Recycling garments into others was routine long before the 1930s. I've
always thought that the 1920s would have killed the habit, because 20s
styles used so little material in comparison to most garments of
previous generations, and because ready-to-wear became the prominent
method of obtaining clothing in the 1920s (even though RTW existed long
before that). Except, the depression of the 1930s and the rationing of
the 1940s forced most people to recycle, so by the 1950s they were
associating it with severe hardship and wanted to get away from it.
What is different about the recycling of the 1970s and again, recently,
is the association with "personalizing" ready-to-wear garments,
translating into making it obvious that you mended, altered, trimmed,
and/or dyed the garment, or made it out of something else entirely, such
as household linens.
I really like the style of that jacket, though I admit the colors, like
many men's suit colors, are too neutral for my taste. Good idea though,
as men's suits are often discarded when they are still in very good shape.
Fran
Lavolta Press
www.lavoltapress.com
On 4/22/2010 12:12 PM, Käthe Barrows wrote:
For one of my classes A while Back I had to recycle mens wool garments
into a tailored jacket.
Recycling garments into other garments became popular in the Great
Depression of the 1930s, and became unpopular when it didn't have to
be so necessary.
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