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Unit 1 Apparel and Fashion
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Each of these segments is a separate fi eld, but all relate to textiles and
clothing. If you choose a career in textiles and clothing, it could be in one of
these three areas.
Textile Production Segment
Textile production includes all the people and processes involved in mak-
ing fi bers and fabrics. The ranchers who raise sheep for wool and the farmers
who grow cotton are part of this industry. The chemists who develop manufac-
tured fi bers are part of the textile industry, too.
In the United States, fabrics for clothing and accessories make up the largest
share of textile production. Floor coverings—such as carpets and rugs—make
up the second largest share. Industrial products utilize the third largest share
of textile production. Use of textiles in industry ranges from making conveyor
belts, to fi lters, and space suits. Other industrial textile uses include nose cones
(for aerospace vehicles), football-fi eld turf, and artifi cial hearts. The home fur-
nishings industry uses the remaining share for various products. These include
draperies, curtains, and upholstery fabrics, as well as bath and kitchen towels,
blankets, sheets, and pillowcases. See 4-1 for a partial list of the many uses for
textile fi bers.
The Structure of the Textile Industry
The long road from fi bers to fabrics requires many processes and thou-
sands of workers. Four stages of production make up the basic structure of the
textile industry.
Uses for Textiles
Home Furnishings
Sheets
Pillowcases
Blankets
Bedspreads
Towels
Rugs
Carpets
Lampshades
Tablecloths
Napkins
Curtains
Draperies
Upholstery
Flags
Medical Uses
Adhesive tape
Bandages
Antibacterial wound
dressings
Surgical gowns and masks
Disposable sheets
Artificial hearts and arteries
Industry
Conveyor belts
Filters
Safety nets
Electronic circuit boards
Protective garments for
firefighters, police, and
military
Protective gloves for chefs
Building insulation
Hoses
Mailbags
Transportation
Tire cords
Seat belts
Seat covers
Air bags
Brake linings
Boat sails
4-1 All of these
items have something
in common. They are
all made of textiles.