CTE2800 Midterm Outline 10 09 2012 Chapter 1 France the Center of Fashion France s dominance over international fashion began in the early 18th century Fashion Dictated by Royalty o Until the industrial revolution people belonged to one of two main classes the wealthy landowners or the poor laborers and farmers o Because wealth was concentrated in the landowning class these people were the only ones who could afford to wear fashionable clothes o Royalty at the top of both the social and economic ladders set fashion trends whereas other members of the aristocracy followed their example to gain approval o At the turn of the 18th century members of King Louis XIV s court became the arbiters of taste making Paris the fashion capital of Europe Hand Sewing by Dressmakers and Tailors o All clothes were not only handmade but also customer made o Each garment was made to fit the customers exact measurements o Dresses and suits were individually sewn by dressmakers or tailors to their employers specifications o Poor people wore cast off clothing from the rich or made their own clothing o The very elaborate peasant clothing for special occasions was passed from one generation to another and became the traditional folk costume different in every region o In response to a general revulsion against excess fashion changed from elaborately decorated costumes to simpler garments Growth of the Couture o In France the art of dressmaking was know as couture o A male designer was a couturier his female counterpart was a couturiere o The couture became a bridge between the class structured fashion of the past and the democratized fashion of today o In 1868 the couturiers of Paris formed a trade association o Couturiers were the major influence on fashion design for more than 100 years setting style trends for all of Europe as well as the rest of the Western world Effects of the Industrial Revolution on Fashion The industrial revolution marked the beginning of technological advances in textile and apparel production Growth of the Textile Industry o Colonial America had virtually no textile fashion industry o Most materials were imported from abroad silks from Italy France India and China and woolens calicoes and cashmeres from Britain o Textile mills began to produce cloth in America and New England became America s first textile center o In 1814 Francis Cabot Lowell of Boston developed the power loom His factory was the first to have a vertical operation complete textile production from raw cotton fiber to finished cloth by one company o The South became the center of textile production in the United States Growth of the Middle Class o Burgeoning trade and industry in turn created a middle class with money to spend on the luxuries of life including better clothing o Money gave the new middle class power not only in business and society but also to influence fashion trends o Fashion became a status symbol a visual means to show off wealth Establishment of the Business Suit o As the middle class grew businessmen wanted to establish an image of respectability and dependability o At that point men adopted the conservative dignified business suit with long trousers jacket vest shirt and necktie o Men s clothing was also made custom made o At first tailors cut the fabrics bundled the pieces and sent them out to homes to be sewn by hand known as the cottage industry process Mass Production of Clothing The mass production of clothing led to accessible fashion for everyone Invention of the Sewing Machine o The democratization of fashion began with the invention of the sewing machine which turned a handicraft into an industry o The sewing machine made the mass production of clothing possible o Levi Strauss began to manufacture long wearing pants with riveted pockets using a tough cotton fabric called serge de Nimes in 1873 Later shortened to denim o The Union army recorded the chest and height measurements of over a million soldiers to come up with the first standardization of sizes o After the war sewing machines and uniform sizing promoted the mass production of everyday men s wear Women s Fashion Reflects Social Changes o Fashion conveyed the rigid differences between the roles of the sexes o Men wore trousers which became a symbol of dominance while women wore constraining garments characteristic of their restricted lifestyles and obedience to their husbands and fathers Mass Production of Women s Separates o The introduction of separate blouses and skirts in the 1880s made it possible to manufacture ready to wear clothes for women o This innovation made it possible for the working or middle class woman to add variety to her wardrobe simply by mixing separates Children s Fashion o The wealthy were the only ones who had money to spend on fashionable children s clothes members of the middle and working classes made their children s clothes at home o Paper patterns inspired by French fashions were made available to American home sewers in 1850 by Ellen and William Demorest Retailing During the Nineteenth Century Modern retailing had its roots in the nineteenth century when affordable fashion was first made available to the general public Fairs and bazaars were the predecessors of the rretail store As large numbers of people settled in towns the first general stores were established to cater to the desire for wider assortments of merchandise These shops were grouped together by trade and regulated by guilds and retailing cycle The industrial Revolution triggered a self supporting manufacturing This growing demand for the variety of goods being produced was the basis for the growth of retailing Two types of stores finally emerged to bring fashion to the public the specialty store and the department store Traditional handicraft stores evolved into specialty stores and general stores developed into department stores which carried a wide variety of merchandise The First Department Stores o In 1826 Samuel Lord and George Washington Taylor formed a partnership to open the first Lord and Taylor store in NYC o The 19th century also saw the beginning of customer service a major contribution to American retailing Early Mail Order Merchandising o The extension of the railroads to the West Coast and the inauguration of free rural mail delivery enabled merchants to start reaching potential customers with mail order services o The mail order business did more to bring a variety of up to date merchandise to rural consumers