Hanna Designs a Dress

Background Information

 Once, clothes were hand made, from natural materials. The work was slow and clothes were expensive.

In 1829, a Frenchman, Barthélemy Thimonnier, invented a sewing machine that was powered by a foot pedal. Machines like these were used in factories to make clothes more quickly and cheaply than ever before. In the 1850s, an American, Isaac Singer, came up with a sewing machine that people could use at home. You can still find Singer sewing machines today.

In 1848 in America, gold was found and people rushed to work in the gold mines. They needed strong working clothes. Levi Strauss designed overalls made from heavy blue cloth. He use metal rivets to make the pockets stronger. These working clothes became very popular. Today, jeans are worn all over the world, even though most of us don’t work in gold mines!

Zips and Velcro are now used to fasten clothes, as well as more old-fashioned devices such as buckles, ties, buttons and laces. Manufactured materials such as polyester, Lycra and nylon allow us to make clothes that are stronger, that will stretch and that will stay waterproof. Take a look at the label in the clothes you’re wearing. Are the materials natural or manufactured?