Fashions from Commodity Bags—Case Study of a Rural Seamstress in the Mid-Twentieth Century

Abstract

Beginning in the late-nineteenth century, recycling commodity bags into household items and garments was commonplace in rural America. Despite the prevalence of the practice, there is little information available about what commodity bag garments looked like, and the steps seamstresses went through to recycle the bags. This paper focuses on thirty-five garments made from recycled commodity bags by Rosa Keller Aucoin between 1949 and 1968 in southeast Louisiana. Rosa’s wardrobe presents an unparalleled research opportunity since no other collection of commodity bags of this number by one seamstress has been identified. This study examined Rosa’s commodity bag wardrobe made for work and informal social occasions. Specific goals were to 1) identify, 2) evaluate, 3) culturally analyze, and 4) interpret the commodity bag garments. The study found the garments to be colorful, durable, and fashionable, fitting into both the rural culture surrounding the seamstress, as well as the wider American culture of the time.

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