What did people wear during the industrial revolution?

Answer 1

During the industrial revolution, both men's and women's dress becomes more complex during this era due to the invention of the Sewing Machine, and the popular dissemination of pattern books and systems for garment cutting. Men's clothing, while outwardly simple, begins to acquire the internal padding, interfacings and complex structure that makes modern men's suits fall so smoothly even over an object as lumpy and mobile as the human form. Men's fashion becomes a series of undecorated black tubes, like the smoke stacks of The Industrial Revolution, while women's dress continues to balloon out with ruffles, decorations and petticoats.

Elias Howe, the inventor of the first mass produced, practical sewing machine, originally demonstrated its utility to a group of prospective investors by holding a sewing race between himself and his machine, and ten professional hand stitchers. He easily won, and the economic situation of stitchers (mostly female) declined as a consequence of the adoption of the invention. Industrialists would invest in the machines, hire the stitchers cheaply, and then take the profits for themselves that their increased output produced. With profits so high, soon competition between manufacturers of clothes got fierce, and so producers tried to "improve" their product by adding more sewing decoration, such as ruffles, pleats, and top stitching, to lure customers. The end result was that fashionable Women's dress became incredibly over decorated in the 19th Century. Another result of this increased output in clothing manufacture was that poor people's clothing got better, and the rags of earlier eras were replaced by cheaply made mass manufactured work clothes. The middle classes were able to afford more than clean simple clothes, and began to actively indulge in fashion for its own sake.

Answer 2

IUt was terrable for the working class. Tatered and worn out clothing. Anything they could get their hands on really.

Answer 3

Women wore long, full gowns with petticoats and stockings underneath. Men wore jackets, knee length breeches, vests, stockings, and wigs.

Answer 4

ManKy:)