Before the mid-19th century, your wardrobe was a bespoke project. If you needed clothes, you made them at home or waited for a local dressmaker and tailor to stitch them by hand. It was slow. It was personal. It was not scalable.
Then the 20th century arrived. New technologies changed everything. The sewing machine entered the picture. Global capitalism took hold. The factory system of production rose to dominance. Retail outlets like department stores began popping up everywhere. Clothing shifted from unique garments to mass-produced items in standard sizes. Prices became fixed.
Today, the internet is the latest major shift in this industry. It acts as a 24-hour retail outlet. It reaches rural customers who once had limited access to fashion. It also fuels merchandising and marketing through online magazines, blogs, and social media. The fashion industry started in Europe and America. Now it is highly globalized. The journey from needle to network continues.
