merchandise aimed at consumers, but also
spread fashion news throughout the industry.
Retailers often read these magazines, as well as
offi cial trade journals, to keep up with emerging
trends and to be prepared for what consumers
will be looking for in the stores.
Geographic Locations of
Industry Segments
In the 1700s and 1800s, textile production was
located primarily in the New England states. After
that, textile mills steadily opened in the Southeastern
United States, and the ones in the north closed. In
the Southeast, there were good sources of power
and lower-wage labor. There was also proximity to
raw materials, such as cotton. Taxes were lower.
Land was plentiful and inexpensive, resulting in new,
modern plants being built.
Today, the textile industry is comprised of
fairly large textile companies. They are mainly
concentrated in North Carolina, Georgia, and
South Carolina. Other eastern states do a small
amount of textile production.
Just as earlier textile production moved from
the Northeast to the Southeast, much of it is now
moving “offshore.” Foreign textile companies are
competing with American fi rms by making fi bers
and fabrics for our market. This has forced many
of the U.S. mills to slow down their production.
To fi ght this competition, U.S. mills are becoming
more automated and effi cient, as indicated in 4-24.
Apparel manufacturing has always been
labor-intensive, requiring many workers to
make the products. In the 1800s, the fi rst
American ready-made clothing was produced
in port cities along the East Coast. Before that
time, garments had been made one at a time
by homemakers or hired dressmakers. Men’s
clothing was the fi rst to be mass-produced,
after the inventions of the sewing machine, a
standardized tape measure, and sized paper
patterns. Later, simple women’s garments were
manufactured in New York City lofts, using the
immigrant labor that was plentiful there.
Today, there are many apparel manufacturing
fi rms in the U.S. They are of all sizes, and each
produces a particular range of products. Although
New York City is still the center of U.S. apparel
companies, garment and accessory designing
and production is found in most states. California
T
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Fiber production
Textile World
Textiles Magazine
Apparel Magazine
STORES
Chain Store Age
Internet Retailer
Consumers
Textile Chemist
and Colorist
Yarn and fabric
manufacturing
Fabric finishing
Apparel designing,
manufacturing,
and sales
Retail activities
Major Textile/Apparel Trade Publications
4-23 Because there are so many different
types of products and markets that deal
with fashion goods, a variety of trade
journals provide information related to
specifi c interests.
Info Design, Inc.
4-24 This advanced weaving system
includes a full range of design tools, as
well as connecting directly to all production
machinery.
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