Hutchinson ? You really can do anything with duct tape.

Duct tape is a product with which men repair their world – one of the 20th century’s most useful innovations that provide easy remedy for whatever goes wacky.

It might be old hat around the farm, but these days, you can add duct tape right up there with those other state fair oddities.

For the first time, the Kansas State Fair invited competitors to exhibit clothes and other items created with duct tape. Competitors entered more than 120 items in all – from dresses and diaper bags to flip flops, purses and hats.

It’s colorful, sticky, durable and water-resistant – oh, and did I mention sticky?

Tara Pounds didn’t seem to mind the sticky part, donning a duct-tape-designed dress to her senior prom at Hutchinson High School in 2007.

Her mother, Denise, and grandmother, Janet Davis, helped her design and make it. She had planned to enter it in the Duck brand duct tape contest, but decided against it because she didn’t think it was fancy enough.

However, when the Kansas State Fair announced this year it would have a competition of its own, Pounds, now 19, decided to enter.

She figured she’d win a ribbon but never expected to take home the top purple, which earned her $50. “I’m kind of surprised I won,” said Pounds, who is in her sophomore year of college at Missouri State. “I knew there were a couple other dresses entered.”

The competition has drawn spectators at the Domestic Arts building. But most who stopped were most impressed with Pounds’ dress. “This is an interesting creation, phenomenal,” said Hutchinson resident Audrey Bornholdt.

It also inspired a future prom-goer. “I think I’d like to do that someday,” said Rebekah Zwink, 13, of Macksville.

Her mother, Janice Zwink, seemed doubtful on that comment. However, if it ever rips, no worries. She can just patch it up – with some more duct tape.