In the 60s, the concept of disposable goods found their way into the American way of life. Everything from diapers and silverware to plates and bottles were made to be discarded with reckless abandon. But perhaps the oddest item on the list of throwaway items was the paper dress, a cheap outfit that could be worn for a special occasion, then easily discarded. There was nothing whatsoever environmentally friendly about this attire, but that didn’t stop paper dresses from becoming one of the hottest selling items of the decade.

The folks at Scott Paper Co. (home of the quicker picker upper) introduced the first paper dresses as a gimmick to accompany their line of paper towels and toilet paper. A mere dollar and a quarter was all one needed to purchase a paisley or plaid printed dress that could not only be worn at a party, but handle any drink spills that might occur. The concept was, like many other things at the time, borrowed from the space program, where disposable clothing had been developed by NASA for the astronauts to wear. But the folks at Scott completely underestimated the appeal of their paper clothing when they introduced the space-age duds, to the tune of a half a million being sold within six months. They would find themselves unable to keep up with the demand and eventually sold the rights to a bevy of entrepreneurs, who picked up the torch and ran with it. And speaking of torches, one minor concern was getting too close to an oven or other source of flame while wearing these incendiary fashions. Soon it was determined that bit of fire retardant spray would be a good idea.

One interesting advantage of these handi-wipe-esque fashions was that a spot didn’t necessarily mean the end for that beloved paper dress - a mere pair of scissors was all that was needed to simply snip away the stain. In fact, one could snip to their heart’s content, creating all sorts of fashionable alterations. What started as a dress could easily morph into a top or skirt with a little creative ingenuity.

The paper rage soon reached monumental proportions. Companies such as Betty Crocker and Breck shampoo began offering coupons for paper dresses. A paper fur coat was even introduced at one point. And for the Republicans in the crowd, you could be the proud wearer of a paper dress adorned with images of Richard Nixon. (Try keeping that image out of your nocturnal nightmares.)  Paper dresses were sold packaged with a box of crayons to allow wearers to design their own creations. And for that perfectly themed party, Hallmark offered a paper dress complete with matching paper cups and plates.

Today, paper attire is mostly used in industry. Thanks to Dupont, synthetic fibers have now allowed for a more durable version of paper clothing. Utilizing a fiber called Tyvek, paper-wear can endure getting wet without falling apart. Hospital gowns and surgical scrubs are often constructed from paper and some hotels even offer paper swimsuits for their guests.

But in today’s more ecologically friendly world, the idea of disposable items is no longer considered a good thing and, as a result, the idea of throwaway clothes is a concept that few care to wrap themselves in. It is a fad that, although enormously popular in its day, is unlikely to return. But in the 60s, there was nothing apparently wrong with being a walking roll of paper towels, ready to mop up any pesky stain in your path with the swish of an arm. Simpler times indeed, and in some ways – decidedly more fun.