Today, Canada's supply of raw materials, as well as design and manufacturing talent, keeps her in the forefront of the international fashion scene. Canadian textile industries and clothing manufacturers are highly efficient as they face the challenge of these growing areas. Almost four thousand plants employ workers involved in the manufacture of clothing and textiles in Canada. The greatest concentration of these is found in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary. More recently, smaller apparel centers have cropped up in Moose Jaw, Northbay, Cornwall, and Levis.
IN THE BEGINNING
The first kind of clothing for the settlers in New France and Acadia was rough and homemade. Historians tell us that the colonial and military officials had more luxurious choices as they imported clothing and furnishings from Europe. But clothes from faraway Europe not only were expensive but were ill fitting for the difficult life the settlers led. Every pioneer woman learned how to knit, spin, weave, and dye cloth for the entire family's needs for each season. They fashioned garments of homegrown wool from their sheep and coarse linen from their flax crop. A self-reliant breed, they not only produced their own fabric and apparel, but even built the necessary machines. Clothing was colorful, as they used the great supply of natural dyes from roots and berries, learned from the Indians.
THE 1800s-ORGANIZED MANUFACTURE BEGINS
The year 1820 saw the opening of the first woolen mill in Ontario and the start of the change from weaving and spinning at home. The manufacture of textiles quickly spread through Canada with wool and cotton mills springing up. Although Canadian homemade cloth was famous for its great strength and durability, factory production increased the demand for cheaper goods. Canadian flannels, tweeds, worsted, and cottons became sought after. In 1846, the invention of the sewing machine helped move home sewers, dressmakers, and tailors toward commercial production. An immigration drive brought millions of refugees to Canada. Highly skilled tailors from the workrooms of Europe became important in the manufacture of apparel. Men's and boys' clothing was first to be factory produced in Canada as early as 1868. These garments were cut from a paper pattern and then bundled together and sent to private homes to be sewn, with families paid for their piece work. As experienced seamstresses and tailors learned to fit clothing without working directly on customers, factory-made garments became more acceptable to the general public. By the 1900s, there were over fifty men's and boys' clothing factories and more thant two dozen firms manufacturing ready-made skirts, blouses, and cloaks for the ladies.
A NEW TREND
In 1902, a clothing designer from Montreal began a startling new trend! This designer introduced the first ladies' cloaks copied from those shown in New York City, rather than England or Germany. This marked the beginning of the influence of the established American fashion market on Canadian apparel. It was an era of simple, more functional design, as it moved from the elaborate style of the Victorian age to the industrial era.
The Canadian garment industry grew rapidly. Many skilled immigrant workers developed into trade union leaders and achieved vastly improved working conditions and wages for their co-workers. The development of standardized patterns after World War I helped the booming industry. It eliminated the tedious and time-consuming task of draping and cutting each new style, and it allowed for more efficient production at a time when the demand for ready-made clothing was on the rise. The styling and quality of mass-produced garments kept pace with the ongoing developments in the textile industry.
During World War II, the demand for fashion products coincided with shortages of both supplies and workers. Canadian designers and manufacturers were innovative in meeting the demand for clothing within wartime restrictions.
After the war, all areas of the Canadian fashion industry enjoyed a period of great prosperity and there was a need for men's, women's, and children's wear.
As the United States emerged from the war with new prestige, it offered competition to its neighbor across the border. However, the Canadian fashion industry promoted many imaginative activities and events to launch the best of the Canadian collections. Local designers and their lavish lines toured the country. The textile manufacturers organized the Canadian Association of Couturiers as a means of promoting high-quality Canadian fabrics. The Canadian fashion industry took on an aggressive new image to meet the pressure of the American market and to deal with the flood of low-cost imports from the Orient.
