| Resources - Women
There are many valuable resources of interest listed on this page
concerning women and the Christmas season. Please check out some
of the fine external resources we have linked to that offer women's
items of value for the holidays.
WomenRock.biz
- find many fun, humorous and inspirational women's gifts from women's
clothing and girly gifts to Red Hat Society merchandise, inspirational
and witty women's books, fragrances and jewelry.
Newport
News - delivering the hottest styles and trends in women's
wear, including petite and tall sizes.
Birthday
Party Invitations - Birth Announcements - Unique invitations
and all occasion cards from Inki Design.
Before the American Civil War, ready-made (also called ready-to-wear)
apparel existed but its variety was limited. Mainly coats
and jackets (known as outerwear) and undergarments were purchased
using predetermined sizes. Most clothing was made by tailors
or by individuals or their family members at home.
The mass production of women's clothing developed more slowly.
Women's outfits generally continued to be custom-made well
into the 1920s. In that decade, factors such as the development
of industrial production techniques, the rise of the advertising
industry, the growth of an urban professional class, and the
development of national markets accessed through chain stores
and mail order catalogs, contributed to the success of the
women's ready-made apparel industry.
Ready-made articles of clothing were portrayed as modern
and fashionable during a time when the new consumer industries
were rapidly redefining the way Americans viewed mass-manufactured
goods. Instead of seeing the purchase of mass-produced clothing
as entailing a loss of individuality, American women began
to accept the pieces of ready-made merchandise as convenient,
affordable, and up-to-date fashion items that could be replaced
easily as styles changed.
There you have it. More than you ever wanted to know about
women's wear.
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