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The increasing use of photography give us a substantial number of realistic glimpses of boys clothing for the first time in the 1850s. A few images of children exist from the 1840s, but photography was still so expensive that it was mostly adults that were photographed. One of the most notable observations is how poorly boys clothing, especially pants fit. Comparing clothes at mid-century to that by the 1870s show great differences in the clothing fit. This difference is not nearlybas discernable in paintings, probably because wealthy peoole who could afford painted portraits could afford expensive tailor made clothes. Most boys, however, wore homemade clothes. Mothers had far different abilities in making clothes, especially in the days before the sewing machine. By the later 19th century, inexpensive ready made clothes could be purchased, but home made clothes were still common in the 1850s.
The increasing use of photography give us a substantial number of realistic glimpses of boys clothing for the first time in the 1850s. A few images of children exist from the 1840s, but photography was still so expensive that it was mostly adults that were photographed.
bably because wealthy peoole who could afford painted portraits could afford expensive tailor made clothes. Most boys, however, wore homemade clothes. Mothers had far different abilities in making clothes, especially in the days before the sewing machine. By the later 19th century, inexpensive ready made clothes could be purchased, but home made clothes were still common in the 1850s.
Some inventions have proven so important that we can scaresly imagine what life was like before its appearance. The sewing machine is one of the key inventions that have helped to shape our modern world. Not many inventions have proved as important as the sewing machine. It appears on virtually every list of great inventions and helped freed the homemaker from drudgery faced by 19th century mother. "Next to the plough" wrote Louis Antoine Godey in 1856, "this sewing machine is perhaps humanity's most blessed instrument." Before the sewing machine appeared, making clothes was the chief occupation of a substantial part of the labor force. Since this work had to be done by hand, it was both time consuming and eyestraining. Mothers varied greatly in their abilities. The wealthy could afford to have it done. More modestly endowed families had to depend on mother's skills. The 19th century was an age of invention. It is certainly not surprising given the labor expened in making clothes that inventors turned their attention to the development of devices for making stitches mechanically. Elias Howe is often credited with inventing the sewing machine--utilizing an eye-pointed needle and shuttle. The machine in which he won fame, however, was hardly practical and many of the principals which it embodied had been in the inventions of others years earlier. It sewed only straight seams and only a few inches at a time. It was several years before a practical machine was perfected at an affordable price. prive that
Ready-made, cheaply-produced clothes were invented in the middle of the 19th century. Most people at the turn-of the-19thb century wore clothing made at home, while those who could afford it dressed in clothes made by a tailor or a seamstress. One American assessment reported that '“two-thirds of all garments worn by inhabitants of the United States” were homemade' (1811). Of course tailors and seamstresses could make wonderfully designed and tailored clothing. Most people, however, could not afford to buy tailored clothing. There clothing was made at home. Without sewing machines and printed patterns, however, these home made clothes were often formless and poorly fitting. The developments mentioned here helped even the inexperienced home sewer create a quality product. Ready-made clothing are a relatively recent development. In addition, by the 1860s, ready made clothing was beginning to come on the market. There were factories making ready made clothes as early as the 1830s. But modern ready-made clothing was not possible until the invention of the sewing machine. Production increased substantially during the 1860s. Commercial ready-made clothing began to appear in the 1830s. It was the American Civil War that gave the ready-made clothing industry a significant boost. The demand to equip huge armies with uniforms resulted in larger orders and expanded production. After the War when manufactures began targeting civilian markets the concept of standardized sizing helped to promote sales. This innovation was one of the key developments explaining the growth of the ready-made clothing industry. The appearance of increasing quantities of well-made, relatively inexpensive ready-made clothes in the 1860s was possible because of a series of technical improvements in the garment industry. One of course was the sewing machine. These developments helped make well made and fashionable clothing less expensive and more readily available. The transition to read-made clothing was not completed until the turn-of-the 20th century. Ready-made clothing is now widely available and dominate clothing manufacture. Modern textile production is for the most part is fully automated. Garments are, however, still sewn and pieced together by human hands operating sewing machines. The creation, production, and distribution of clothing is still the fourth largest manufacturing industry in the world.
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