From the 1950s to the 1980s, the local garment industry declined and eventually disappeared. Casual fashion trends in the 1960s and 1970s reduced demand for traditional and formal garments.
Manufacturing moved to cheaper international labor markets that undermined American unions. The rural population, Kansas City’s primary market, decreased while also shifting to discount retailers and box stores that undersold small businesses and department stores. These factors and more led to the demise of the Kansas City garment industry.
Read the article.
