---
title: Mrs America buys clothes with care
url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/mrs-america-buys-clothes-with-care-1942/
description: Twelve-panel cartoon sheet showing a stylised housewife shopping for clothes, each panel captioned with a rule such as comparing prices.
section: Collection
---

1. [Home](https://propagandaarchive.org/)
2. [Collection](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/)
3. Mrs America buys clothes with care

[![Mrs America buys clothes with care, 1942 US poster: Twelve-panel cartoon sheet showing a stylised housewife shopping](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/mrs-america-buys-clothes-with-care-1942.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/mrs-america-buys-clothes-with-care-1942.jpg)

# Mrs America buys clothes with care

Twelve-panel cartoon sheet showing a stylised housewife shopping for clothes, each panel captioned with a rule such as comparing prices, reading labels and buying only what she needs. Technique: plain-folks, an everyday 'Mrs America' as model, and transfer in the closing line that wise buying helps win the war.

## Propaganda techniques used in this poster

[Plain folks](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/plain-folks/) [Transfer](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/transfer/)

## Text on the object

Original (English) · read from the image, not independently checked

```
Mrs America buys clothes with care
1 Plans before she buys; makes over what she can
2 Shops around to learn where best buys are
3 Knows the size before she buys, makes sure of a good fit
4 Makes sure she knows what it is made of. Reads labels
5 Finds out whether it will shrink or stretch
6 Asks for information about wear and care
7 Compares prices with quality to get her money's worth
8 Buys only what she needs now. She doesn't hoard
9 Buys a dress that will stay in style and that has many uses
10 Makes sure in the store; does not have to exchange goods
11 Carries home small purchases and avoids delivery. Saves tires and gas
12 Keeps up to date about civilian goods in war time
Wise buying helps win the war
[in-panel text: Smart Shoppe; Style S; EXCHAN; CLOTHES; PRIORITIES]
[imprint: U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1942-O-456149]
From Consumers' Guide, U. S. Department of Agriculture
Distributed by Consumer Division, Office of Price Administration, Washington, D. C.
```

[← Mr. American, your country is at WAR](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/mr-american-your-country-is-at-war-navy-1942/) [Mrs America buys food with care →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/mrs-america-buys-food-with-care-1942/)

## More propaganda examples that use the same techniques

- [Trois Tetes sous l'meme bonnet (three heads under the same cap)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/trois-tetes-sous-le-meme-bonnet-1789/) (France · 1789 · Plain folks, Glittering generalities)
- ['This log cabin was the first building erected on the North Bend', Whig print by T. Sinclair, 1840](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/harrison-north-bend-log-cabin-sinclair-1840/) (United States · 1840 · Plain folks, Transfer)
- [Treeing Coons (pro-Polk cartoon), 1844](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/treeing-coons-polk-1844/) (United States · 1844 · Name-calling, Plain folks)
- [Zachary Taylor, People's Candidate for President (Currier banner), 1848](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/taylor-fillmore-peoples-candidate-1848/) (United States · 1848 · Plain folks, Glittering generalities)
- ['Little Mac.' (from the Democratic presidential campaign songster)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/little-mac-song-sheet-feeks-1864/) (United States · 1864 · Bandwagon, Plain folks)
- [The peoples' choice, H. Greeley G. Brown](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/peoples-choice-greeley-brown-1872/) (United States · 1872 · Bandwagon, Plain folks)
- [The working-man's banner. For President, Ulysses S. Grant, 'The Galena Tanner.' For Vice-President, Henry Wilson, 'The Natick Shoemaker.'](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/working-mans-banner-grant-1872/) (United States · 1872 · Plain folks, Transfer)
- [The Chappaqua farmer](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/chappaqua-farmer-1872/) (United States · Jul 1872 · Plain folks, Glittering generalities)