[alexiskai]

I saw an interesting thread on Twitter that was basically this phenomenon, but in the custom clothing world. First tweet below:
https://twitter.com/dieworkwear/stat...37041865454003

In the last ten years, I've seen:

1. A small cottage industry of made-to-measure Shetland sweater knitters disappear.

2. Two bridle leather goods makers close down. No replacements.

3. A major West End bespoke shoemaking firm shutter.

4. Two major American suit factories narrowly saved from the brink of bankruptcy (almost completely wiping out suit production in the US).

5. A major American shirtmaking factory also narrowly saved from permanent closure.

6. Vanners, one of the oldest silk mills in England, having started in 1740, was repossessed by administrators for the second time in two years. Management told me it's largely because of the decline in high-end neckwear sales around the world.

7. One of Britain's best leather goods manufacturers, RBJ Simpson—otherwise known as Simpson London—closed.

8. Caerlee Mills, which made some of the best Scottish cashmere knitwear in the world, many under the name Ballantyne, turn off its machines after 225 years of operation. The video below shows the factory being demolished.

9. Several bespoke tailors and bagmakers pass away or retire. In many cases, they did not have apprentices, so there was no one who was able to take their place. Their businesses just closed.

10. One of the best American tailors (a cutter, technically) called me in 2021 after he lost one of his coatmakers to COVID. He wanted to know if I had any recommendations to coatmakers in the US or around the world, as he doesn't know anyone left in the US who can sew a bespoke suit jacket or sport coat together anymore. The only people I could recommend to him were in Southern Italy.