Hosiery and Knitwear: Four Centuries of Small-scale Industry in Britain C.1589-2000(No.12 Pasold Studies in Textile History)

Hosiery and knitwear is familiar as a traditional British industry of small-scale family firms. Close study of success and failure in firms and industries reveals that much can be ascribed to the culture of the business, the historical traditions that govern the minds of leaders despite changing fashions, markets, and technology. Some deeply-rooted but often unarticulated attitudes and assumptions existed for generations. This is a pioneer study which traces in rich detail the tensions between internal aspirations of leaders (craftmanship, lifestyle, and supporting infrastructure) and external pressures (banks, wholesalers, chain store groups, and takeovers). Some outsiders, mostly from the Continent, challenged the hereditary leadership and outlook, but not enough to compel the industry to change its course. The industry's history is traced from its beginnings in the early 1600s down to the end of the twentieth century.

Table of Contents:
Genesis, 1600-1750; Enterprise and Innovation 1750-1810; In the Doldrums 1810-1850; The Transition to the Factory System 1850-1914; Boom Time, 1920s-1960s; Rise and Decline of the Conglomerates 1960s-1980s; Marks & Spencer and the British Clothing Industry; Globalisation and Decline; Conclusion

About the Author :
Stanley Chapman is Emeritus Professor of Business History, University of Nottingham.

Review :
... an important landmark encapsulating much of the economic development of the East Midlands for the last four centuries. Although aimed at the academic market, it is a very readable book and contains some interesting archive photographs as well as a large number of tables which make some of the detailed textual analysis more accessible. East Midland Historian 2004 Chapman's book is the only one to bring its study up to the present day and to analyse marketing as well as production strategies. East Midland Historian 2004 ... essential reading for anyone interested in the economic development of the East Midlands. East Midland Historian 2004 This volume represents the fruits of meticulous research of an often overlooked industry, but one that might serve as a weathervane for the health and vitality of British manufacturing. Textile History This volume makes compelling reading and deserves close attention by all students of business, or those keen to understand the present face of Britain's High Street fashion industry. Textile History ... a comprehensive history of the hosiery and knitwear industry's rise and fall which will supersede and update Felkin's standard account - published in 1867! ... In both scope and authority this new monograph is a tour de force. The Economic History Review A fine, well produced study, based on the work of a professional lifetime. Northern History This book will appeal to those concerned with the detailed history of hosiery and textile manufacture, and perhaps business finance ... a valuable addition to the corpus of textile history. Times Higher Education Supplement Chapman's is a chronological account of the industry from its beginnings, with the invention of the stocking frame c.1589, to its decline by 2000. This is a complex and ambitious subject and it is to Chapman's credit that a readable and detailed volume results, bringing together the many strands of research and revision by him and others. Time Literary Supplement Stanley Chapman's comprehensive history employs archival sources and oral evidence. Enterprise and Society