Moms used gunny sacks to make dresses during 'Great Depression' — then the companies did something beautiful

One of the most unforgettable times for the United States was the notorious Great Depression. The period between 1929 and 1939, which saw a major economic fall, was a result of the stock market crash, banking panic, and failing monetary policies. This led to immense poverty, unemployment, and a drop in global trade, among other things. Due to financial degradation, the citizens of the country suffered not only with food and shelter but also with fashion. Women, especially, had to go distances to save their dignity by stitching feed sacks into dresses. An article by The Saturday Evening Post shares insights.

The challenging times brought women to a stage where they had to either rely on their old clothes or make themselves new ones by stitching shabby, plain, rough feed sacks. The trend that had first come into being in the 1920s among rural women in America due to economic shortage soon became the preference for urban women. The Great Depression urbanized the feed sack clothes wave to cope with poverty and save women’s dignity.

Women all around the U.S. soon began to stitch these sacks flawlessly to make them look no less than a store-bought dress. Since the labels were prominently visible, they would either cut them off or add designs, sequins, and ribbons. The grain and flour companies soon started to make paper labels that came off easily, so no woman had to cut off a piece of fabric. However, an unexpected support came their way in 1925, when the Gingham Girl Flour was packaged in red and white checked cotton sacks to make the material look more appealing and wearable. An Instagram video posted by Oleh Bobak, who goes by the username @oleh.mov, validates the information.

The chequered sacks marked the beginning of feed sack manufacturing companies’ support for women. To help them with more options and increase their sale, they started to produce them in printed and colourful patterns. From floral to polka dots, lines to waves, they fueled the movement with this thoughtful gesture. In 1933, the Textile Bag Manufacturers Association also added Sewing with Cotton Bags, a booklet to help women follow tips to sew sacks into dresses, and by 1937, their sales increased. Families would often debate how many feed sacks to buy, depending on how many pieces of clothing they required — 3 was enough for one family.

The grains that were now bought were not only decided by the men in the family, but also by the women. Apart from the quality of raw food that was being bought, the pattern and colour of the sacks became a big deal as well. Women started enjoying having a say in purchasing.

According to an article by TRC Leiden, the 1930s witnessed women sitting in groups and stitching these fancy sacks into dresses. National Oats Company of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, had also organised a fashion show to uplift the feed sack fashion wave and inspire women to take part in it. Academic groups were formed to educate women on using feed sacks judiciously; the Georgia Emergency Relief Administration was one of them. They taught women and girls how to make things they needed from the fabric. The importance of using cotton fabric and transforming it sustainably was emphasized.   

This fashion trend, which resulted from a heartbreaking cause, later went on to inspire the famous 'cottagecore' fashion. This style romanticizes the feed sack fashion trend, which was unfortunately a result of a challenging financial situation. The clothes under this style are inspired by rural people and their sustainable methods in times of need, which, ironically, has evolved into an elite trend today.