A Brief History of Ready to Wear is a 4-part feature exploring the events that led from made-to-order fashion, through the ready to wear revolution, and up to the present problem of fast fashion.
A postcard of the Garden Court in the Southdale Shopping Center in Edina, MN.
Fashion is an international market of art, an exchange of inspiration, ideas, and industry.
While humans have always adorned ourselves in an act of self-expression, we have not always bought off the rack or shopped online. Fashion wasn’t always fast. In order to understand all of the complexities of the fashion world today, and the greater forces that shape our manner and means of consumption, it is important to understand how our garments come to life.
Intro to Shopping
In Part One of this series, we explored how production and the industry of creating fashion has changed. Fashion began in the hands of local and skilled tradesmen, and gradually grew into a much larger industry for individual consumers, where that relationship between maker and buyer is more distant. In this next segment, we want to explore the history of shopping and its hand in shaping the modern fashion industry.
Where and how we shop is influenced by the marketplace and environment of our community. From posh downtown boutiques to forgotten shopping malls, the way consumers access fashion and garments has been in a constant state of evolution ever since the first department store was opened in France.
The History of Shopping
1852: The first department store was opened
If the glimmering department stores of the late 1800’s and early 20th century come to mind when we think of early shopping - you are correct. The first department store Bon Marché opened in Paris, though department stores didn’t begin to open in the United States until the 1870’s. While sprawling open air marketplaces have always sold textiles, trims, and details, department stores offered everything from hats to shoes in a single location. This created a holistic experience for the shopper, where they can compare styles visually and make more personal purchases with confidence.
A key feature of department stores that subtly influenced fashion were the new sales methods. Clothing and accessories were no longer commissioned, though alterations and tailoring were still the norm. Patronizing department stores was seen as a leisure activity for the upper class and marketed towards unchaperoned wealthy women - this lead to window shopping!
With restaurants and restrooms in the building, shopping became a leisure activity. Formerly, it was etiquette that you would only enter a store if you had the intention of making a purchase, out of respect for the shopkeep or artisan. This is when shopping as we know it was born - rather than patronizing a shop explicitly with a particular purchase or need in mind, shopping became a pastime all its own.
1920’s: the introduction of Credit cards
The ability to purchase on credit, along with the 1883 invention of the cash register, allowed customers greater ease of purchase. Without the need for exact cash, and the ability to make purchases out of desire rather than need, shopping was forever changed. It's important to note that credit cards were first issued by hotels or private businesses, exclusively for use within their company. This encouraged brand loyalty and helped keep shoppers as repeat customers.
1950’s: The teen clothing industry was born
While teens both then and now wield less purchasing power than their parents, teenagers are a market of their own right. Post World War II, teen fashion was on the rise, with many teen girls personalizing their clothes with alterations, accessories, or by pairing them with boy’s clothing pieces. As these personalized styles erupted, designers saw the demand for a new industry of fashion, styles that weren’t for children, but were more youthful than the clean and mature styles of their mothers. This led to teen magazines, new stores, and the industry of fashion undergoing a complete metamorphosis. Function and necessity were fading fast, and with the post-war economic boom, shopping soared.
1956: The first mall was opened
Department stores were centralized and while they often towered in buildings with multiple floors with restaurants and banks, the shopping mall was so much more. The first shopping mall was technically opened in 1922, but was open-air and very different to what we think of as a mall today. The Southdale Shopping Center first opened its doors in Edina, Minnesota in 1956. This was a new shopping experience that was encouraged by the development of suburbs and widespread ownership of cars. People moving out of cities were interested in the department store experience, adapted for suburbia. By 1960, it was estimated that there were 4,500 malls.
the turn of the century: Online Shopping
It can be hard to pinpoint when e-commerce first began. Online shopping became an option in the 1990’s, but the early world of digital shopping is very different from our experience today.
Online shopping offers 24/7 service, easy returns, lower prices, product specific reviews and feedback from other consumers (rather than just from retailers). Without the need to maintain physical storefronts, prices can be lower with orders shipped directly from production partners. With lower prices, consumers can buy more.
Today, 44% of all online purchases are made on mobile devices.
Online shopping is here to stay, so it's important that we shop consciously. Online retail allows us to carefully select what brands we give our business, but it also can be more wasteful with the considerations of individual packaging and shipping. Thanks to the ease of online shopping, it is more important than ever that we invest mindfulness into our purchases - considering the item for it’s full style, function, and longevity rather than only it’s ease of access and price tag.