Cosmetic Clothing Patches - logos, slogans and the likes

[Edward]

I've taken to wondering recently when commercially available patches for decorative rather than purely repair purposes first came on the market. Obviously patches for decoration displaying merit and rank in the military and other uniformed organisations dates pre-20th century, while motorcycle clubs of all varieties had membership patches (both decorative and 'earned colours') going back to at least the late 40s, possibly the 30s (if memory serves, the Yellow Jackets, the oldest MC in the US, was formed in the early 30s). But when was it that the average person in the street could walk into a shop and buy a decorative, sew-on patch to decorate their own clothing with? It seems this is one o those things that is likely much older than most realise - like velcro?

 

[jdbenson]

I remember patches being commonly available when I was a kid in the 1970s, so I would guess that they first became available in the early to mid 1960s, but that's only a guess.