Fabulous 1930s Floral Feedsack Day Dress
Rare Late 1930s–Early 1940s Floral Feed Sack Cotton Day Dress with Cream Voile Accents
This delightful style of dress flourished in rural America during the late 1930s to early 1940s, crafted from repurposed printed feed sack cotton. It’s both a charming daywear option and a striking piece for re‑enactment or vintage‑style living. The soft pastel floral print in yellow, mint and cornflower echoes 1940s femininity, while cream‑covered cotton voile trims add a touch of quiet elegance.
Features
• Era: Late 1930s–Early 1940s
• Material: Feed Sack Cotton; featherlight cotton voile details
• Style: Housedress that can be cinched at the waist with the attached fabric ties to create a flattering hourglass silhouette
• Bodice: Slight bust darts, piped yoke with two decorative buttons
• Collar & Trims: Cream voile sailor‑style collar; luxe contrast to the utilitarian base
• Sleeves: Tiny capped sleeves
• Waist: Self‑fabric ties at the back for shaping
• Skirt: Gentle A‑line flare; unlined for everyday comfort
• Fastening: No fastening, easy to slip on over the head
• Colour Palette: Soft yellow, mint, pale blue florals on cream background with ivory accents
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Measurements
• Bust: 36″
• Waist: 34″ (cinches tighter via ties)
• Hips: 38”
• Length (shoulder to hem): 42″
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Condition
In good condition with only a few pinholes, light discolouration at the underarms and shoulder and a faint mark near the bottom of the skirt as pictured.
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Why You’ll Love It
This dress bridges comfort, style, and heritage. The story‑rich materials speak to 1930s ingenuity, offering practicality without sacrificing femininity. Wear it for daily vintage living, nostalgic sewing recreations, or in accurate re‑enactment scenarios—this dress keeps the spirit of the era alive.
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🧵 The History of Feed Sack Dresses
During the Great Depression and WWII, fabric was scarce and women started reusing the cotton sacks for grain, flour or animal feed as dress fabric. Rural women cleverly upcycled these sacks into dresses, aprons, and household linens. Manufacturers soon responded, printing the sacks with cheerful patterns specifically for sew‑at‑home clothing. Today, original feed sack garments are celebrated as symbols of resourcefulness, community, and beauty born of necessity.
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This is more than a dress—it’s a piece of social history, lovingly preserved, shop now or browse the collection of other vintage treasures.
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This garment is available to purchase with or without dress shields. These clever little contraptions have been made by our seamstress to an original 1940s pattern and can be simply attached to your garment by tack stitching at the corners of the underarm seam, pinning (we wouldn’t recommend that, it hurts if it goes wrong, so if you try this, it is at your own risk only) or inserting tiny poppers. They then stand ready to absorb any sweat and body odours as needed and you can simply detach and launder them instead of your garment, saving you a fortune in dry cleaning bills.
They are equally suitable for suits, blazers and dresses and come in pure white cotton.
They are universally sized and super easy to use even for a sewing novice as only a couple of tiny stitches are required at each side to secure them.
We sell Dress Shields as a standalone item or at a discount if you purchase them with a garment. We will select the appropriate type to match the garment you have purchased.