Survival Mode

Children's comforts were among the casualties as families struggled to make ends meet during the Great Depression of the 1930s. During the Depression families with young children were often forced to go to great lengths to clothe their children, relying on charity, ingenuity and frugality to survive.

This petticoat, which has been stitched together using scraps of household items, shows just how tough it was for many families. The bodice is cut from a baby’s napkin, the shoulder straps are strips of blue velvet and the skirt is made from stiffened mesh fabric.