How The US invented Apparel Fashion

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By PAGE Editor

There are certain industries that are forever associated with their origins in Europe, such as cheese- and winemaking, and fashion has traditionally been one of them. However, the US influence on the international market has included some of the most iconic fashion items around, particularly when it comes to apparel fashion.

While some designers are known for their wacky approach to fashion and catwalk pieces that turn heads while not being massively practical, US designers have made their name by creating wearable items that are practical and comfortable. Apparel fashion is all about clothes that people want to wear, and some of the most influential fashion movements have been borne out of US designers' desire to have an impact.

Some of the most practical fashion items to come from the US include:

Sportswear

While the earliest version of what was known as 'sportswear' might still be considered relatively formal today, US fashion designers have always been at the forefront of the wearable clothing movement. The relaxed approach to clothing design was responsible for a move away from the haute couture that was consistently coming from European fashion houses.

Clothing was no longer just about looking good or following fashions. Americans, and American women in particular, were living lives that were unrecognizable to their forebears and they needed clothing that could keep up with their much busier lifestyles. 

As sports popularity continued to grow in the US, more people began watching and participating in sporting events, like the NFL, NBA, and NHL. Now, sports in the US is huge and many Americans support a team in one of the major sporting leagues. Some fans in legalized states also opt to place sports bets and taking advantage of the promos available at a range of NY bookmakers to back their team. Due to the increase in sports popularity, so too came the new trend for practical clothing, known as sportswear.

Many US designers were keen to create something new that wasn't so reliant on the traditions that European designers used. Things were changing so rapidly that clothing had to keep up with major changes such as women being able to dress themselves without the help of a maid or other servant. The US is home to many large sportswear brands such as Adidas and Nike.

Blue Jeans

Although it seems incredible to imagine a world without jeans, practical and durable workwear wasn't a priority for many designers until the concept became popular during the 1950s and jeans were made for miners to work in. When Marlon Brando and James Dean were seen on screen wearing jeans designed and made by Levi Strauss, their popularity generated huge amounts of interest in their clothing, and the market for jeans was created.

In the US, jean-wearing consumers spent more than $16.6 billion on their favorite legwear in 2021, making them the leading market for jeans worldwide, followed closely by Western Europe. Jeans have had such an important cultural impact that they were seen as a symbol of rebellion among Soviet youth in the 1950s and their production was suppressed by the government in order to limit the supply available to the politically active young people that were desperate to wear them.

T-shirts

Yet another fashion item that we think of as a staple is actually a relatively recent design, born of the need for practical workwear for the summer months. In the 19th century, laborers cut their jumpsuits in half to make the summer heat more bearable and savvy fashion designers began to make short-sleeved tops that could be layered with other items of clothing.

The t-shirt came into prominence when it was included as part of the US Navy's uniform in 1913, but it was still considered an undergarment until the 1950s, when t-shirts joined jeans as a symbol of teenage rebellion. Yet again, Marlon Brando and James Dean popularized an item that had been designed as workwear for a specific purpose and made it into the must-have fashion piece among the youth of the United States.

New fabrics

One of the things that made US fashion so exciting was the sudden influx of new fabrics that were changing the face of wearable designs. Lycra and spandex made more designs possible, and increased the variety of colors, cuts and shapes for designers to work with. 

These new fabrics changed the face of practical sportswear, making bathing suits and cycling outfits much more wearable for those who wanted additional mobility. When it became apparent that clothing that was comfortable for playing sports in also made for relaxing leisurewear, the two worlds collided to bring about one of the most dramatic changes in personal fashion for centuries. 

It wasn't only the fashion-conscious that benefited from this radical change - those who wanted more affordable clothing that they could wear every day were also well served by the move towards sportswear and the legacy of this huge innovation can still be seen today. The rise of brands such as Nike and Adidas demonstrate the sheer value of sportswear to the modern market, and there are plenty of other major brands that wouldn't exist today without the pioneering designers of the last century. 

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