularly luxe, or even comfortable. The material resembled what hospital gowns are made of today: starchy, boxy, and unnervingly drafty. Thicker versions were packed with cellulose wadding to create softer silhouettes. Fabric had to be coated with flame-retardant solutions, which often washed off with water. On close inspection, few paper outfits fooled anyone. On the other hand, they were sturdy enough to resist tearing. Kaycel bragged that its garments could be washed and ironed up to 20 times. Some designs played with Velcro enclosures instead of zippers or buttons, for quirky ease. “After all, who is going to do laundry in space?” posed textile designer Julian Tomchin . Paper was the future.

T he appeal lay in a winning combination of novelty, bargain, and ephemerality. The 1960s represented a blooming, optimistic youth culture with aims to live fiercely and stylishly. It was the era of Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s soup Pop Art (1962), with themes of mass-production, consumerism, and advertising. The Western world was eager to forgo formality and wartime rations. Paper fashion represented the literal casting off of oppressive norms, and the embrace of trends and temporality. One campaign boasted, “Won’t last forever…who cares? Wear it for kicks — then give it the air.” It wasn’t waste; it was liberation.

And if paper fashion seemed a little too accessible, the rich had an answer: “No need to worry that such a democratic dress — one that absolutely anyone can afford — will destroy the fashion elite,” wrote journalist Marilyn Bender. “The woman of wealth and social contacts can commission an artist to create a special paper dress for a special event, then donate it to a museum, provided the garment hasn’t deteriorated on the dance floor.” By then, Hartford, Connecticut, had already hosted a Paper Dress Ball to benefit a museum building fund. Seven hundred guests and designers attended. At another gala in Washington, women traded in Dior gowns to be auctioned, and were given paper dresses in return. Jacqueline Kennedy attended.

Paper fashion was America’s shortcut to style. In December of 1967, the Saturday Evening Post wrote, “Internationally, paper has given us a rare chance to pull ahead of the French. We may have lagged behind for years in haute couture, but our new crew of throwaway designers has been able to start from scratch.” Mademoiselle crowed, “In terms of how much pow you get for your pennies, the paper dress is the ultimate smart-money fashion.” The magazine recommended a white paper mini-dress with silver fringe, which it called a “party stopper.”

Toward the end of the fad, hotel chains even planned to stock paper resort clothes so travelers would never have to pack suitcases again. They would simply buy what they needed at their destination, wear it a few times, then discard it before returning home.

Paper clothes were an early harbinger of the global fast-fashion industry that surrounds us today, from Forever 21 to J.Crew. (See: that $17 sparkly tube dress you bought for a Vegas bachelorette party, wore once, then threw out.) Americans discard 14 million tons of clothes every year, amounting to about 80 pounds per person. Over 80 percent of those end up in landfills or incinerators. Of the clothes donated to non-profits, only 20 percent are considered passable quality. New York City pays $20.6 million annually to ship textiles to landfills. Yet the top fast-fashion retailers grew 9.7 percent over the past five years, compared with 6.8 percent growth by traditional apparel companies. “It used to be four seasons in a year; now it may be up to 11 or 15 or more,” Tasha Lewis, a professor at Cornell University’s Department of Fiber Science and Apparel Design, told NPR.

In the 1970s, environmentalists saw the writing on the wall and put a stop to paper fashion. Two years after Scott Paper debuted its first dresses, a growing sustainability movement rendered disposable fashion passé. The first Earth Day was held in 1970. Durable, homespun, and vintage fashion in earthy tones and natural fibers were the ethical choice. For a time, the mainstream consumer agreed.

Then the following decade endeared us to PVC, acrylic, and Material Girls. Paper was out, but Forever 21 knitwear was nigh.

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Actress Jamie Lee Curtis kisses Michelle Yeoh on the lips after winning SAG Awards 2023 (VIDEO)

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Social media users compare michelle yeoh’s sag awards dress to french fries, packing paper (video).

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 23 — The usually-stylish Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh seemed to have fallen short of picking the right dress for the Screen Actors Guild Awards 2023 today.

While many fans took to social media to congratulate Yeoh’s big win for the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role award, some poked fun at her dress by comparing it to French fries and shredded paper.

Yeoh appeared on the red carpet in a Schiaparelli Haute Couture black one-shoulder gown with yellow sequined fringe running down the length of the dress.

The dress, however, looked as though it had pieces of shredded paper superglued to the front of it.

Michelle Yeoh, star of "Everything Everywhere All at Once," shines at the #SAGAwards in a black and yellow off-the-shoulder dress. pic.twitter.com/8Xlu2niI1M — AP Entertainment (@APEntertainment) February 27, 2023

Social media users were quick to repost her photos online and tease her with various comparisons.

“I love Michelle Yeoh and I’m glad she won her SAG award but perhaps when she goes to the Oscars, she should not wear a dress made largely of French fries,” wrote a user.

“OMG Michelle Yeoh’s crinkle cut fry dress is messing up her speech,” wrote another user.

Some also compared the tallow sequinned fringe with shredded papers being glued to the dress.

“Michelle Yeoh’s dress must have been on sale at office depot. A chic way to recycle shredded paper,” wrote a Twitter user.

Yeoh today became the first Asian to win Best Actress at the SAG awards for her role in E verything Everywhere All at Once.

Yeoh will also be taking her shot at the Oscars for Best Actress next month.

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[PLUS SIZE] MOCHA Ayah Blouse PDF Pattern - 4 Kinds of Paper (A4, US Letter, A0, 36"x48")

SIZE: 16, 18, 20, 22

For detail size chart, please click the " DOWNLOAD SAMPLE " Button.

Description

» PDF file Includes:

What you need Describes each step detailed with pictures Computer drawn accurate actual size patterns Material Information Cutting Layout Letter/A4 paper, both available (Basic) Large Shop Print format - A0. 36" X 48" both available Single printable instruction PDF

MOCHA Miley Bib Tunic PDF Pattern -...

The Miley Tunic is a classic and versatile tunic that can worn casually every day! You can style this blouse with jeans, trousers, skirts, and more. It can be worn as a tunic and as a dress with tights under! Due to its loose figure, you can easily fit and make movements without any discomfort. Make this in different material for all the coming seasons! Moreover, the Miley tunic can be easily matched with any bottom piece, from comfy leggings to casual jeans! Start this comfy and casual tunic today!

3 people have this in their cart

Jennie Bag PDF Pattern

The Jennie Bag is a unique yet classic design you can easily carry and make! With its interesting opening, you can store all of your necessities in a quick and easy way. A project designed to be made with faux leather; an ideal pattern for the first-time faux leather crafters! With a simple yet classic design, this bag can be a statement piece that will never go out of style! Moreover, this pattern is a beginner friendly pattern that can be easily enjoyed by sewers of all levels. Carry your own Jennie Bag today!

Stan Lunch Bag PDF Pattern

The Stan Lunch Bag is an essential for school, work, or simply as a daily partner. The project is created for men, women, and children alike! Its large opening helps fitting in containers with ease - resulting in a convenient bag to use for all school ages. Making the lining with waterproof fabric can make it more endurable with accidental spills and leaks from your meal. The flap is covered with two layers, so it is stable for storing food and holding the container. It is a lunch bag made with a functional and modern design by assembling a buckle on a short string. The Stan Lunch Bag was intended for young students, also it can be used in your office too! Start the Stan Lunch Bag today!

15 people have this in their cart

VIKISEWS Nevia dress pattern, size...

Nevia is a loose-fitting, straight-cut dress, flared toward the bottom. The dress has a center front and a center back seam. The front V-neckline is low and slightly rounded. There is a keyhole cut-out in the center front seam that starts at the neckline and reaches the waistline. The cut-on sleeves are below-elbow length. The dress features high slits in the side seams. Nevia is ankle-length. Model Sofia: Height 172 cm (5'8"), Bust 84 cm (33 1/8”), Waist 64 cm (25 1/4”), Hips 90 cm (35 3/8”). Sofia is wearing size 36 in height 3. Approximate sewing time – 1 day (8 hours). Creator: Viki Rakusa

50 Children's KF-94 Safety Korean F...

- Quantity: 50 ($1.60/Count) - Size: Small - 180mm x 68mm - Certified KF-94 High Quality MB(Melt Blown) Filters. High Quality 'KF' for Korea Filter & '94' for ave. 0.4um particulate matter filtered, min. 94% blocks up and protect against very small particles. - Comfortable 3D Design for all day use. - Incredibly comfortable and easy to breath while wearing. - MADE IN SOUTH KOREA, Materials made in South Korea. - Delivery from Seoul, Korea.

MOCHA Cataleya Blouse PDF Pattern -...

Inspired by the exotic vintage collars in the 60's, this is a fun but casual everyday blouse you can make and wear! However, this blouse is still very modern to wear as your casual top piece allowing you to be easily style them with your everyday clothes like jeans, dress pants, skirts and more. With the V neckline the shirt and button up opening, this piece offers the comfiest fit for anyone! Due to its slightly loose figure, you can easily fit and make movements without any discomfort. Start the Cataleya Blouse today!

4 people have this in their cart

MOCHA Gurveer Shirts PDF Pattern -...

The Gurveer Button Up Shirt is a classic long sleeve shirt that you can wear on an everyday occasion. With different materials you can achieve many different looks, if you make it with silk or other fancy fabric you can wear this on formal occasions from dates to office parties. While if you make it with cotton or flowy linen it can be worn casually with your favorite pair of jeans. This is a versatile piece that never goes out of style. Make this your staple piece! Start the Gurveer shirt now!

[PLUS SIZE] MOCHA Maddy Shirt PDF...

The Maddy Shirt is a classic short sleeve shirt that you can wear on an everyday occasion. With different materials you can achieve many different looks, if you make it with silk or other fancy fabric you can wear this on formal occasions from dates to office parties. While if you make it with cotton or flowy linen it can be worn casually with your favorite pair of jeans. This is a versatile piece that never goes out of style. Make this your staple piece! Start the Maddy shirt now!

[PLUS SIZE] MOCHA Aniela Basic Drop...

The Aniela Basic Drop Shoulder Top is a simple boxy blouse and is a staple basic that never goes out of style. This top can easily be styled up and down with the right bottom wear and can offer many different looks. With silk or sateen, you can make this your fancy top, and with casual cotton or linen, you can achieve the everyday look. You can simply slip on this comfortable piece with its wide opening. With no complicated closures included, any beginners up for a challenge can make this look! Make yourself multiple different looks from the same top!

MOCHA Notched Collar Shirt PDF Patt...

This notched collar blouse is a classic top wear that can simply be worn with almost any bottom wear. Due to its loose and spacious puff sleeves, the blouse offers a comfortable fit, you can easily fit and make movements with your arm without any discomfort. Matching the top piece with a semi-formal pants can look flattering but wearing it with plain casual jeans will also look like a charm. Moreover, this blouse never goes out of style due to its classic yet ageless look. This project comes with two different back designs allowing you to have more freedom of what fit suits you better. The pleated version is recommended for those who like to have looser look while the plain version is better if you like to have a slightly tighter fit!

7 people have this in their cart

MOCHA Blanca Blouse PDF Pattern - 4...

The Blanca Blouse is a an adorable semi cropped blouse; a casual everyday button-down shirt. With the V neckline the shirt and button up opening, this piece offers the comfiest fit for anyone! Due to its slightly loose figure, you can easily fit and make movements without any discomfort. Moreover, the Blanca Blouse can be easily matched with any bottom piece, from formal pencil skirts to casual jeans! Start this comfy and casual top wear today!

6 people have this in their cart

We are a one-of-a-kind sewing company started for the purpose of selling excellent online PDF patterns for every sewers around the world. Founded in the summer of 2007 in Canada...

IMAGES

85 best images about paper clothes on Pinterest
Creatively Graceful: PaperLove Blog Hop 2014: Paper Dress
Paper Dresses
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26 Amazing Paper Dresses Collection and Ideas
Paper Dress Inspiration from Paper Posy Designs

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Dressup dress 👗👩‍🦰
Paper dress #papercraft #paper #fancydress #girldresses
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which one is your favourite dress| #paper #satisfying
Paper Dress Craft Idea's

COMMENTS

Paper clothing
In 1969, the paper dress craze rapidly died out, mainly fuelled by changes in fashion but also by increasing awareness of the issues with disposable consumer goods. Functional single-use paper clothing for protective, medical, and/or traveling needs remained commercially viable.
How to Make a Paper Dress (with Pictures)
A paper dress can be a fun project for an afternoon. You can also wear a paper dress to a costume party. The process of making a paper dress can take a long time, so have patience. You'll make the bottom first, and then make a top piece to go with it. Once you're finished, you'll have a fun, flowing paper dress to show off. Part 1
"Pulp Fashion": Paper Dresses of the 1960s
They sold colorful printed-paper dresses and other garments for adults and children in a variety of strap, neckline and sleeve styles, as well as "space age" foil paper clothing. In September, Mars debuted plain white dresses that came with watercolor paint sets for "doing your own thing." Pop artist Andy Warhol painted one to promote the new line.
Paper Dresses: A Brief 1966 Fashion Fad
Paper Dresses? What About Rain? Or Fire? The paper dresses weren't as flimsy as we may think they were. They were made of a disposable cellulose material called Dura-Weave, that had been invented and patented in 1958. The fabric was somewhat fire and water resistant.
Vintage Spotlight: Paper Dresses
The dresses came in two patterns, a red bandana paisley and a black and white optical illusion print. The original paper dresses were called "Paper Capers" and came with a note about how to wear them, "Your Paper Caper is an all-paper dress and intended for one time wear only.
When Paper Clothing Was the Perfect Fit
Decades later, in the 1960s, paper dresses would make a brief comeback, with bold colors, pop-art patterns, and psychedelic designs. Groovy as the fad might have seemed at the time, it proved even ...
See 1960s paper dresses, the retro dress-in-a-can, foil dresses & other
The paper dress offered as a premium is high styled in bright, rich colors and there are three sizes, small, medium and large. It's just-for-fun, featuring tie shoulders and side slits for ease in walking, and if it's too long, there's no problem of alteration — with a handy pair of scissors.
Paper Dresses of the 1960s
The paper dress was made of a new cellulose fabric called 'Duraweave' and the design was simple, sleeveless and in a A-line style. After made each dress was treated to resist fire and other elements. At the same time, other companies had been designing and creating a paper dress for use in hospitals, nuclear plants and in medical facilities.
Vintage Fashion Guild : Fashion History : Paper Dresses
Crepe paper party dresses continued to be popular as cheap and fun costumes until the 1950s. This 1920s Halloween costume was surprisingly resiliant to tears unless it got wet, in which case it lost its strength and colour fastness. Using paper for non-costume reasons increased in the 1920s, with the introduction of paper collars and cuffs for ...
25 Amazing Paper Dresses Collection -Paper Clothing Ideas
Paper Clothing Ideas: Paper dresses are creatively made from recycled paper or newspapers. Newspaper dresses are in fashion and pretty trendy these days. Fashion shows are full of these cool dresses which are creatively designed by designers. You can easily DIY paper clothes too.
Colorful Paper Dress (with Templates)
Cut out the following paper flower templates for the paper dress skirt: 8 XL Lacey flower petals (first tier of the skirt), 7 Large Bella flower petals (second tier of the skirt), 7 Medium Whimsy style flower petals (third tier of the skirt) Cut a slit at the bottom of each flower petal and overlap slightly. Curl the edges back.
900+ Best Paper dresses ideas
Dec 6, 2021 - Explore Jill Lawrence's board "Paper dresses", followed by 1,798 people on Pinterest. See more ideas about paper dress, paper fashion, paper clothes.
How to Make Origami Dress for Beginners
Super cute and easy paper dress. Perfect for Wedding Card DIYs, Mother's Day cards, decor. We adore this simple origami for beginners. CLICK FOR INFO Show more Show more Try YouTube Kids...
This 4-Year-Old Makes Paper Dresses With Her Mom
Most of the time. We use a lot of construction paper, but we also use tissue paper, wrapping paper, and gift bags. We have also used silk scarves, tulle, and aluminum foil. Basically, if we can find it laying around the house and it's pliable, it's fair game. Clear packing tape and glue are our adhesives of choice.
Vintage Paper Dresses
Wipe off and press again and again. $5.95 ppd." But without a doubt, the weirdest paper dress--by one of the wackiest dress manufacturers of the 1960s--was meant to grow herbs. "It was amazing," Paraphernalia's founder admits. "There were little seeds planted in a kind of blotter paper, very soft--kind of like a Handi-Wipe.
Isabelle De Borchgrave: The Magic Of Paper Dresses
In line with the tradition of Arte Povera, an art form which seeks to create beauty using everyday objects, she turns a household item as common as paper into admired artworks. Though she has now become reknown in the world of paper design and Belgian art, this admiration grew over many long years of hard work.
Amazing Paper DRESS
The paper dress is an amazing origami out of one paper sheet. I used a paper square 15 x 15 cm. The idea and design by Anastasia Prokuda. I wish you a pl Show more Basteln
V&A · Paper Dresses
The invention of mass-produced paper fashion is attributed to Scott Paper, an American company that made toilet tissues, baby wipes and other sanitary products. In 1966 Scott Paper produced a simple disposable shift dress out of 'Dura-Weave', a cellulose material already used to make laundry-reducing garments for hospital workers.
The Paper Dress
According to a Time Magazine article from 1967, "Sterling Paper believes in paper resort wear, the idea being that vacationers could buy paper clothes at the hotel when they arrive, throw them away when they depart, thus eliminating packing and carrying heavy luggage." Paper dresses were also lauded in fashion magazines of the times.
This wild paper clothing trend of the 1960s was the early version of
College students sport mail order disposable paper dresses made by the Scott Paper Co., on a beach in Bermuda in 1966. The dresses are made of layers of paper with rayon scrim in between. (AP) M ichael Scott—The Office's paper company petty tyrant—would have lost his mind. Women were strutting down the street in paper shift dresses they ...
Paper Dresses
Paper Dresses - Etsy Paper Dresses (1 - 40 of 5,000+ results) Price ($) Shipping All Sellers Moove It! by Dress it Up Buttons #8977 PrimroseCottages (22,881) $3.49 More like this More colors 5 meter 10cm 3.93" wide black/orange lingerie ruffled pleated gauze mesh fabric dress embroidery tapes lace trim ribbon H47S941B210326L lacetrimwholesalers
Pattern (sewing)
In sewing and fashion design, a pattern is the template from which the parts of a garment are traced onto woven or knitted fabrics before being cut out and assembled. Patterns are usually made of paper, and are sometimes made of sturdier materials like paperboard or cardboard if they need to be more robust to withstand repeated use. The process of making or cutting patterns is sometimes ...
Social media users compare Michelle Yeoh's SAG Awards dress to French
"OMG Michelle Yeoh's crinkle cut fry dress is messing up her speech," wrote another user. Some also compared the tallow sequinned fringe with shredded papers being glued to the dress. "Michelle Yeoh's dress must have been on sale at office depot. A chic way to recycle shredded paper," wrote a Twitter user.
iThinksew
The Ayah Blouse is a classic peter pan collar top. With a retro-inspired look, this can effortlessly dress you up! Because of the perfect length of the sleeves, the blouse can be styled and worn from spring to fall. Making this blouse in a bundle with various colours is highly recommended, as it can be easily styled with any bottom wear. Moreover, the top can match any bottoms, from leggings ...