Would you like to wear something that is so iconic that every little detail is made just the way that you like, from the color of the buttons to the size of the waist? Or would you prefer to wear clothes that are super boxy and have no detail that makes it YOU?
Well, we know your answer was the first one. But like most people, you might also think that custom clothing is a trend of the new generation after fast fashion brands like Zara offer clothing options that barely suit anyone. Either it’s too tight or too loose for you. Both of us are wrong.
Custom clothing is a practice that has its own history, dating back to the days of pharaohs and flowing robes. In this post, we will look at the history of custom clothing and its impacts on the fashion industry.
The Early Days of Custom Clothing
So, one thing that we can all agree on is that custom clothing is not a new thing. Our love affair with custom clothes goes all the way back. There are even talks of a piece of custom-printed silk from China’s Han Dynasty around 200 AD.
But custom clothing was not all about fancy fabrics for emperors. Even in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, skilled tailors made garments specifically for pharaohs, their families, and other elites. These clothes were the status symbol at that time. The concept was simple. The better the material was and the more detailed the designs were, the higher your social standing would be in society.
Haute Couture and the Rise of Fashion Designers (1850s onwards)
The Rise of Haute Couture
The term Haute Couture means ‘high sewing’ in the French language. This kind of custom clothing was started by Charles Frederick Worth in Paris in the 1850s. The whole purpose of the haute couture garment was to look something you’ve never seen before. No two pieces in a haute couture collection would look the same, which was the appeal. And boy did the people start loving this exclusivity.
Steps in Haute Couture
The design process for haute couture may start with sketches or a muslin sample that is cut and draped. The fit is the most important part of the process. The client will be contacted by a designer or fitter who will assist them in adjusting the garment to meet the individual’s preferences.
Haute couture represents the highest level of quality clothing that can be imagined by a couture house at any given time.
The Evolution of Haute Couture
Haute couture has represented high fashion for more than a century now. It is where craftsmanship meets fashion. It features an exclusive clientele that is no more than 4000 and is spread across different countries all over the globe. It is highly controlled, being invitation-only affairs, with tickets for runway presentations.
Today, haute couture has expanded from just gowns to all types of garments. So you would not be surprised today to find even designer T-shirts that cost $400 and more. These private showings are open to a select group of clientele that are kept a secret. They can view the clothes that are shown off by models and then select one or more to be made and fitted exclusively for them. When the pieces are ready, the clients are invited to try them. There can be several fittings involved, with alterations as desired by the clients till they are finally satisfied.
The Industrial Revolution and the Rise of Ready-to-Wear (Late 19th – Early 20th Century)
The advent of the Industrial Revolution also had an impact on the clothing industry. Now designers chose to mass-produce clothing that is elegant looking, for example, gowns or party wear, and market it to clients. It was the start of the Ready-to-wear era in which garments were produced in standard sizes. In time, this became the norm for everyday wear.
The Rise of Ready-to-Wear
In recent years, there has been a tradeoff between the haute couture and the ready-to-wear garment industry. While both of them require the work of human hands, haute couture is more exclusive. In the ready-to-wear sector, there are usually scores of workers who produce clothes on a mass scale. They are often devoted to one kind of work only, in an assembly line manner. They can sew buttons, stitch collars, or fit zippers. This approach makes sense since more clothes can be produced this way in a shorter time. Every person works on a small piece of the garment.
Fashion Shows
In recent times, famous fashion houses like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Tommy Hilfiger all produce haute couture as well as ready-to-wear garments. There are fashion weeks for men and women, which feature models who wear these clothes on catwalks and runways.
There are fashion houses that take part in fashion weeks organized in February and September. These events are held in Paris, Milan, London, and New York. While the cost of haute couture is largely unknown and kept a secret, it can run into thousands of dollars. However, the cost of ready-to-wear garments can also range from hundreds of dollars for more common items to thousands of dollars for more exclusive pieces. The price range varies depending on the clothing label that is involved in making the product.
Change of Cultural Norms
The rise of ready-to-wear has coincided with the change in cultural norms. After the end of the Second World War, people were more concerned with wearing practical clothing that reflected everyday life. Formal wear was relegated to the background and was reserved only for special occasions like weddings or proms.
The mid-19th century saw the rise of mail-order shopping and the promotion of garments in stores. People could order garments from mail-order catalogs. Department stores had floors devoted to garments that could be purchased off the rack at affordable prices. It was the age of mass-produced garments.
For a long time, the U.S. lingered behind France when it came to ready-to-wear garments. This was because of the geographical distances between them. However, the Ehrlich Brothers decided to bring French ready-to-wear fashion to a department store in New York in 1903. Women modeled clothes in this store. This can be considered the world’s first fashion show. The rise in this fashion was also supported by film actors, who were considered icons and influencers.
Custom Clothing in the Modern Era
The modern era has seen an increase in custom clothing since customers can now have their clothes made to order after asking for them online. This can apply to all kinds of clothing apparel. Online ordering apps make it easier to get these clothes made without a fuss. You can order custom-made clothes by giving your measurements to the custom clothes manufacturer or visiting them in person to get a designer to draw up the design of an exclusive garment for you.
Custom clothing is preferred by people because they are fed up with seeing the same fashions and styles being worn by many individuals. They want clothes to express their personality and individuality. There are also online websites that can help do this for you.
Fashion designers have also played a part in the culture and acceptability of custom clothing. They design clothes for celebrities that are worn at film award ceremonies and the Met Gala in New York. This event is known as one of the most-watched fashion events in the world.
Diversification and Increased Choice
While it is clear that customization in clothing has been around for a long time, some new ideas and technologies have made this option more feasible during the present times. There is the idea of 3D printing, computer-aided design, and digital manufacturing. All these technologies have allowed fashion houses to give more people the choice to order customized clothing.
Enabling Consumer Empowerment through Personalization
Customers today can have their own products made by giving their thoughts to designers or tailors. It creates a more personal experience for the companies assisting this process. Consumers get involved in creating the products. It has changed the way that personalized items are made and has also altered sourcing needs.
From shoe manufacturers to garment producers, many firms have allowed consumers to create personalized items. This ensures that the customer will buy the goods created. It also lets the makers know the unique tastes of consumers. They can use this knowledge to anticipate and meet future demands.
Merging Beauty with Fit and Functionality
It’s refreshing to find that creating personalized products accommodates better design and fitting requirements. This has been one of the challenges regarding ready-made offerings. Companies collect size requirements and use computerized apps to create products that exactly fit customer bodies. This reduces customer returns to zero level. It also makes for better customer experiences. It results in a better overall product.
Waste Reduction and Sustainability
The fashion industry is known for its high level of wastage and for producing more than what is required. This is why the excess items have to be destroyed. There is no way to predict demand accurately. When products are made to order, this problem is minimized.
With orders based on customer demands, there is a chance for these companies to limit wastage. This reduces the negative impact on the environment. It also meets the needs of responsible and ethical production and aids in sustainability. Using proper practices for sourcing materials, having a good labor force, and producing only in needed quantities are all included in sustainable efforts.
The Future of Custom Clothing
The future of custom clothing is filled with exciting possibilities. We can use technology to reduce waste and employ processes that result in a better future for the custom clothing industry.
Sustainability and Ethical Production
The fashion industry contributes a sizeable amount of business income. However, it also creates a lot of waste due to production processes. You will be surprised to know that about 60% of all clothing that is made gets destroyed after a short time. It is estimated that the load of almost one truck of clothes gets burned or dumped every second. We all need clothes to wear as part of daily life, while fashion reflects individual preferences and social norms. But the way we are producing clothes is wasteful. We are more concerned with earning profits than making the industry more sustainable. However, the tide has turned, and we are now moving towards a more suitable business model for the clothing industry,
How the Fashion Industry Can Include Sustainability
Increasing personalization, promoting reuse where possible, and embracing new technologies will help create a sustainable future for the fashion industry and its consumers.
We can use the following means to transform production and recycle products that will help the sustainability effort.
1. Using Computerized Sampling Processes
The traditional method of sampling used by the designers involves as many as 20 samples prior to the final product. Using 3D technology reduces waste by replacing the physical processes with digital ones so that they can be reviewed digitally. This brings concepts to the screen with zero wastage. You can skip the time needed to make the samples and reduce costs. It can be used to change the manufacturing model so that it is stimulated by customer demands and choices.
2. New and Different Materials
There is typically quite a long biodegradation process for materials used in the textile industry. The amount of water that a single person drinks in 30 months is used to produce one cotton garment. While synthetic clothing needs less water to make, this results in the release of dangerous gases into the environment.
However, customers are now asking for products that have more sustainability. They should be capable of being recycled and reused. There is a movement to create products using natural ingredients that have a better environmental impact. Even well-known designers are now creating fabrics from recycled and organic materials using environment-friendly processes.
3. Fashion Based Demand Technology
The manufacturing process for consumer textiles has also experienced a radical change. Now both the design and production of cloth are triggered by the demands and choices of buyers. It might seem uneconomical and unconventional to follow this new model for smaller lots of production. However, it results in confirmed savings because there are fewer returns. Improvement in technology is also expected to reduce the cost of production for small batches.
4. Body Scanning
The present model of garment production processes for ready-to-wear clothing depends on defined sizes and standardized measurements. This saves time and is more convenient. But the clothes you order often don’t look as good on you, as the model featured on the website. You can use body scanning apps to solve the problem of fit. This reduces the level of dissatisfaction or disappointment with clothes as they customize the fit. The convenience of these body-scanning apps allows garment designers to create clothes that are modeled according to body shapes. It reduces textile and fashion waste and is better for the environment.
Consumers are more likely to order clothes that will fit them better, rather than meet some arbitrary measurements. It can increase brand loyalty and improve customer satisfaction.
5. Dressing for a Better Fit
One of the reasons for more returns to garment stores is that the clothes do not have as good a fit as advertised. So buyers order more than one size close to their body measurements and return the unused clothes. But this scenario has changed. You can now virtually dress yourself with 3D technology that creates a more realistic look about how the clothes will fit you.
6. Making Fashion Circular
The changing demands of consumers to use more sustainable materials and production processes means that textile and garment producers are trying to reduce wastage. A group of famous designers and garment manufacturers have joined forces to create the circular fashion initiative. It will result in making clothes more usable for a longer time.
7. The Trend of Re-commerce
Converting old unused clothes into new ones is no longer seen as frugal. It has been accepted as a new norm as it aids in sustainability. The reuse and recycling of garments are expected to outgrow the production of new clothes by the end of the decade. It is now becoming more common to re-use materials for producing clothes. This also saves the need to stock up on extra inventory.
Conclusion
We have traced the evolution of custom clothing and looked at how this has developed over the ages. The lack of sustainability and a huge percentage of waste in the fashion industry have forced us to rethink our strategy and resulted in steps that will improve the fashion industry in the future.
