At the Textile Museum (link to a previous post) there is also a permanent exhibition of old machinery used in production of textiles. Borås is an old textile industry town, and there used to be lots of textile factories here. Nowadays much of the production takes place abroad even if we still have a lot of focus on both fashion design and mailorder here.
I snapped some random photos of various machines on my recent visit, but I don't have any details about them, so just enjoy the photos (if you like).
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This display I think is to remind us of the fact that nowadays most the production takes place in poorer countries - just so that we here in the "western world" shall be able to buy too much, too cheap...
And this is to illustrate what one might have expected to find in a teenager's wardrobe in 1950 vs 1980 and 2010. Personally I suspect that this development has continued, and that teenagers 2024 must be having difficulties fitting all their clothes and footwear into just one wardrobe... What do you think?!
For my own part, I have to confess that I fill all of the wardrobe space I have in my flat all by myself (plus some extra storage down in the basement) - which makes me wonder sometimes how families living in similar size flats (or smaller) manage their situation...
14 comments:
The machines all look like they got a lot of hard use. I especially like all the sewing machines!
The rustic machines bring back the era and memories
Those first shots look as if the workers had just stepped away for their lunch break, and would be back at the looms soon. They are interesting, though I haven't a clue what most of them are!
Interesting to see the old machines and I love the display of old sewing machines.
Like you - I've filled all available wardrobe and cupboard space with clothes - many of which I no longer wear. I'm always promissing myself a big throw-out but never seem to get round to it.The youngsters today must have trouble finding space for all their clothes, but perhaps they throw them out after a couple of wearings? I've read that the fashion industry is the most wasteful in terms of use of water and electricity. It's part of the throw away society.
Machinery old and rustic makes great art to me. when we were growing up in 40's to 60's we had tiny closets like this and we only had school shoes/church shoes and a few clothes. now I have 3 closets twice this size full but most of it is not clothing. I do have size down and size up in one closet. I love this textile place. I know most are upset by the poor people paid so little in 3rd world counties, but if they did not have that they would starve. in the 30's bob worked in a factory from the time he was 6 to 16 to help feed a family of 7
Ginny, yes, that is a rather impressive display of old sewing machines! :)
They do indeed!
Barabara, many of them are looms of different kinds. But there are also machines for carding and spinning cotton, knitting machines to produce elastic fabric, and special machines for ribbon weaving - for example...
Carol, since a year or two now there has been an extra container at our recycling station (~ 10 min walk from home) where one can donate clothes for charity and I have taken advantage of that to clear out quite a few items. So at present my wardrobes are somewhat less overfull than they were. Still very far from looking empty, though...
Sandra, I like the display of old machinery too, as you say they are a kind of "art" in themselves, and also a great reminder of all the work that went (and still goes) into making the clothes that we wear.
I find old machinery really interesting. I recognize the old singer sewing machines in the background in one of the photos - my mother use to have one when I was growing up.
The sewing machines make for a good display.
I was a teenager in the 1980s, and although we were by no means a wealthy family, just average working class, both my sister and I had way more clothes than what the display shows for 1980. However, we didn‘t spend much money on clothes, since we wore a lot of our grandma‘s things from the 1950s.
Amy, my mum had an old green Husquarna (Swedish make) which I later got to take over when she got a new one. I got a newer and lighter one of my own later on (nearly 20 years ago now). I don't really use it much, just for simple adjustments or mending etc sometimes.
Meike, my mum used to sew nearly all my clothes back in my childhood and teens, so I had quite a lot too (although never of the "right brand", which for some was considered to be of importance) In my bedroom where we lived in my teens I had two wardrobes (of about that size), one for hanging clothes and one with shelves and drawers. Coats and jackets were kept in the hall though (so did not take up place in my own wardrobe) - and I'm pretty sure I usually had more than two pairs of shoes, even during the years when one was still growing.
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