Ready-made clothing - ready-made clothing

Japanese: 既製服 - きせいふく

A general term for ready-made clothing, generally referring to ready-made Western clothing. It is equivalent to ready-to-wear and ready-made clothes.

[Masumi Tsuji]

History

For ready-made clothing to become popular, several social factors were necessary: a large demand, the collapse of the clothing system that restricted the materials and clothing styles that could be used depending on one's social status or class, the development of the textile industry that supplied materials, and the simplification of clothing.

Ready-made clothes first appeared in Japan during the Meiji period; however, it was from the 1950s to the 60s, when all the conditions mentioned above were met, that ready-made clothes increased dramatically and grew as an industry. It is notable that the shift to ready-made clothes occurred in conjunction with the trend toward Western clothing.

In order to quickly establish a modern national system, the Meiji government first adopted Western clothing for military and public official uniforms, aiming to spread it among the general public. The rasha used for military and public uniforms was imported and expensive, so there was a high demand for second-hand clothes, and there were dealers in Tokyo and Osaka. During the Seinan War in 1877 (Meiji 10), military uniforms were produced in large quantities, and after the war they were sold off, so a large amount of second-hand clothes were on the market, and dealers gathered in Tanimachi, where the Osaka Garrison was located, in Osaka, Kudanshita, in front of the Tokyo Garrison, in Tokyo, and later Yanagiwara. They sometimes repaired and remodeled second-hand clothes before selling them, and from these dealers the ready-made clothing dealers were born. Ready-made rasha products first appeared in Tokyo around 1881, such as tonbi (clogs) and trousers. In Osaka, twisted clothes, atsushi (thick cloth), and cloaks were also manufactured and sold from around 1887. These products were called "tsurushi" or "dara-sagari" (hanging) because they were sold hanging near the ceiling of second-hand clothing stores, and the image of cheap, inferior goods given by this derogatory term was long associated with ready-made clothing. After the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05), sales of second-hand clothing declined, and the disposal shops changed to manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers and began dealing in ready-made clothing. In addition to woolen cloth products, ready-made dress shirts were also made early on, and specialized businesses appeared around 1877.

In the Taisho era, Western clothing was adopted for girls' school uniforms and ready-made overcoats, and after the Great Kanto Earthquake, the production of ready-made clothes increased due to the promotion of Western clothing for children in particular, but all of this remained within the realm of practical clothing. Moreover, the Westernization of clothing for ordinary women progressed very slowly, and it was necessary to wait for the major change in lifestyle that occurred after the war and defeat for Western clothing to become established.

Therefore, it was not until the late 1950s that ready-to-wear women's clothing began to increase, and ready-to-wear quickly became popular due to the mass sales of clothing resulting from the distribution revolution and the consumption revolution resulting from rising incomes. Furthermore, ready-to-wear clothing, which was introduced from France, completely changed the image of low-quality ready-made goods that had existed until then, and technical collaboration with overseas countries improved the quality of products, ushering in an era in which people could enjoy a diverse range of clothing styles.

[Masumi Tsuji]

Ready-made garment industry

The ready-made clothing industry first developed in America, triggered by the development of the sewing machine in the mid-19th century and the production of military uniforms during the Civil War (1861-65). Furthermore, circumstances unique to America, such as the invention of patterns with a wide range of sizes, simplification of styles, and growing demand, made it easier to produce ready-made women's clothing, and by the beginning of the 20th century, New York had become the center of the clothing industry, supported by high-quality immigrant sewing workers. Originally, there were textile manufacturers that produced spinning and weaving fabric in an integrated manner, and later, with the backing of strong capital, the industry was developed by integrating processing stages such as dyeing and sewing, and as a result, the industry, which had been in a slump at one time, has been regaining vitality since 1960.

Japan's textile industry has developed primarily around yarn manufacturers and spinning companies, and since the Meiji era it has been a core industry supporting the modern capitalist economy. In contrast, secondary manufacturers involved in processing stages such as weaving, dyeing, and sewing were neglected, and distribution channels were complex, with many wholesalers involved, resulting in a large number of small and medium-sized businesses. In response to the large demand for ready-made clothing that began in the late 1950s, synthetic fiber manufacturers became the industry leaders, with department stores accounting for the majority of sales channels. It is believed that the changes in attitudes towards consumption brought about by rapid economic growth and the availability of large amounts of clothing meant that necessary clothing was widely distributed during this period.

In contrast to the slump in synthetic fiber manufacturers, the late 1960s, when ready-made clothing manufacturers grew rapidly, can be seen as a period when new demand for ready-made clothing increased. It is said that the success was due to the emphasis on marketing, the fact that they read the change in consumer consciousness from quantity to quality and reflected it in their products, and the fact that they adopted a sales method centered on specialty stores as their retail route. Looking at the sales figures of a representative major manufacturer, it shows a dramatic increase from 13.2 billion yen in 1963 (Showa 38), to 108.4 billion yen in 1974, and 205.8 billion yen in 1980. Thus, the industry, which had been centered on textiles for a long time, has taken a direction of emphasizing secondary products, and trading companies have participated not only in the financial aspect but also as organizers who organize the stages from raw materials to manufacturing and retail. At the end of 1976, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry's Textile Industry Council proposed a clearer consumer orientation and an emphasis on the apparel industry as guidelines for the future of Japan's textile industry, and a reexamination of the industry organization was mentioned for this purpose. Apparel means clothing, and the word became popular after it was officially used at that time. In terms of the size of the apparel industry, according to industrial statistics for 1980, manufacturers with nine employees or less account for approximately 70% of the total, indicating that there are many small-scale manufacturers. However, this is a common situation among women's clothing manufacturers that aim to produce a wide variety of products in small quantities, and there have been a series of bankruptcies due to product development failures.

With the rate of ready-made clothing reaching its peak and the amount of imported clothing increasing, there is a need for targeted product planning and the development of efficient sales policies. There are hopes for the industry to develop into an information-intensive industry and to enter the international market.

[Masumi Tsuji]

"Japan's Clothing Industry" by Shozo Nakagomi (1975, Toyo Keizai Shinposha) " "The Apparel Industry" by Konomi Tomizawa (1980, Toyo Keizai Shinposha)

[Reference] | Clothing | Clothes

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

できあいの衣服の総称で、一般にはできあいの洋服をさす。レディー・トゥー・ウエアready-to-wear、レディーメイド・クローズready-made clothesに相当する。

［辻ますみ］

沿革

既製服が成立するためには、いくつかの社会的背景が必要である。まず大量の需要があること、身分や階級によって使用できる素材や衣服形態が制限された服装制度が崩壊していること、素材を供給する繊維産業が発達していること、服装が単純化していること、などがあげられる。

　日本に既製服が現れるのは明治時代であるが、既製服が飛躍的に増加して産業として成長するのは、前述の条件がそろった昭和30年代から40年代のことであり、とくに洋装化に伴って既製服化が進められてきた点に特徴がある。

　明治政府は近代国家の体制をいち早く整えるために、まず服装のうえで軍服や公官吏服に洋服を採用して、一般への浸透を図った。軍服や制服に使用された羅紗(らしゃ)は、舶来品で高価であったから古服の需要が多く、それを取り扱う業者が東京や大阪にあった。1877年（明治10）の西南戦争では軍服が増産され、戦争後はそれが払下げになったために、古服が大量に出回り、大阪では大阪鎮台のあった谷町、東京では東京鎮台前の九段下、のちには柳原に払下げ屋が集まった。彼らは古服を修理改造して売る場合もあり、そのなかから既製服業者が生まれていった。羅紗の既製品が東京に初めて現れたのは、81年ごろのことで、とんび（鳶）やズボンなどであった。大阪でも87年ごろからもじり（捩り）、アツシ（厚司）、マントなどが製造販売されている。これらの商品は、古着屋の天井近くにぶら下げて売られたところから「つるし」「ぶら下がり」などとよばれ、この蔑称(べっしょう)が与える安物、粗悪品というイメージが、その後長く既製服に結び付いていった。日露戦争（1904～05）後は古服の売れ行きが悪くなり、払下げ屋は製造卸業者や小売業者へと変わって既製服を扱った。羅紗製品のほかにワイシャツも既製化が早く、1877年前後から専門業者が現れている。

　大正時代には洋服を採用した女子学生服や、オーバー類の既製服化が進み、関東大震災後はとくに子供服の洋装化が推進されたために、既製品の生産量は伸びたが、いずれも実用衣料の範囲にとどまった。しかも一般女性の洋装化は遅々として進まず、洋服の定着には、戦争―敗戦という生活の大変換期を待たねばならなかった。

　したがって婦人既製服が増加し始めるのは、昭和30年代後半であり、流通革命による衣料品の大量販売や、所得の増大による消費革命によって、既製衣料は速やかに普及していった。さらにフランスから導入されたプレタポルテは、従来の既製品にあった粗悪品のイメージを一新し、海外との技術提携は製品のレベルを高め、多様な衣生活を楽しめる時代になった。

［辻ますみ］

既製服産業

既製服産業が最初に発展したのはアメリカであるが、19世紀中ごろのミシンの開発と、南北戦争（1861～65）による軍服生産がその契機となった。さらにサイズの豊富な型紙の発明、スタイルの簡略化、需要の拡大というアメリカ独特の事情が、婦人服の既製服化を容易にし、質のよい移民の縫製労働者に支えられて、20世紀初頭には、ニューヨークは衣料産業の中心となっていた。もともと紡績と織布を一貫生産する紡織メーカーが存在し、その後、強力な資本をバックに、染色や縫製などの加工段階を統合して業界が整備された結果、一時不振だった業界も、1960年からふたたび活気を取り戻してきている。

　日本の繊維産業は、原糸メーカーや紡績業が中心となって発展してきており、明治以来、近代資本主義経済を支える基幹産業でもあった。それに対して、織布や染色や縫製などの加工段階にある二次メーカーは軽視され、しかも流通経路が複雑で、問屋がいくつも介在していたために、中小零細業者が多かった。昭和30年代後半から始まる既製服の大量需要に対して、業界のリーダーとなったのは合繊メーカーであり、販売経路は百貨店が大部分を占めていた。高度経済成長がもたらした、消費に対する意識変化と、大量な衣料品の出回りにより、この時期に必要衣料は行き渡ったと考えられる。

　これに対して、合繊メーカーの不況と対照的に、既製服メーカーが急成長する昭和40年代後半からは、既製服に対して新たな需要が高まった時期としてとらえられる。マーケティングを重視し、量から質への消費者意識の変化を読み取って商品に反映させたこと、小売りルートに専門店を中心とした販売方法をとったことなどが、成功につながったといわれる。代表的なある大手メーカーの売上額の推移をみると、1963年（昭和38）が132億円、74年1084億円、80年2058億円と飛躍的な伸びを示している。こうして長い間繊維中心であった業界も、二次製品重視の方向をとり、商社も金融面のみではなく、原料から製造小売りまでの段階を組織するオルガナイザーとして参画してきている。76年末の通産省繊維工業審議会では、今後の日本の繊維産業の指針として、消費者指向の明確化とアパレル産業の重視が提言されており、そのための業界組織の再検討があげられている。アパレルapparelとは衣服の意味で、このとき公式に使用されてから普及した語である。アパレル業界の規模としては、80年度の工業統計を参考にすると、従業者数9人以下の製造業者が約70％を占めており、小規模なメーカーが多いことを示しているが、これは多品種少量生産を目的とする婦人服メーカーに共通した現状であり、商品作りの失敗による倒産も相次いでいる。

　既製服化率が最大に達し、輸入衣料も増加した現在、的を絞った商品企画と効率的な販売政策の展開が必要とされ、情報を集約したファッション産業への発展と、国際市場への進出が期待されている。

［辻ますみ］

『中込省三著『日本の衣服産業』（1975・東洋経済新報社）』▽『富沢このみ著『アパレル産業』（1980・東洋経済新報社）』

[参照項目] | 衣服 | 洋服

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