Tag: fashion

6th Street to 11th Street. Washington Street to Wyandotte Street. Kansas City’s Garment District.

Kansas City’s Garment District is a neighborhood boasting of cutting edge offices, cool lofts and quaint coffee shops. This trendy neighborhood in Kansas Cuty today traces its origin back to shops, stores and manufacturers which sprang up in this section of Kansas City during the first half of the 20th Century. Shops, stores and manufacturers which formed as a result of the growth of Kansas City’s garment industry.

Kansas City is a major US railroad hub. If you drew a diagram of the United States on a piece of paper, and if you marked the exact center of your diagram with a pen, you’d haveKansas City.

An ability to ship garments from the center of the country to fashion-hungry consumers located in the east, the west, the south and the north. Trendy garments shipped by rail in an optimistic, fashion-conscious post-War era. Kansas City’s garment industry could do that. And do that it did. 

The growth of Kansas City’s garment industry early in the 20th Century wasn’t just due to good access to transportation of goods by rail. Nor was the growth of Kansas City’s garment industry solely based upon Kansas City’s perfect location. 

The growth of Kansas City’s garment industry was the result of a “perfect storm.” Kansas City provided a low cost/low regulation region. Coupled to access to a means by which the shipment of garments could easily be made – rail. In an environment where post-War Americans were looking to buy and show off new, fashionable clothes.

This “perfect storm” was further fueled by the relocation of garment manufacturers to the Midwest. Away from the high-cost/high-regulation business environments they operated within on the East Coast. To this lower-cost location, which came with less regulation – Kansas City.

Garment manufacturers migrating to Kansas City. Homegrown garment manufacturers growing their businesses in Kansas City.  The foundation for the growth of Kansas City’s garment industry in the first half of the 20th Century. 

The Donnelly Garment Company, 1828 Walnut Street.

Between 1916 and 1978 Donnelly Garment Company manufactured over 75 million dresses. Making Donnelly Garment Company the largest dress manufacturer in the country. 

Peak employment for Kansas City’s garment industry was attained midway through the 20th Century.

In 1950, nearly 5,000 garment industry workers were employed by the close-to-100 garment manufacturers in Kansas City.

During the ‘50’s Donnelly Garment Company made up the lion’s share of Kansas City’s garment industry. Employing nearly 20% of the city’s workers.