Cloak A cloak is a type of loose garment worn over clothing, mostly but not always as outerwear for outdoor wear, which serves the same purpose as an overcoat and protects the wearer from the weather. It may form part of a uniform. People in many d ...

maker worked in the garment industry, often in an enterprise whose workers were represented by a union. In the 1920s, there were more than 50,000 people employed as ''cloakmakers''. Much of this industry was centered in NYC. While most of the cloakmakers were Jewish women, the next largest group, although much smaller in number, were Italian women. Cloakmakers were a part of those known as clothing-workers, including those who made cloaks, suits and skirts. Other areas where this industry was strong included Chicago and Cincinnati.

Unions

Suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to vo ...

Theresa Malkiel organized a union of cloakmakers in 1892. Other areas of the ''needle trade'' were not unionized until years later, of whom in 1912 over 80% were Jewish. Theresa_Malkiel

This occupation involved making or repairing garments that contained animal fur. The high end of this profession focused on

fur coat Fur clothing is clothing made from the preserved skins of mammals. Fur is one of the oldest forms of clothing and is thought to have been widely used by people for at least 120,000 years. The term 'fur' is often used to refer to a specific item ...

s. A 1915 ''New York Times'' article about 75,000 garment workers said "''Cloakmakers take the lead''." The garment industry's strikes were neither rare nor long-lasting.

References

Sources

* Manufacturing Clothing industry History of clothing (Western fashion) {{Industry-stub