Although the clothing manufacturers in Texas have experienced as series of declines and expansions, they have slowly increased. At the start of the Civil War there were five clothing manufacturers in Texas that were manufacturing wearing apparel. The war uniforms for the Confederate troops were manufactured by the Huntsville Texas State Penitentiary. There were 33 clothing manufacturers by 1870 however the 1899 census only reported four plants. This number had increased to 11 by 1899 however they represented only 0.13% of the total value of the country’s clothes that were ready made and manufactured in Texas, although in 1839 only 1% was manufactured in Texas.
Of all of the states who were manufacturing clothing during this time Texas was ranked 11th. The clothing manufacturers in Texas only manufactured men’s clothing up until approximately 1910.
There has been a shift to the manufacture of women’s apparel since then however and the manufacture of men’s clothing especially pants and work clothes made up the majority of the industry. The manufacture of related products and apparel by Texas manufacturers during the twentieth century has been a story of rags to riches in both the figurative and literal sense.
Texas designers and manufacturers have successfully challenged the hegemony of the manufacturers in California and New York. With 1,250 manufacturers that employ some 65,100 employees with payroll of about $875,000,000 in 1994, the clothing manufacturing industry has been a phenomenon statewide with clothing manufacturers located in large cities and smaller communities. Over ¼ of Texas’ manufacturers of apparel are located in Dallas County.
They have over 12,000 employees and an annual payroll of $160 million. The counties of Bexar and El Paso are also manufacturing centers.
The pioneering manufacturers had emerged as manufacturers of clothing that was better suited to seasonal demands and regional tastes of the Southwest by the late 1920’s. Enterprises such as the Haggar Company (Dallas, 1926), Santone Industries (San Antonio 1923), the Williamson Dickie Manufacturing Company (Fort Worth, 1922), Farah (El Paso, 1920), the Lorch Manufacturing Company (Dallas, 1909), and the Finesilver Manufacturing Company (San Antonio, 1897) manufactured children’s play clothes, ladies cotton dresses, and men’s pants and work clothes. In the 1930’s Dallas manufacturers like Justin McCarty, Marcy Lee, Donovan, and Nardis manufactured distinctive new lines of clothing by capitalizing on the ability to sell the inexpensive house dress made of cotton and particularly ladies’ slacks, for consumption nationally.
Texas had 103 clothing manufacturers in 1933, 102 in 1929, and 73 in 1917. During World War II the receipt of federal contracts to manufacture large quantities of military uniforms allowed Texas manufacturers to expand their national sales contracts by modernizing the manufacturing machinery. The Dallas Fashion and Sportswear Center was formed by manufacturers in 1942 manufacturers and is now known as the Southwest Apparel Manufacturers Association. This aggressive trade organization published their own magazine call Texas fashions from 1842 to 1972, expanded the number and size of markets in apparel in Dallas, sponsored elaborate style shows, and used advertisements in national fashion magazines.
The growth in the national importance of fashions designed and manufactured in Texas continued during the postwar period. Texas had over 20,000 employees in 361 manufacturing plants in 1947. Many of the pioneering manufacturers decentralized the manufacturing operations in order to find new labor markets from the large urban centers by locating manufacturing plants in smaller communities throughout Texas, particularly along the Mexican border. Manufacturers introduced new lines of clothing that was casual and was manufactured from polyester fabric that was wrinkle resistant. Retailers that were fashion minded like Dallas’ Neiman-Marcus provided a favorable fashion climate for the expansion of the Texas clothing manufacturers. Their management was able to discourage the unionization of the workers of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America and the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union and operated in a conservative economic environment. The manufacturers of related items and clothing were the 4th largest manufacturing industry in Texas in terms of the size of the payroll and the number of workers in 1963. With a payroll of over $124 million and 150 workers the industry was only outdone by the manufacturing of allied products, chemicals, transportation, and machinery.
One catalyst to the continued growth of clothing manufacturing in 1984 in Texas was the opening of the $15,000,000 Dallas Apparel Mart building. It was the country’s largest wholesale fashion center to be under one roof with 2,300,000 ft. 2 of space in 7 retail stores having 2,000 separate showrooms by 1984. Annually, the Apparel Mart attracted about 80,000 customers. Dallas manufacturers like Victor Costa, Jerell Prophesy, and Howard B. Wolf provided an upgraded style of clothing for a certain segment of the population and established a special niche for themselves. They placed an emphasis on the passing on of traditional values from one generation to the next and private corporate ownership brought about longevity of existence and continuity in ownership with many Texas manufacturers that were unprecedented in the national clothing industry. By the mid 1980’s the competition from imports produced by labor that was inexpensive which started to alarm all Texas clothing manufacturers. However, through audacity in action and creativity in policy these challenges were successfully met.
Of all of the states who were manufacturing clothing during this time Texas was ranked 11th. The clothing manufacturers in Texas only manufactured men’s clothing up until approximately 1910.
There has been a shift to the manufacture of women’s apparel since then however and the manufacture of men’s clothing especially pants and work clothes made up the majority of the industry. The manufacture of related products and apparel by Texas manufacturers during the twentieth century has been a story of rags to riches in both the figurative and literal sense.
Texas designers and manufacturers have successfully challenged the hegemony of the manufacturers in California and New York. With 1,250 manufacturers that employ some 65,100 employees with payroll of about $875,000,000 in 1994, the clothing manufacturing industry has been a phenomenon statewide with clothing manufacturers located in large cities and smaller communities. Over ¼ of Texas’ manufacturers of apparel are located in Dallas County.
They have over 12,000 employees and an annual payroll of $160 million. The counties of Bexar and El Paso are also manufacturing centers.
The pioneering manufacturers had emerged as manufacturers of clothing that was better suited to seasonal demands and regional tastes of the Southwest by the late 1920’s. Enterprises such as the Haggar Company (Dallas, 1926), Santone Industries (San Antonio 1923), the Williamson Dickie Manufacturing Company (Fort Worth, 1922), Farah (El Paso, 1920), the Lorch Manufacturing Company (Dallas, 1909), and the Finesilver Manufacturing Company (San Antonio, 1897) manufactured children’s play clothes, ladies cotton dresses, and men’s pants and work clothes. In the 1930’s Dallas manufacturers like Justin McCarty, Marcy Lee, Donovan, and Nardis manufactured distinctive new lines of clothing by capitalizing on the ability to sell the inexpensive house dress made of cotton and particularly ladies’ slacks, for consumption nationally.
Texas had 103 clothing manufacturers in 1933, 102 in 1929, and 73 in 1917. During World War II the receipt of federal contracts to manufacture large quantities of military uniforms allowed Texas manufacturers to expand their national sales contracts by modernizing the manufacturing machinery. The Dallas Fashion and Sportswear Center was formed by manufacturers in 1942 manufacturers and is now known as the Southwest Apparel Manufacturers Association. This aggressive trade organization published their own magazine call Texas fashions from 1842 to 1972, expanded the number and size of markets in apparel in Dallas, sponsored elaborate style shows, and used advertisements in national fashion magazines.
The growth in the national importance of fashions designed and manufactured in Texas continued during the postwar period. Texas had over 20,000 employees in 361 manufacturing plants in 1947. Many of the pioneering manufacturers decentralized the manufacturing operations in order to find new labor markets from the large urban centers by locating manufacturing plants in smaller communities throughout Texas, particularly along the Mexican border. Manufacturers introduced new lines of clothing that was casual and was manufactured from polyester fabric that was wrinkle resistant. Retailers that were fashion minded like Dallas’ Neiman-Marcus provided a favorable fashion climate for the expansion of the Texas clothing manufacturers. Their management was able to discourage the unionization of the workers of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America and the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union and operated in a conservative economic environment. The manufacturers of related items and clothing were the 4th largest manufacturing industry in Texas in terms of the size of the payroll and the number of workers in 1963. With a payroll of over $124 million and 150 workers the industry was only outdone by the manufacturing of allied products, chemicals, transportation, and machinery.
One catalyst to the continued growth of clothing manufacturing in 1984 in Texas was the opening of the $15,000,000 Dallas Apparel Mart building. It was the country’s largest wholesale fashion center to be under one roof with 2,300,000 ft. 2 of space in 7 retail stores having 2,000 separate showrooms by 1984. Annually, the Apparel Mart attracted about 80,000 customers. Dallas manufacturers like Victor Costa, Jerell Prophesy, and Howard B. Wolf provided an upgraded style of clothing for a certain segment of the population and established a special niche for themselves. They placed an emphasis on the passing on of traditional values from one generation to the next and private corporate ownership brought about longevity of existence and continuity in ownership with many Texas manufacturers that were unprecedented in the national clothing industry. By the mid 1980’s the competition from imports produced by labor that was inexpensive which started to alarm all Texas clothing manufacturers. However, through audacity in action and creativity in policy these challenges were successfully met.
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