.. went on strike for better working conditions. Over 60,000 (we note, “well cloaked”) cloakmakers walked off the job. Garment unions were among the first created.
Category: Fashion History Blog
Not all the garment factories burned down…
… some are now luxury apartment buildings in repurposed parts of cities like this one in Richmond, Virginia.
The Triangle shirtwaist factory in 1911…
.. burned down with the workers inside, making the public aware of the dangers of the industry and leading to reforms. Today, many of the old garment factories in America are luxury apartments. (Photo: Triangle Shirtwaist before it burned down)
Garment workers of 1900 worked in conditions…
.. that were dangerous and unhealthy. The concept of “factory” was new in the United State, although there were versions well established in other countries. There was a learning curve yet to come. Young women left their farms and moved to the cities to work in the garment industry, but …
Mass production moved people…
It was not only trim, but also the garments themselves that were made in mass. Mass production started out to mean people would take in a section of, say a blousewaist, in their homes. They would make hundreds of collars in their cottage, and then carry them to the factory …
There was trim on top of trim due to mass production…
.. in 1882 (left) and 1910 (right), the “Haute Coutiere” and “Belle Epoque” high fashion designs out of Paris applied mass produced trims and fabrics liberally.
Mass production meant copious trimming…
… The early 1880’s in particular are noted for trim on top of trim on top of trim.. and colors which seem conflicting to our modern eyes.. or not..? (photos: 1880 and 1882 ensembles)
The 3rd key innovation that affected fashion 1740-1914 was..
Mass production, especially trims. In the 18th century, there was a lot of kilting and paper stuffing and bows and lace – but these were made from fabric castoffs and treasured and reused and remade. By the 1880’s, every kind of rick rack, fringe, braid, and bead was stuck on …
The camera also improved marketing…
.. advertisements and catalogs produced more sales with photography than with sketches. These ads by Parisian “La Belle Epoque” design house Callot Soeurs which introduced lacy lingerie and fine lace creations, took on new meaning with photography by 1910.
The camera also gave hints to lifestyles…
… and ways to wear clothing and use it. This professional photographer of the Edwardian Era took a self portrait of she and her daughters dancing. The movement shows not only how they danced, the spirit of the day, but also how the dress drapes and moves.