contributed to the ascent of New York as a fashion city since the majority of the
designers were based in New York. However, after the war Paris rose once more
as the global fashion capital. The emergence of French designers like Christian
Dior in 1947, Pierre Cardin in 1950 and Hubert Givenchy in 1952 contributed
to the return of Paris’ prominence in global fashion. Although Americans once
more sought fashion inspiration from Paris, the taste for local fashion had been
definitely roused and the American fashion industry had been born.
The growth of American fashion was also influenced by the numerous
transformations in the consumer society and industrial sector. For example,
advanced manufacturing techniques of ready-to-wear fashion made apparel
more accessible and affordable to a wider consumer group. The rise of depart-
mental stores such as Macy’s, Bergedorf Goodman and Henry Bendel also
contributed to fashion accessibility. The accessible fashion goods sold in
these stores were complemented by the tailored apparel produced with
sewing machines, which was invented in the nineteenth century. American
consumers also adopted the use of the sewing machine for homemade clothes.
The rapid growth of the American middle class both in size and in wealth
also contributed to the American fashion development. As the century moved
into its second half, a larger proportion of the consumer population could
afford either New York ready-to-wear clothes and accessories or the more
expensive European imported fashion goods. As a result, several consumer
segments emerged, conspicuously the ready-to-wear consumer group and the
consumers of European luxury fashion goods. This marked the start of luxury
goods segments still prevalent in today’s American consumer society. Despite
the different consumer groups, the American fashion taste remained simple
and unfussy as a result of the simplicity of the lifestyle.
The increasing role of women in American society also led to fashion
advancement, boosted by the invention of such home equipment as the wash-
ing machine. This created more time for female consumers to devote to fash-
ion and their appearance. Also, more American women entered the corporate
sector, which increased their level of sophistication and fashion outlook. The
fashion development of American consumers was also encouraged by the
adoption of several cultural and entertainment forms like the theatre and the
opera, notably in New York.
The prolific fashion environment of the 1950s led to the emergence of
several American designers still active today such as Bill Blass and Anne
Klein in the 1960s. These designers adapted their creations to fit American
society’s expectation of easy and stylish fashion, rather than copying the
styles from Paris, Milan and London. The sophisticated corporate fashion
style also maintained a consistent undertone of simplicity. The simple
American fashion was later established definitely by Jackie Kennedy, who
was the country’s first lady between 1961 and 1963. Her style constituted a
combination of classic apparel accentuated with elegant accessories. She
became a fashion icon for Americans and her influence eventually extended42
luxury fashion branding