Trivia: The tape measure was originally invented for what fashion item?
Dress shoes
Hoop skirts
Hats
Watches
Correct Answer: Hoop skirts
So why is this answer correct? : Thanks to the hoop skirt, the oversized fashion trend of the 1800s, we have tape measures. Hoop skirts were made using flat wire, which created the bell-shaped framework under the fabric. To make his job more efficient, wiremaker James Chesterman invented what he called a “Steal (sic) Measuring Chain” to survey the length of flat wire he used for the skirts. He continued to peddle his invention long after hoop skirts fell out of fashion. American inventor Alvin J. Fellows took the liberty of making his own adjustment to the tape measure — a “spring click” function that locked the chain in place at a specific measurement — and the modern measuring instrument was born.