During the Industrial Revolution, the growing middle class fueled increasing clothing demand. Aided by Isaac Singer's electric sewing machine, which streamlined production time, the fashion industry responded by creating standardized sizing and separates. The concept of commercialism emerged alongside popular methods of mass communication, namely inexpensive mass publications, travel, and the invention of the radio in 1901. Catalog companies and department stores sold mass merchandise to the increasing sector of middle-class consumers. Retail stores multiplied and made clothing more accessible and cheaper to produce, offering a broader selection to the masses. This inevitably eroded the influence of the couture market.
This refers to the capability to produce vast amounts of a particular item for consumption. During the Industrial Revolution, the invention of the sewing machine and other machines—together with the concepts of standardized sizing, separates, and ready-to-wear—resulted in a major leap from made-to-measure/bespoke tailoring to the mass-production of apparel and accessories.
Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry. Francesca Sterlacci and Joanne Arbuckle.