If it had not been for the industrial revolution, the mass production of garments would not have been possible, and so neither would the accessibility of fashion. Compared to today's world of fast fashion, life before the Industrial Revolution was split between the exquisite bespoke garments made for royalty and the aristocracy, and the basic, functional clothing for the working class. Fashion was restricted to high society - the rest had to make do with what little they had due to the art of fashion being so expensive. When the industrial revolution happened (from the mid 1700's to the early 1800's), fashion became far more accessible and the filtering of trends from the high social classes to the masses became possible. The fashion world began to grow and evolve; style icons were formed,influence was much stronger and now more had the tools to be innovative and shape fashion forever!
Above: one of the first types of industrial electrical sewing machines - I love the paintwork and intricate designs, it's clear how much care was taken while making these!
Image source: kneale mann
Child labour was a point of controversy - poorer families had to send their children to work in unsafe conditions in these factories, and they would often sustain injuries or in some cases die.
A photographer named Lewis Hine became renowned for capturing images of child workers in poor conditions. He performed undercover photography in such factories and caused controversy by matching images of children to their listed names, which further humanised the children and caused a greater emotional impact on the general public, thus provoking a greater public response.
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