From Uniforms to "Pret-a-Porter

The History and Significance of Ready-to-Wear Clothing

• Ready-to-wear (RTW) clothing is mass-produced clothing sold in finished condition in standardized sizes, as opposed to bespoke clothing tailored to a particular person's frame.
• RTW has a different place in the spheres of fashion and classic clothing. Designers produce RTW clothing, intended to be worn without significant alteration because clothing made to standard sizes fits most people.
• Ready-to-wear military uniforms were mass-produced in the United States during the War of 1812. High-quality ready-to-wear garments for men became generally available soon thereafter.
• Women's fashion was highly ornate and dependent on a precise fit, so ready-to-wear garments for women did not become widely available until the beginning of the 20th century.
• The demand for affordable and fashionable women's clothing sparked designers and department stores to manufacture clothing in bulk quantities that were accessible to women of all classes and incomes.
• The introduction of the concept of "pret-a-porter" has been attributed to Sonia Delaunay after her geometric styles were exhibited at the seminal 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs in Paris.
• Ready-to-wear fashion exposed women to the newest styles and fashion trends, leading to a substantial increase in profits by US factories from $12,900,583 in 1876 to $1,604,500,957 in 1929.
• Yves Saint Laurent was the first designer to launch a ready-to-wear collection, and in 1966, he opened Rive Gauche, his first ready-to-wear boutique.
• Fashion houses that produce a women's haute couture line also produce a ready-to-wear line, which returns a greater profit because of the higher volume of garments made and the greater availability of the clothing.
• In high-end fashion, ready-to-wear collections are usually presented by fashion houses each season during a period known as Fashion Week.
• Ready-to-wear fashion weeks occur separately and earlier than those of haute couture.
• Ready-to-wear clothing has an important place in the fashion industry as it makes fashionable apparel accessible, cost-effective, and commensurable.