• XVII° century : First cotton fabrics creation
• XVIII° century : Dresses “à la française”, blouses or camisoles known as « with the Spencer »
• XIX° century : Indians and cashmeres
• Beginning of the XX° century :
  - Marseille and its port offer an image to the international.
  - Cultural contribution to the Italian emigration, the luxury appears.
• Between 2 Wars : Massive arrival of the Armenian Community which takes part in the dynamism of the city.
• 1960 : Appearance of ready-made clothes
• 1970 : Importation of the denim allows the rise of the jean
• 1980 : A new phenomenon appears : the creators'one.
• End of 80’s : crisis about the furriers.
• Last figures of 2000
• Last figures of 2003

Growth industry of the regional economy, the Textile-Clothing branch seems today an inescapable element of the regional dynamism.

XVII° century : First cotton fabrics creation

The main principles of a fashion known as “of the South” are fixed from the 17° century. French cotton fabrics printed said Indian, marketable thanks to the technical contributions of the Masters Armenian in dienneurs installed in Marseille, from 1669, gives the fame of the city. All the elegant Europe will want to have Indians. It is the birth of a South Style : lightness of fabrics, printed exotic, warm colours, comfort of the matters.

At the same time, Marseille holds on important royal manufacture velvet gibe of gold silk woven and money which exports its productions in all the Mediterranean basin, as well as a manufacture of fabrics installed in the heart of the arsenal.

XVIII° century : Dresses “à la française”, blouses or camisoles known as « with the Spencer »

With the XVIII° century, whereas the aristocratic classes leading classes upper middle classes get dressed according to principles with the national fashions, the second half of the XVIII° century sees the emergence of specific appearances in the middle classes.
Enriched crafts women, fishmongers, bastidanes, wearing flexible bodies, caracos and undershirts, develop typically regional fashions. The old Marseille Museum preserves in this respect a remarkable whole of party of costumes of this period. During the XVIII°, Polish and “à la française” dresses are worn. From 1795, dresses with panniers and the body with slide baleine are given up. The blouse with slide precedes the appearance of a high sizes fashion of the Directory and the short caracos of the end of the XVIII° and the beginning of the XIX°.
The more we approach the end of the century, the more the skirt is short and raised. The passion for the blouses or camisoles known as “with the Spencer” came from a fashion very male given by Lord Spencer who had shortened his frock coat. The fashion of the spencers made fury in Marseille. They are finally used in working clothes in the years 1840.

XIX° century : Indians and cashmeres

It is clear that it is impossible to design the traditional costume of the Marseillaises without the printed cotton fabrics which characterizes it since the second half of the XVII° century. Marseille was a long time at the head of the Indians production in France, but this one is competed from the half of the XVIII° century by Alsatian, Parisian manufactures and Normans, without forgetting the famous Jouy-en-Josas manufacture. At this beginning of the XIX° century, manufactures close one after ones. Quickly, the Mulhouse Indians will be more current. Costumes from Marseille and from Provence preserve this specificity of the Indians who are carried like a true inheritance, even if the centers of production are elsewhere.
The XIX° century sees also the triumph of the shawls in cashmere. If this fashion is not specific to Provence, we can however notice that very quickly, the popular classes adopted it in our region. Present in the wedding gifts, they will be transmitted from generation to generation.

Beginning of the XX° century : Marseille and its port offer an image to the international.
Luxury appears

From the Second Empire to the “Grande Guerre”, Marseille and its port offer an opulent image and triumph. Whereas the fashion is internationalised, Provence remains still very attached to its costumes from region. But, if the elite looks with tenderness these regionalistic practices, the fashion phenomenon is elsewhere.

From the second part of the XIX°, the ladies of the city and the customers of passage can find all between la Canebière and the street Saint Férréol. In addition, the beautiful flower stand to the new gallery, as well as the commercial palates.
At the beginning of the XX°, the work of the fabrics and clothes employs approximately 18000 people.
Important jewellers such as Pellegrin or Frojo settle in Marseille. Moreover, the work of leather becomes considerable.
To complete this table, we should not forget the cosmetic industry, Marseille also has its own perfurmers. The ensign Lorenzy Palanca remains an example.

After the “Grande Guerre”, any exchange : the women become emancipated. The decoratedwoman seems to have disappeared with the profit from more released woman.

Between 2 Wars : Massive arrival of the Armenian Community which takes part in the dynamism of the city.

During the “Entre deux guerres” the massive arrival of the driver out Amenian community of the othoman Empire wil be an event determining for the future of the cheap one.
These ones, making an artisanal tradition plurimillenar, very quickly will be integrated and taken part in the dynamism of the city.
Many works in room as tailors, dress makers, embroidering-machines, but their speciality remains the work of leather. Manufactures of hosiery and under clothing are established in Marseille such as “La Manufacture Saint Théodore”. This house is dissociated by technical quality of its productions and its direction of innovation.

1960 : Appearance of ready-made clothes

From the years 1960, things change, the seam gently yields the place to Ready-to-Wear. Then, in the field of the underclothing, the Marseillais will introduce the first, the colorand the printed papers from daring in the male linen room such as the trend mark: “Hom”. In the shoes also, the Southern style is in vogue (Jimmy 58).

1970 : Importation of the denim allows the rise of the jean

The great Marseille specificity of the 70', it’s the Jean : the installation of importing whole salers of fabric denim allows this rise. Unfortunately, this empire of the jean will collapse with the having known to diversify their production, to the image of the H. Landers, will be able to resist.

Brands more specialized in the sport diversify soon at the beginning of the 90'. The other important crisis of the Marseille fashion at the end of the 80', which touches the furriers. Attacked sometimes wrongfully by ecological associations, the sector declines from the end of the 80' and 90'.

1980 : A new phenomenon appears : the creators'one.

In the years 1980, a new phenomenon appears : the creators’ one. Marseille owns them quickly.
One of the reasons of this change is the national policy of decentralization from the years 1980.
Unfortunately, the lack of production of raw materials in the aerea often involves the professionals to be complained amongst other things about the counterfeit. This handicap makes it possible all the same to diffuse the models of the South and pushes the industrialists with the innovation.
We can consider the presence moreover stronger of a south style.

Last figures of 2000

According to figures of 2000, the branch Textile-Clothing in PACA region has more than 12000 companies employing more than 32000 people for more than 15 billion franks sales turnovers.

Last figures of 2003

In 2003, PACA is the third region of France after Ile de France and Rhone Alpes, its volume of activities in the branch increased on average by 5 per cent a year.

Culturally, the fashion is also a very important sector. Lastly, Marseille thanks to the Espace Mode Mediterranée offers to the sector a window exception, envied and copied elsewhere. Moreover, its creators knew since a half century to give her a strong identity.
More than a fashion, a style was born, turned towards the leisure, coloured, shore upon, easy to wear and ready to receive all exoticisms.

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From :
Rémy Kerténian, "Marseille et sa région 100 ans de Mode", floder for the Institut Mode Méditerranée, may 1999.
Rémy Kerténian, "Escale mode à Marseille", in, emm n°2, february 2002
"Les belles de Mai", booklet of exposure, Centre de la Vieille Charité,
october 2002, co-edition Musées de Marseille, edition Alors Hors Du Temps.