The Taiwan hat industry: Pre-war roots of the post-war miracle

Taiwan's pre-war hat industry was a precursor of the export-oriented living-room factory industries which played a leading role in Taiwan's post-1960 economic miracle. After World War I, success in the global hat trade required quick reaction to ever-changing fashion. Taiwan's hat ind...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Business history 2011-12, Vol.53 (7), p.1110-1129
Main Author: Olds, Kelly B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Business
Business networks
Business networks (Social groups)
Clothing industry
Economic growth
Economic history
Economics
Exports
Factories
Fashion
Forecasts and trends
hat industry
Hats
Head-dresses
Headgear
History
Industrial history
Industry
International trade
Market trend/market analysis
Outsourcing
Post-war history
Production
Production management
Production processes
Studies
Subcontracting
Success
Taiwan
War
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Summary:Taiwan's pre-war hat industry was a precursor of the export-oriented living-room factory industries which played a leading role in Taiwan's post-1960 economic miracle. After World War I, success in the global hat trade required quick reaction to ever-changing fashion. Taiwan's hat industry was based on a flexible subcontracting system which could respond quickly to fashion change and ramp up production at short notice. Taiwan's early hat industry has been overshadowed by its larger agricultural exporting industries, but the hat industry itself was, by many standards, large and influential. Evidence suggests that Taiwan's early experience in the hat trade was a key factor behind Taiwan's later post-war success.
ISSN:0007-6791
1743-7938
DOI:10.1080/00076791.2011.590934