- Styles of the Clothing We Wear (or Wore Back in ’82)
In the decade of the ’70s, the fabrics and styles of women's intimate apparel underwent many changes.
Many newly created fabrics were found to be slicker than their natural counterparts, such as the material used to make "silky" loungewear. These fabrics required carefully designed machinery that fed the material evenly through the machine, without slipping or puckering. Other man-made materials required new applications of stitch formations to prevent tearing and disfigurement at various stress points.
During the 1980s, the apparel industry faced a major shift. Rapid changes in women's fashion—such as the transition to unlined silhouettes, synthetic stretch knits, and delicate sheer fabrics—required garment factories to abandon rigid, single-purpose machinery. Equipment manufacturers redesigned industrial textile machinery to emphasize modularity, speed control, and multi-fabric versatility.
Sophisticated machinery was designed to meet not only the present demands of the women's apparel industry, but also to remain versatile enough to adjust to future styles and fabrics.
1. Fabric Innovations: The Rise of Synthetic BlendsPrior to the late 1960s, shapewear relied heavily on heavy rubber elastics, boning, and stiff cotton canvas. In the 1970s, new synthetic materials revolutionized how intimate garments felt and moved:• Lycra & Spandex Blends: The perfection of stretch fibers allowed undergarments to expand and contract smoothly with the body, eliminating rigid corsetry and bone-reinforced girdles. • Nylon Tricot & Sheer Knits: Ultra-lightweight nylon tricot became the standard for slips, nightgowns, and panties. It was quick-drying, silky, and easy to wash. • Soft Cotton & Stretch Lace: Everyday cotton was re-engineered with small percentages of elastic, making breathable, daily-wear bra-and-panty sets popular among younger women. 2. Iconic Styles of the Decade• The "No-Bra" Bra: Designed by pioneer Rudi Gernreich in the late 1960s and widely popularized throughout the 70s, this unlined, sheer nylon bra was engineered to create a natural silhouette under thin knit dresses and T-shirts.• The Teddy & Step-In: Returning to popularity in the late 70s, the teddy combined a camisole and panty into one seamless, silky piece trimmed with soft lace. • Bikinis & Hip-Huggers: Lower-rise denim and bell-bottom trousers pushed panty waists downward, popularizing colorful, low-rise bikini cuts over traditional high-waisted options.• Vibrant Colors & Disco Palette: Intimate apparel abandoned purely functional white, beige, and black in favor of bold jewel tones, psychedelic florals, pastel color-blocking, and satiny sheens. • First Sports Bras: The late 70s saw the invention of the "Jogbra" (1977), addressing the physical support needs of women participating in the modern fitness movement. 3. Loungewear as OuterwearSleepwear and loungewear also broadened significantly:• Hostess Gowns & Caftans: Floor-length, flowing nylon or polyester kaftans and hostess dresses bridged the line between bedtime sleepwear and casual entertaining attire.• Babydolls & Peignoirs: Silky short-length babydoll sets and matching nylon robes remained romantic staples, designed with sheer mesh accents and lace trim.
From Tobacco to Children’s Clothing: The Old Spencer Factory
In 1926, J. H. “Jimmy” Crossingham came to Mount Airy in Surry County, North Carolina, from Pennsylvania and helped establish the Mount Airy Knitting Company with local partners. It began in a former tobacco leaf house with just 12 employees, 12 knitting machines, and 31 sewing machines making union suits and other underwear.
After World War II, the company shifted much of its production toward infants’ and children’s clothing— a move that helped it grow dramatically. In 1958, Mount Airy Knitting employed 705 people, 686 of whom were production workers, and made nearly 1.6 million dozen garments. The company changed its name to Spencer’s Inc. in 1962. “Spencer’s” referred to the “Dr. Spencer’s” sanitary knitted underwear associated with Crossingham’s family business; the “Dr.” was dropped because of rules about using a nonmedical doctor’s name on medical-related products.
What local residents call the old Spencer’s factory is really a group of industrial buildings, not one single mill. The Mount Airy Knitting Company expanded them into a large clothing-manufacturing campus.
Spencer’s kept expanding, adding buildings and buying neighboring properties. It became a major U.S. producer of infants’ and children’s wear, with knitting, dyeing, finishing, packing, and shipping operations. Read More>
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A symbolic brick-and-granite carving: "The Mill Worker represents
the thousands of hardworking people who worked in the local mills to
support their families.”
Zünd cutters are entirely modular, the configuration possibilities virtually endless. The Product Finder helps you find what you are looking for more quickly. Find the cutter that suits you.
Visit www.zund.com to discover the latest Zünd innovations in industrial digital cutting technology: specialized tooling for a perfect cut, no matter what materials go into your sewn products, a full range of hardware and software options all geared toward easy, efficient workflow automation. Zünd has it all! What’s more, multifunctional cutting systems from Zünd are modular by design and easily adaptable as your cutting needs grow or change. Find the cutting solution perfectly tailored to your needs, present and future! Contact Zund America anytime for a personal demonstration.
UpFront with Make the Dot
The First Mile: How Make the Dot Is Rethinking Apparel Product Development
By Joe Altieri, FIT Adjunct Professor, Mentor, Educator, and Trainer
For decades, the apparel industry has invested in improving manufacturing efficiency, developing global sourcing networks, and moving finished products through increasingly sophisticated distribution systems.
Yet one of the most important stages of the supply chain remains fragmented. It is the process that begins with a design concept and ends with a product that is ready to be manufactured.
This is where Emilie Ho, co-founder and CEO of Make the Dot, sees an opportunity to change the way the apparel industry operates.
Ho describes this early stage as the “first mile” of the supply chain. While manufacturing and logistics have benefited from established processes and increasing levels of standardization, the work that takes place before production remains dependent on disconnected systems, manual communication, and brand-specific procedures.
The consequences are familiar to anyone who has worked in apparel manufacturing.
Designs change. Materials are substituted. Technical packages are revised. Samples are produced, reviewed, rejected, and produced again. Information moves between design teams, product developers, sourcing offices, and factories, often without a single, consistent record of the decisions that have been made.
By the time a product is ready for production, months may have passed.
Make the Dot is attempting to change that process by bringing design, product development, materials, sourcing, and technical information into a shared digital environment. But the more interesting question is not how quickly AI can generate a design. It is whether technology can help the industry make better decisions before those decisions become expensive manufacturing problems. Read More>
Emilie Ho, co-founder and CEO of Make the Dot
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Industry Opinion
Is Financial World Entering Tokenized Era
By Nironjan Roy, Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist and Banker
After stablecoins, cryptocurrency tokens, tokenized money market products, and tokenized bank deposits, shares of listed companies are also expected to be tokenized soon, bringing a revolutionary change to the financial industry.
According to media reports, the SEC (Securities & Exchange Commission) has made a milestone decision by clearing the path for trading venues to offer tokenized stocks in the U.S. through two five-year innovation exemptions, which will help companies prepare to launch tokenized stock trading platforms.
However, the SEC’s decision is not a clear permission, as it also imposes conditions.
The SEC's decision to allow tokenized stock carries the strictest safeguards for corporate issues. The conditions state that, before allowing a third party to begin trading tokenized stocks, the venue must give the issuing company 30 days' notice. If that company objects, the venue cannot proceed with offering tokenized stock trading.
This SEC decision will allow temporary exemptions for authorized trading venues and market makers from certain stock-trading rules that previously restricted trading in digital tokens representing shares of listed companies. Tokenized stocks trade on the blockchain, the digital ledger system of cryptocurrency; however, the option to trade tokenized stock on the blockchain is limited to some overseas investors. After the SEC's decision on tokenized stocks, stock trading will adopt a new framework in which a tokenized stock gives its holder the same rights as a regular share. Read More>
C and C Enterprise has teamed up with JACK, one of the world’s finest industrial sewing machine manufacturers, to form Jack of the Americas. Jack of the Americas distributes JACK machines throughout North America, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean Basin. When you buy from Jack of The Americas, we don’t just ship you a box! We help you get set up and answer any questions you may have! With over 100 years of combined experience in the industrial sewn products industry, we are proud to say that we are one of the world’s leading industrial sewing products authorities and are here to serve you! Not sure if Jack is right for you? Click on the button below for a short video showing off some of our machines. Watch it and see what Jack can do for you!
Since 1898, Consew has designed and manufactured the most reliable machines in the sewing industry. Today, Consew has one of the largest varieties of sewing, cutting, and pressing equipment; as well as an extensive line of supplies related to the sewn products industry. From standard walking foot machines for upholstery to specialty 4 needle lockstitch machines for parachutes, from long-arm zig-zag (up to 30”) machines for boat sails to extra heavy-duty machines for webbing, Consew has it all. Our machines are well-designed for sewing leather, canvas, shoes, saddles, mattresses, tents, tarps, and sails, as well as jeans and other garments. With offices in New Jersey, Miami, and Los Angeles, as well as a distribution network throughout the world, Consew can quickly supply and service the machines you need.
Industry News
New ITMF and ITA White Paper: Data and Skills, Not Algorithms, Hold Back AI in Textiles
The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) and the Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University (ITA) published “AI in the Textile Value Chain: A Strategic Guide to Artificial Intelligence for the Global Textile Industry”. The white paper finds that the main barriers to AI adoption in the textile and apparel industry are poor data integration, skills shortages, and gaps in governance, not the technology itself. It argues that the industry’s progress will depend on coordinated, industry-wide capability-building.
The paper draws on the ITMF & ITA webinar series, AI in the Textile Value Chain (2024–2026). Across ten sessions, more than 20 experts from companies, research institutes, and policy bodies spoke in the series. The paper also draws on a World Café discussion with practitioners at the ITMF Conference 2025 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Read More>
Diamond Needle Corp., Founded in 1951, is one of the world’s largest distributors of sewing machine needles. Our alliance with ORGAN NEEDLE CO. of Japan, as their exclusive North American distributor, gives us the backing of the world’s leading quality maker of sewing machine needles.
Unifi Launches a Product to Verify the Supply Chain Origin of Yarn
Greensboro, North Carolina-based Unifi says it has launched an industry-wide initiative to verify polyester filament yarn origin throughout the supply chain.
The textile company partnered with leading polyester filament yarn manufacturers across North and Central America to create YarnProof. The product uses Unifi technology FibreTrace to embed a tracer into polyester filament yarn during production. Read More>
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The Merrow Group consists of three unique divisions, all designed to support and accelerate the growth of soft-goods manufacturing. One of these divisions is the Wholesale Group: Superior Sewing Machine & Supply. Superior, the largest wholesale supplier of more than 72,000 products to sewing factories across North, Central, and South America, plays a vital role in supporting the broader manufacturing ecosystem. In an industry where precision, speed, and reliability are crucial for maintaining competitive production, having access to in-stock items is not just convenient; it is essential. Superior operates a network of 1,600 resellers that support approximately 70,000 factories across North, Central, and South America. This extensive network enables Superior to swiftly introduce new technologies and products that can significantly enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of soft goods manufacturing.
Industry Technologies
Fiber Hemp’s Promise: From Dirt to Shirt
N.C. PSI Platform Director for Extension Outreach and Engagement David Suchoff highlights the real economic promise that fiber hemp poses for North Carolina's farmers and textile industry.
For North Carolina farmers, fiber hemp is a great fit. The crop can be highly mechanized using planting, cutting, and baling equipment many farmers already own.
As NC State Extension’s alternative crops specialist, I’m often asked if North Carolina will ever find the next tobacco. I tell them no; no crop will likely match tobacco’s centuries-long economic and historical impact on our state.
But for the past eight years, I’ve worked with fiber hemp, and it offers real economic promise for our farmers and textile industry. Market researchers forecast consumer demand for sustainable fashion to drive steady to rapid growth in the sector in coming years. Read More>
C and C Enterprise is the United States agency for Highlead sewing machines. These high-quality machines are available for your sewing needs and are sold only through local dealers and distributors. If you want more information on the Highlead brand, please feel free to contact us. www.candcenterprise.com
Henderson Sewing Machine Co, founded in 1968, is a global supplier of industrial sewing machines, sewing machine parts, and custom automated sewing machines for the SEWING PRODUCTS INDUSTRY. We have grown by offering customers the highest quality products at competitive prices with superior customer service. We also have a cutting-edge engineering team that designs custom automated systems to fill any need you may have.
Supply Chain
Hansae Strengthens U.S. Market Edge via Guatemala Vertical Integration
Hansae, an apparel ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) with clients including Gap, Carhartt, and Walmart, is targeting the U.S. market through vertical integration in Guatemala. After recently commencing operations at a knitting (fabric) factory in Guatemala, the company plans to launch a dyeing and processing facility next month, followed by a spinning (yarn) factory in the first quarter of next year.
Combined with its existing sewing factory, this will complete a vertical supply chain spanning yarn → fabric → dyeing/processing → sewing. The strategy aims to shorten product delivery times to the U.S. market and enhance cost competitiveness by leveraging duty-free benefits. Read More>
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Sustainability
Textile Circular Economy: Policy Options for the U.S.
People use and throw away textiles, like clothes, more than ever before. Increases in textile waste raise global concerns about consumption and environmental impacts.
Some U.S. states and other countries are implementing policies to develop a textile circular economy where reuse, repair, and recycling keep textiles in use longer. This could create new jobs but currently lacks funding and infrastructure.
A U.S. GAO (Government Accountability Office) report looks at policy options to support this, such as:• Requiring industry to be responsible for managing textile waste• Removing sales tax on secondhand apparel• Using tax credits to incentivize industry involvement
Textile Repair Company for Outdoor Gear in the U.S.
Developing a textile circular economy includes repairing, reusing, and recycling textiles and making them last longer. Read More>
LYCRA Scales Plant-Based Spandex, Targets Textile Recycling
The LYCRA Company has begun commercial-scale production of spandex fiber containing 70% plant-based material, replacing a substantial portion of petroleum-derived inputs as the apparel industry seeks to reduce its environmental footprint.
The Wilmington, Delaware-based company presented the material, known as Renewable LYCRA fiber, at the Textile Exchange Conference 2026 in Vancouver, Canada, alongside progress on technology intended to recover spandex from discarded textiles.
The renewable fiber uses dent corn grown primarily in Iowa as a feedstock. According to a third-party-reviewed life cycle assessment the company cites, the material can reduce its carbon footprint by up to 45% compared with conventional alternatives. Read More>
World of Fashion
From Lviv to the Lido: Oksana Mukha’s Ukrainian Couture Shining at Venice Biennale 2026
by Yvonne Heinen-Foudeh, Senior International Correspondent
On one of the world’s most closely watched red carpets at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, among plenty of spectacular gowns, three stood out and blew us away. Then, in an announcement, we learn who is behind those extraordinary appearances: Oksana Mukha. The name (may) or may not ring a bell to you – yet this portrait will introduce Needle’s Eye readers to the Ukrainian designer and entrepreneur.
As we learn more about her work and philosophy for her OKSANA MUKHA brand, with bridal and eveningwear at the core, we see how much it is built around an individual couture approach, precise construction, body-conscious fit, and a high level of craftsmanship rather than mass production. Day-to-day or corporate-type womenswear is not currently part of the brand’s core positioning.
Mukha, born in 1964 in Lviv (the sixth-largest city in Ukraine and the largest in the country's western region, with a population of 723,403 as of 2025 estimates), studied at the Lviv National Academy of Arts. Her interest in fashion began early: she was already creating clothing while still at school. Early artistic instinct laid the foundation for a career devoted to bridal and evening wear.
In the early 1990s, she began developing her business. In 1991, Oksana Mukha established her wedding and evening-dress brand, initially working on a small scale before expanding into a professional studio and, eventually, an international fashion company. She created her first bridal collections in a workshop connected to her home and later produced them in rented premises. Over the following decades, the enterprise grew from a local Lviv initiative into a recognized Ukrainian fashion brand. Read More>
Oksana Mukha: “I believe in timeless beauty. But at the same time,
I follow new materials, technologies, and the needs of modern women.”
New Fashion: Clothes That Help Combat Rising Temperatures
An international team of researchers has developed a natural textile that urban residents could use to combat rising temperatures in cities worldwide, caused by buildings, asphalt, and concrete.
In a new article published in Science Bulletin, researchers from the University of South Australia and Zhengzhou University explain the process. As heat waves become more prominent, cooling textiles that can be incorporated into clothing, hats, shoes, and even building surfaces offer a glimpse of a future where air conditioning devices, which emit greenhouse gases, may no longer be necessary in our cities. Read More>
