Hooverette
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Like many things used by impoverished people during the Great Depression (e.g. Hoover hogs, Hoovervilles), the dress was named after Herbert Hoover, US president when the Depression began, + -ette. (It has also been suggested that the name might not refer to the inexpensiveness but liken the dress's effectiveness as work clothing to Hoover's pre-presidential career as an effective administrator of aid to Europe after the First World War.)[1]
Noun[edit]
Hooverette (plural Hooverettes)
- A simple housedress with robe-style sash and wrap front, worn especially in United States in the 1930s and 1940s, with one section overlapping another; when dirty, the overlap could be reversed so a clean section was on top again, reducing laundry.
- 1932, Elmer Wheeler, Tested Selling Sentences (the Language of the Brain): Master Book:
- The Hooverette can be worn as a dress or as an apron.
- 1937, Lucy Poate Stebbins, The Golden Carlotta:
- “I have so few opportunities to wear such a dress, that I thought I'd better take every one that offered.” “In Paris you would need such a frock every evening,” observed Lynnette admiringly. “I'd rather stay at home and wear Hooverettes […] ”
- 2010, Mary Beth Klatt, Chicago's Fashion History: 1865 - 1945, Arcadia Publishing, →ISBN:
- During this period, Sears, Roebuck and Company sold Hooverettes, which were inexpensive, simple, wraparound dresses. They were reversible, so the whole dress could be flipped inside out for a different look.
Alternative forms[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Barbara Brackman, Making History - Quilts & Fabric From 1890-1970, C&T Publishing Inc (2010, →ISBN): "'Hooverette' as a name for a dress costing 47¢ might thus reflect depression frugality. However, the Dictionary of American Region English lists 'Hoover Apron' as slang for a coverall or house-dress with an overlapping reversible front, a name reflecting Hoover's earlier career as an effective administrator of postwar relief in Europe. The wrap-front dress could be worn until the bodice was dirty and then the overlap reversed to reveal a clean area, cutting down on laundry. The name Hooverette or Hoover Apron alludes to an efficient work dress."