British Clothing Industry Association

This collection includes records from the Clothing Manufacturers' Federation of Great Britain Ltd., The Corsetry Manufacturers' Association, the Overall Manufacturers' Association of Great Britain, The Shirt, Collar and Tie Manufacturers' Federation Ltd. and the Tie Manufacturers' Association Ltd.

Additional records from the London and District Clothing Manufacturers' Association, British Clothing Industry Association, Midland Wholesale Manufacturing Clothiers' Association, Man-made Fibres Producers' Committee, British Man-Made Fibres Federation and British Textile Confederation are included.

The collection consists of constitution and rule books; memorandum and articles of association; minutes of the London and District Clothing Manufacturers' Association, 1964-1981; minutes of the Clothing Manufacturers' Federation of Great Britain Ltd.,1970-1983; minutes of The Shirt, Collar and Tie Manufacturers' Federation, 1969-1985; minutes of The Corsetry Manufacturers' Association, 1970-1983; minutes of the Overall Manufacturers' Association of Great Britain, 1983-2004; minutes of The Tie Manufacturers' Association, 1971-1987; minutes of the British Clothing Industry Association Ltd., 1983-2006; minutes of the Midland Wholesale Manufacturing Clothiers' Association, 1937-1980; minutes of the Man-made Fibres Producers' Committee, 1942-1972; annual reports of the London and District Wholesale Clothing Manufacturers' Association, 1921-1980; annual reports of the Clothing Manufacturers' Federation of Great Britain Ltd., 1916-1970; annual reports of The Shirt, Collar and Tie Manufacturers' Federation, 1917-1969; annual reports of The Corsetry Manufacturers' Association, 1925-1981; annual reports of The Tie Manufacturers' Association, 1947-1981; accounts for the British Man-Made Fibres Federation, 1980-1989; British Textile Confederation correspondence files, 1975-1978; British Textile Confederation newsletters, 1972-1975; publications by The Wholesale Clothing Manufacturers' Federation of Great Britain and the Overall Manufacturers Association of Great Britain, 1948-1986.

The British Clothing Industry Association (BCIA) was established formally on 1 July 1980 and became fully operational on 1 January 1982.

It was formed from six separate organisations: the British Apparel Manufacturers' Association Ltd., the Clothing Manufacturers' Federation of Great Britain Ltd., The Corsetry Manufacturers' Association, the Overall Manufacturers' Association of Great Britain, The Shirt, Collar and Tie Manufacturers' Federation Ltd. and the Tie Manufacturers' Association, Ltd. It was renamed the UK Fashion and Textile Association in June 2009.

The London and District Wholesale Clothing Manufacturers' Association was founded in 1909 as the London and District Wholesale Clothiers' Association. It was a founder member of the Wholesale Clothing Manufacturers' Federation of Great Britain and Ireland which was formed in March 1910, as a response to the Trade Boards Act of 1909 being applied to the Wholesale Clothing Trade. In 1937 the London and District Wholesale Clothiers' Association changed its name to The London and District Wholesale Clothing Manufacturers' Association.

The Clothing Manufacturers' Federation of Great Britain Ltd. was also a founder member of the Wholesale Clothing Manufacturers' Federation of Great Britain and Ireland in 1910. The title Clothing Manufacturers' Federation of Great Britain Ltd. was adopted on 30 June 1969. The Federation consisted of 11 District Associations and Sections with Committees: Men's and Boys' Outerwear; Women's Outerwear; Girls' and Infants Outerwear; Rainwear; Industrial Overalls; Leather Clothing; Uniform Clothing and Multiple Tailors.

The Shirt, Collar and Tie Manufacturers' Federation Ltd. was founded in 1913 to represent shirt and collar manufacturers' and promote and protect their interests in relation to the Trade Board, which was established under the Trade Board Act of 1909, to fix minimum rates of wages. Its scope widened in 1920 when it was joined by the London Tie Manufacturers' Association. In 1920 The Tie Manufacturers' Association was also affiliated to the Federation and the name was changed to The Shirt, Collar and Tie Manufacturers' Federation. It was understood that the Federation would deal with labour matters and the Association would deal with all other matters affecting the tie trade.

The London Tie Manufacturers' Association originated in a meeting of employers on 21 August 1916 in response to a circular issued by the Tie Cutters' Union. It was formally constituted on 14 September 1916 and incorporated the Association of Tie Manufacturers, which supplied the wholesale trade. It was renamed The Tie Manufacturers' Association in 1920. In 1945 it changed its name to the Tie Manufacturers' Association and it became a limited company in 1969.

The British Corsetry Manufacturers' Association Ltd was founded in 1914. In 1936 the Association as a limited company was wound up and it reformed as the Corset Trade Association of Great Britain. To indicate more clearly the extent of the activities of the Association its name was changed in 1954 to The Corsetry Manufacturers' Association.

The Overall Manufacturers' Association of Great Britain was formed in July 1940 "for the furtherance of the interests of all firms engaged in the manufacture of overalls and protective clothing. Previously Workwear Manufacturers had been within the membership of the Wholesale Clothing Manufacturers' Federation. It became the Workwear Section of the British Clothing Industry Association on 1 January 1982.

References:

The Corsetry Manufacturers' Association. (1981). Annual Report 1980-1981. London: Barnard & Westwood Ltd.

The Corsetry Manufacturers' Association. (1964). Golden Jubilee Report 1914-1964. London: Barnard & Westwood Ltd.

The London and District Wholesale Clothing Manufacturers' Association. (1960). Annual report 1959-1960. London: Barnard & Westwood Ltd.

The Shirt, Collar and Tie Manufacturers' Federation. (1963). Golden Jubilee Report 1913-1963. London: Barnard & Westwood Ltd.

The Tie Manufacturers' Association. (1966). Golden Jubilee Report 1916-1966. London: Barnard & Westwood Ltd.

The Wholesale Clothing Manufacturers' Federation of Great Britain. (undated). Its origin and its work. London: The Wholesale Clothing Manufacturers' Federation of Great Britain.

The Wholesale Clothing Manufacturers' Federation of Great Britain. (undated). What it is … and what it does. London: Haig-McAlister Ltd.

This collection is available to researchers by appointment at the Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick. See https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/mrc/using/

This collection was deposited with the Modern Records Centre in August 2010 by the UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT).

Link to full catalogue: https://mrc-catalogue.warwick.ac.uk/records/BCI

Usual copyright regulations apply.

The collection has been weeded for duplicates.

Earlier deposits have been made by the British Clothing Industry Association in January 1981, January 1982, May 1983, January 1984, June 1984, March 1991, January 1997 and July 1997.

In June 2009 The British Clothing Industry Association was renamed the UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT). Custody of the remaining records of the British Clothing Industry Association and its predecessors was transferred to the UK Fashion and Textile Association.

Further deposits are not expected.

The collection forms part of the archive of the British Clothing Industry Association (MSS.222), in which the records of various predecessor and related organisations are contained.

London and District Wholesale Clothing Manufacturers' Association (MSS.222/LWC); The Tie Manufacturers' Association (MSS.222/T); British Mantle Manufacturers' Association (MSS.222/APM); The Corsetry Manufacturers' Association (MSS.222/CO); Apparel Manufacturers' Association (MSS.222); Wholesale Fashion Trades Association (MSS.222/APW); Apparel and Fashion Industry's Association (MSS.222/AP); Overall Manufacturers' Association of Great Britain (MSS.222/OV); The Shirt, Collar and Tie Manufacturers' Federation (MSS.222/SC); Clothing Manufacturers' Federation of Great Britain Ltd. (MSS.222/CM).