Disposable Fashion Arrives
In 1966, Scott Paper, known for tissues and wipes, launched a promotional cellulose shift dress to advertise its new tableware. For just $1.25, customers received a dress by mail. Meant as a novelty, the item unexpectedly exploded in popularity, with over 500,000 orders in under a year.
A Canvas for Culture and Advertising
The concept caught on fast. The “Souper Dress,” printed with Campbell’s Soup cans, mirrored Warhol’s art. The Nixon campaign printed red and blue dresses for rallies. Paper fashion proved perfect for bold prints, satire, and branding.
Fad Meets Function
Companies like Wastebasket Boutique and Poster Dress embraced the format, producing 100,000 units weekly. Easy to cut, tape, or alter, paper dresses appealed to a generation rejecting postwar thrift and embracing new freedoms in fashion and lifestyle.
Fading Fast
Though some paper garments evolved with synthetic fibers for durability, the trend lost steam by 1968. As hippy culture opposed disposable consumerism, and affordable textiles took over store racks, the once-cutting-edge paper dress was left behind.
In the 1960s, a surprising fashion craze took hold: paper dresses.
Originally launched as a promotion by Scott Paper in 1966, these cheap, disposable garments became a sensation, with over 500,000 ordered in under a year. The idea of novelty was the perfect fit…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/hSsnXr1HIv
— Detective Tiger's Stories (@TigerDetective) April 25, 2025