Remember retro toilet paper that had colors & patterns?

Back in the day — we’re talking the mid-fifties to the mid-eighties — all the major toilet paper brands offered alternatives to basic white “bathroom tissue.”

You could find retro toilet paper in a variety of solid colors (pastels to start, and bolder colors showed up in the ’60s), and many offered colored patterns printed on white, too.

It was super popular because people could match the roll to their bathroom fixtures, which, at the time, were often usually colorful, too.

So what happened to that old-fashioned colorful toilet paper? It all but disappeared during the ’80s. There seem to be several reasons why:

1) It became less popular as people were worried about the effects of the dyes.

2) It was thicker or stronger than regular white rolls, which led to it being less soft — and also meant people had plumbing and septic issues.

3) People started to buy white bathroom fixtures again (sinks, toilets, tubs) and getting colorful TP wasn’t necessary.

4) It cost more to produce colored or printed rolls, and people preferred cheaper options.

Nowadays, colored or printed toilet paper is tough to find — but a company called Renova does make colorful rolls — though they’re not cheap.

But right here? Take a trip back in time and see bright & pastel, patterned & plain retro toilet paper, the likes of which you rarely see today.

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Mad about color! (1956)

New… Scotissue in 4 pretty pastel colors — for the whole family… safe for the baby too!

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Decorator-tinted tissues from Hudson (1960s)

Living orchid, french hyacinth… Blooming beauties from Hudson!

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Home Improvement (1960s)

There’s nothing timid about these bouncy prints Lady Scott’s collected for your bathroom.

MORE: 60 vintage ’60s bathrooms: Retro home decorating ideas

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New! Magic oval Scotties (1962)

Now you can take one Scottie, and another floats up.

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Whisper-soft Waldorf (1966)

Waldorf Tissues have a softness you can feel… yet they’re so strong. Choose from three soft pastel colors or white.

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Sidekicks! Matching 2-ply bathroom & facial tissues (1966)

Pair-up our kicky prints in Antique Gold, or Bluebell Blue, Camellia Pink, and Fern Green.

ALSO SEE: Colorful Kohler bathroom suites from the ’60s & ’70s

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8 styles of retro toilet paper: Cheerleaders (1967)

There’s nothing timid about these bouncy prints Lady Scott’s collected for your bathroom.

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There’s one other tissues just as soft as Chiffon facial tissue — it comes in rolls. (1967)

Both the bathroom tissues and the facial tissue have the same touch of luxury — in colors as gentle as the tissues itself.

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Lady Scott: Conversation piece (1967)

Start them talking with this one, keep them talking with all other designs and colors in the first collection of tissue prints.

Shaded blossoms, prints on tints in Bluebell Blue, Camellia Pink, Fern Green or Antique Gold. All in matching 2-ply facial and bathroom tissue.

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All 3 styles in 5 pretty colors! (1967)

See these Kleenex retro toilet paper colors: Yellow, new French blue, white, turquoise, and pink.

ALSO SEE: 28 vintage pink bathrooms: See some wild bubblegum-era midcentury home decor of the 1950s & 1960s

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Razzle Dazzling! (1968)

The Kleenex Boutique Collection is in… and tissues have never been so glorious.

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Spirited retro toilet paper (1969)

New Kleenex Boutique tissues. Great little tissues that make a great big fashion statement.  

MORE: Mr Whipple: Please don’t squeeze the Charmin! 20 years of TV commercial toilet paper drama

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New Kleenex Double Dips tissues (1970)

Two ice cream-colored tissues in each fun box!

Kleenex puts all the fun and flavor of an ice cream cart into new Double Dips. Five yummy tissues colors doubled up with pure vanilla. 

Strawberry & vanilla, Blueberry & vanilla, Lemon & vanilla, Lime & vanilla & Double Vanilla

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Crazy daisies from Lady Scott (1970)

Pick a crazy daisy… pink, green, gold, or blue, in new decorator boxes, too.

Lady Scott makes Crazy Daisies by the roll to match. So you can have daisies wherever you are. Crazy. 

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Verve-y! (1971)

The Kleenex Boutique Collection.

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Mix ’em hot — mix ’em cool (1971)

Mix a mood. Any mood you like, with the brightest, boldest PaperWorks yet.

Full-size facial tissues in skinny mini boxes. Bathroom tissues that make a match. Four posh Paisley. Four super solids. Hot pink. Bold Gold. True Blue. Avocado Green.

MORE: Check out these 10 fuzzy toilet covers from the ’70s to see totally retro bathroom decor

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Boutique Blooms! Kleenex Boutique Wildflowers. (1972)

Now Kleenex Boutique tissues introduce The Wildflower Collection. Wild new colors. Like Coral. And Violet. And Lemon. And Lime.

With new prints. All over the tissues. All over that famous mini-box. New Kleenex Boutique tissues. Bath tissues to match. Pick a bunch of Wildflowers. And bloom!

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Cottonelle’s bathroom tissue (1980s)

Cottonelle’s new soft colors are changing people’s ideas about how a bathroom can look.

MORE: 20 glamorous ’50s housewives who REALLY loved their toilet paper