Riches to rags in the Depression
This advertisement was released in New Zealand in the depths of the Great Depression. Yet only a small group could still afford luxuries like stockings – the rest had to recycle their clothes, including their underwear.
Tights, socks, bras, undies … nothing was beyond repair. Since underclothes were unseen, they could be mended repeatedly without attracting attention. Even so, few people kept these reminders of shame after the economy improved.