The Technology, History, and Industry of Slipcovers
According to the dictionary a slipcover is a fitted, removable cover of cloth or other material for a piece of upholstered furniture. Now days, slip covers are used just to spice up a room or make mismatched furniture, well, match.
Back before there was air conditioning available in homes, people would use slip covers to protect their furniture. During the hottest months of the year, it was common for people to place slip covers on their furniture to protect the fabric from sweat. The only slip covers available at this time were plastic slip covers made out of clear vinyl. These slip covers could be found at large department stores.
There were tailors who would make these plastic slip covers for your furniture. Their busy seasons were during spring and summer. These tailors earned the nickname "Summertime Millionaires". In the 1960's, new technology had made it easier for slip covers to be mass produces, thus the practice of producing custom slip covers had dwindled.
Custom made slip covers are made to fit your furniture perfectly. Custom made slip covers give your furniture the tailored look of upholstery. The custom made slip covers can easily make your room look more put together.
These mass produced loose slip covers did not require tailoring a majority of the time. So came about the ready made slip covers that were made to fit furniture that was of average size. The ready made slip covers can readily be found in most any department store that sells linens.
Every generation tries to change the ways previous generations had produced and marketed slip covers. One production technique that has not changed is one dubbed the "cottage industry" technique. This is where a group of people, generally women, gets together and produces the slip covers and then sells them.
Today, vinyl slip covers are rarely in demand. Most people want fabric slip covers which seem to be more durable as well as more comfortable and inviting. Slip covers have been around for many generations, and will be for many more to come.
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