Evolution and Future Trends of the Apparel Industry
In the last century, the apparel industry has seen a dramatic shift. This shift has been because of technological innovations that have set in over time, changes in consumer behavior, and evolving cultural dynamics. What used to be manual labor has now become a fair course of creativity, automation, and sustainability. Past: From Handmade to Mass Production Traditionally, the industry was based on handmade clothes and local tailors. The dawn of mechanized production during the Industrial Revolution paved the way for mass production. Standardized sizes and cheap clothing quickly hit the markets and, consequently, the pockets of the masses. However, it was not until the mid-20th century and the advent of globalization that the industry exploded. Countries with low labor costs became production sites, and suddenly fast fashion was everywhere. Present: The Rise of Digitalization and Sustainability Digitalization marked the beginning of the late 20th and early 21st century. The shopping pl...