Tailoring and Clothing After the Civil War

Before the American Civil War, ready-made apparel existed but its variety was limited. Coats, jackets and undergarments were only available in predetermined sizes. Most clothing was made by tailors, by individuals, or by their family members at home. The Civil War was a pivotal event in the historical development of men’s ready-made clothing. At the outset of the Civil War, most uniforms were custom-made in workers’ homes under government contract. As the war continued, however, manufacturers started to build factories that could quickly and efficiently meet the growing demands of the military. These factories were able to make uniforms for a fraction of the cost of home sewers. Mass-producing uniforms necessitated the development of standard sizes. Measurements taken of soldiers revealed that certain sets of measurements tended to recur with predictable regularity. There were certain ratios of shoulder to waist measurements that occurred more frequently than others. After the war, these measurements were used to create the first commercial sizing scales for men. Today these ratios p...