Thrift Style, a new exhibit at Chandler Museum, explores the reuse of feed sacks to make clothing and other household objects during the Great Depression and World War II. With 41 works from patterns to garments, it serves as an example of past ingenuity that can inform today’s efforts towards sustainability. Thrift Style opens September 6, 2022 at Chandler Museum, according to a news release from the city of Chandler.
During World War II, the federal government limited fabric use so homemakers repurposed what was available to them. The reuse of feed, flour, and sugar sacks was a cost-saving and resource-saving approach by women to make items to meet their families’ needs. In response, manufacturers promoted the thrifty use of feed sack fabric by publishing how-to brochures and booklets with clothing designs, mending instructions, and other suggestions for restyling clothes, according to the release.
This exhibition offers a snapshot of domestic life during this time, when recycling was as critical as it is today, and it provides one of the best examples of upcycling in our nation’s history, according to the release.
