The Egyptians used linen to make bandages for mummification and as items of clothing. There are examples of Egyptian wall art depicting pharaohs, such as Neferatar, wearing linen dresses and shirts.
The use of linen grew and spread and by Roman times it became popular to wear linen under other garments. Between and BC cotton came into existence. There is evidence that people of ancient China, India and Egypt were spinning, weaving and dying cotton. By BC India had began to produce cotton textiles on a bigger scale. Records show growers planting out cotton fields and carvings from this time depict cotton rolling machines used to remove the seeds from the fibres.
In the invention of the power loom brought with it vast improvements to the speed of cotton production. In very early times, around 10, BC, people began to keep sheep to breed for meat.
But as the best sheep were kept for breeding their wool became more useful, and by BC their wool was good enough to spin well. By BC there were approximately 40 different breeds of sheep, which produce more than types of wool. In the Middle Ages woollen garments were popular in Europe. Worn over linen, the wool would create a thick warm outer layer. It is believed that silk was discovered by a Chinese princess around BC. Silk is made from two threads joined together and used to form the cocoon of silkworm.
These worms only eat the leaves of the mulberry bush, a plant native of East Asia, so for a long time silk production only took place in parts of China and Japan. During the Han Dynasty, around BC, The emperor started the infamous Silk Road , a set of treacherous trails that would enable people in other parts of Asia, and later Europe, to purchase silk. Printing onto fabric dates back as far as the fourth century, in China. Create a personalised ads profile.
Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Kris Hirst. Archaeology Expert. Kris Hirst is an archaeologist with 30 years of field experience.
Her work has appeared in scholarly publications such as Archaeology Online and Science. Twitter Twitter. Updated March 18, Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Hirst, K. History of Textiles. In pre-colonial North America, indigenous tribes used natural plant fibers and leather from animal skins to construct their clothes. Early European traders prized beaver pelts, particularly, for their warmth and comfort.
In the 18 th century, clothes were worn either as full dress, to indicate formal wear, or undress, to indicate everyday wear.
Full dress for both genders composed of elaborate silks and embroidery. Still, men typically wore coats, waistcoats, and breeches, whereas women wore panniers and dresses made up of printed chintzes, cotton, and muslins.
The 19 th century saw the birth of mechanized and mass-produced textiles with the Industrial Revolution. Waterwheels and steam-engine machines mechanized fabric production. Also, assembly line organization—even if by hand—and textile factories greatly improved production speeds. The sewing machine also came out around this time to streamline clothing production. Advances in transportation, such as steamboats, canals, and railroads, decreased shipping costs and product outreach.
Consumers could buy cheaper items from farther away, rather than more expensive local items. Significantly, textile and clothing factories also allowed women to leave domestic duties and work.
Thus, the industrial revolution changed the availability of clothes and fabrics as well as the domestic structure with new economic opportunities to women. The 20 th and 21 st centuries also saw rapid changes in the fabric and textile industries. Synthetic fibers allow manufacturers to make clothes faster and more cheaply than with natural fibers. Some of these synthetic fibers are stronger, more elastic, and durable than before. Mechanization in textile production also allows for different weaving and knitting patterns, finishes, and other modifications, like stain resistance, flake resistance, and antimicrobial.
Great dye technology also makes hard-to-dye application doable. Today, the textile industry has raised a few controversial issues. Specifically, unfair and unsustainable practices related to environmental and worker-related issues raise concerns among consumers. Most countries purchase their clothing from Bangladesh, China, India, and other East Asian nations, each of which raises billions of dollars in apparel exports.
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