Fashion Frocks Salesman Sample Card

Though the Museum is known for its sign collection, its building also has historical significance. Originally built in 1918, the most well-known tenant was Fashion Frocks. The company operated from 1935 to 1957 as the country’s premier dress manufacturer and led the nation in direct sales and marketing of women’s apparel. Over 2 million garments a year were produced on the factory’s floor that now displays the Museum’s collection. This mural is inspired by one of Fashion Frocks many dress designs and includes their slogan “It’s fashion wise to be thrifty.” During World War II, Fashion Frocks slowed or halted production on their dresses in order to produce parachutes to help the war effort. Due to their assistance, the company earned an “Excellence in Production” award from the Presentation Program of the Army Navy in 1944. The Fashion Frocks mural outside the Museum even features an “E,” a symbol of excellence for companies that received this recognition in wartime. The company eventually shut its doors for good in the 1970’s, and the building has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2005.

While there is no date on the ad, the stylistic choices lead us to believe that it is from the 1950s.