Textiles and Fashion in the 20th Century

• Textiles & Fashion

• 18^th Century
• 19^th Century
• 20^th Century

The twentieth century textile and fashion industry are characterized by a move towards globalization, larger scale amalgamated industries, standardization, and continuing technical developments in fiber and dye chemistry. At the same time, there was a resurgence of interest in hand- production that ultimately influenced the larger textile industry, as exemplified by the Wiener Werkstätte. Disruptions caused by the World Wars and the Depression resulted in labor and material shortages and had a strong effect on a textile industry that itself was characterized by the conflict between traditional and modern design.

The dissemination of technology in the twentieth century continued to occur through the pirating of samples, and also through pattern subscription services. Beginning in the nineteenth century, French archiving pattern services, such as Claude Frères, Homo & Cie, and Jacob H. Sommer, regularly published newsletters and sample books filled with the latest French textiles from a variety of producers, classified by end use and fiber type. Subscribers to the pattern services used the sample books as inspiration for their own products.

Technological experimentation continued in the twentieth century with the development of man-made fibers. The first fiber produced from completely synthetic sources was nylon, in the 1930s, and polyester was developed in the 1940s. Expansion of the synthetic fiber industry continued after World War II, requiring parallel advances in dye technology. Printing techniques also progressed with the introduction of silk screen printing, historically related to the traditional Japanese stencils used for kimono fabric printing.

Twentieth century styles in fashion and textiles can be followed through the proliferation of sample books and the advent of trend forecasting and color standardization. The origins of trend forecasting are found in the 19th century selling agents, who were middlemen between sellers and both retail and wholesale buyers. By analyzing sales data and speculating on future trends, selling agents influenced textile producers and set the standards for style and pricing. In a further move towards industry standardization, sampling formats became a practical means for communicating color palates for each season. Beginning in 1915, American trade and industry formed an association which issued a standard palate of color samples for each season to ensure color consistency across trades. As dyeing technology became more accurate and reliable, organizations such as the Textile Color Card Association exerted a strong influence on the standardization and coordination of colors in the textile and fashion industries.