IN FORM®

By Tony Angelino
Cupid®

Are the days of sewing lingerie with needle and thread numbered?

Times are changing, and the apparel industry in the United States, where sewing operators used to number more than 700,000, has become a small fraction of its former size.  The up-and-coming centers of clothing production are now located in Asia, Central America, and, increasingly, Africa.  Traditional sewing production techniques using needles and thread have been continuously enhanced for some time through the addition of faster sewing machines and more automated processes.  So what will the future bring?   Faster and more automated sewing production? (more…)

By Tony Angelino
Cupid Intimates

Many years ago the apparel industry started leaving the United States.  The common public perception has always been that its cause was the corporate search for cheap labor, but those in the industry know that the principal reason was that Americans didn’t want to sew any more.  Sewing was considered to be an unattractive labor career, less interesting and less rewarding than higher-paying ones in the automobile and steel industries, and more physically demanding than those in the service sector.  Jobs in those industries were more highly prized, and applicants stood in line for them.  Yet willing applicants for sewing positions were impossible to find.  Manufacturers were merely trading operators.  Very little new talent was appearing at plants, even though the signs were always posted advertising “OPERATORS WANTED.” (more…)

By Tony Angelino
Cupid Intimates

Do you know where your intimate apparel came from?  Do you know how your bras were made and by whom?  Do you know whether your shapewear was sewn or spun in a nice, neat, clean environment?  Do you know how your panties were transported to the marketplace?  Have you wondered in what type of shipping containers your intimates traveled, first to your country and then to your store?  Have you ever thought about how many individuals handled your lingerie before you tried it on?  Sure, you’ve probably glanced at labels and noticed the countries your garments were made in, but you’ve probably never thought about these other questions. (more…)