The state of São Paulo in the Brazilian context of clothing industrialization, during the tropical belle époque - 1870 - 1922

The clothing industry in Brazil continues to lack historical research, particularly about its initial phase. Contributing to this situation is the scarcity of economic sources, in the most remote period, that allow for better clarification of issues such as: number of existing enterprises and the workforce used; available machinery, invested capital, produced volumes etc. This article comprises a panel on clothing serial manufacturing in the tropical's belle époque period - from the 1870s to 1922, the beginning of modernism - a time when the segment gained momentum in the country, especially after the First World War (1914-1918), still focused on simple and stable pieces, which was not the case with most women's clothing, which was more complex and influenced by changes in fashion. We highlight, in this context, the significant growth recorded by São Paulo, supported by research published in 1909 by Francisco Bandeira Junior, with rare data on São Paulo factories at the time. Mechanization - made possible by sewing machines, cutting machines etc. - lowered production costs, simultaneously with the increase in urban commerce, which expanded access to wearable goods that, however, remained socially differentiated by the quality and aesthetics of the pieces; that is, for the symbolic value of fashion.

Keywords:
Clothing industry; Economic history; Fashion