I started sewing for a simple and selfish reason. I just wanted cool clothes that fit my body. Long before online shopping became popular, I was a very tall teenage girl living in a small town where shopping mall options were limited at best. (Our mall didn’t even have a Limited.) And luckily there was a crafty Midwestern mom who had a sewing machine in her basement. One day she started using it.
Little did I know then that my relationship with buying clothes would change forever. If anything, I was just following the whims of a teenager. I rode my bike up the street to Goodwill and bought some floral sheets to make into pajama pants. (This wasn’t haute couture; I remember the crotch seams didn’t match and I had to get my mom’s help to sew them back together.) Shortly thereafter, the great mid-’90s grunge girl Like, I made a skirt with a tie. And I was hooked.
My skills improved by finding clothes that fit me largely Fitting and adapting them became a hobby and then a habit. During my university days, I started making WHOLEGARMENTS. The era of fast fashion was dawning, but Forever 21 and H&M had not yet penetrated my city. Anyway, they didn’t carry pants with long inseams like mine. To get the aesthetic I love at an affordable price, I had to make most of it myself.
Having a basic understanding of how clothes are made and modified has fundamentally shaped the way I dress. But if I had grown up in the era of her $10 Shein tops or her $15 PrettyLittleThing dresses, I don’t know if I would have discovered a sewing machine. This is doubly true. Because fast fashion brands are now more likely to accommodate expanded sizes. I probably would have ordered a pair of pajama pants in just a few clicks and tried not to think about the seamstress who made them or how many times I would wear them before the seams came undone and I threw them in the trash.
Fast fashion giant know That their customers are aware of numerous reports detailing the hazardous materials and labor violations underlying the mountains of clothing that end up in landfills.They are apply the words Sustainable Choose items made from recycled polyester or nylon. Meanwhile, the bloated disposable clothing market continues to expand. For shoppers, fast fashion is cheap and easy. Consumption of truly sustainable clothing can seem expensive and confusing. Many small-batch or eco-friendly brands have limited size options, and despite the rise of second-hand shopping apps, sifting through inventory can be time-consuming. It seems much easier compared to clicking “confirm order” for several sizes and going through the return process later.
Learning to sew not only helps you avoid the environmental fears of modern retail. It will show you the excitement of actually wearing clothes that fit you perfectly. This is not an argument in favor of a cottagecore lifestyle where every raw linen garment that touches the body is handcrafted. I’m more of an advocate of a gradual approach. Gradually mastering some basic sewing skills will change the way you dress. Even if you don’t make a WHOLE garment from scratch, knowing how to adjust seams can make buying second-hand easier and more accessible. When looking for new clothes, knowing your measurements will help you order only items that will fit. The goal is not to become a master tailor. It’s about becoming fluent in understanding how clothes fit your body.
It’s really true if you sew it yourself learn your body. You will also learn how to think about your own body. Even for beginner-level sewing projects, it’s clear that it’s impossible to reduce complex contours and spans to a single number or letter on a tag. Then, figure out how you like things to fit, such as where you like the waistband to sit on your stomach, what crop length and ankle inseams are appropriate, and how low you like your neckline. Learn. Once you know these things, you’ll never be able to buy clothes the same way again.
If you have sewing skills, you’ll have more possibilities when it comes to second-hand shopping. Instead of hoping to strike gold with a perfect fit, you can consider the potential of the garment. The dress was perfect when I took off the sleeves.,I will think. or I was able to hem my pants in about 5 minutes.. The same goes for your own items that you rarely wear. Being able to change things up to suit your current body type and style adds a new dimension to your closet cleaning ritual. I’ve transformed shift dresses into skirts and boxy tops, turned old bed sheets into quilt lining fabric, and trimmed countless T-shirts. Instead of ending up in the trash or a pile of freebies, these items found a new life in my wardrobe.
Learning to sew also had a huge impact on the way I buy new clothes. By knowing your body shape and measurements, you can check the actual measurements of an item before purchasing. Very few retailers list these numbers, so customers often email their support reps to ask for the actual inches, rather than the meaningless designations S, M, and L. need to do it. It may sound tedious, but it’s much more efficient than scrolling through dozens of numbers. I hope someone with very long legs can point out where it hits the pants. No more guessing. By taking measurements, you can be confident that your item will fit perfectly, eliminating the need to order multiple sizes or worry about two-week return periods.
I just became a more discerning shopper. Understanding a little about garment construction means knowing what quality seams look like, and working with different fabrics means knowing how different materials feel between your fingers. It means knowing what. You can easily tell the difference between polyester, modal, and linen. Paying attention to these details means that when you buy new clothes, you tend to save money for higher quality clothes. The rest of my closet is second-hand or handmade, so I have a little more money to do so.
Are you ready to join in on the sewing of eco-bliss? Evangelists promoting the head-to-toe “I made it” look have always felt a little alien to me. YouTube and tick tock An account dedicated to experimenting with reusing recycled materials and making tweaks to clothing that would otherwise be thrown away.
Other notes:
Don’t use the 1970s sewing machine you inherited from your great-aunt. It takes time to thread and is bulky to store. Spend less than $100 for a basic new machine that is easy to move to and from your table or desk. Grab a new pair of scissors (the ones you only use to cut fabric) and some straight pins. That’s all you need.
There’s no need to throw away half your closet and fill it with homemade items. Take a look at your wardrobe and body. Measure from top to bottom And write them down. I save my notes in the Notes app so they’re always handy. Measure the size of the clothes you have that fit you. (You might find out that all your favorite pants have the same rise and waist size! Who knew?) Take a closer look at the items in your closet and see how they’re configured. please. Where are the seams? This is how you can start learning the construction of clothing.don’t think you need it do Regardless of these clothes, it’s important to realize what already works for you.
Don’t rush to the fabric store and buy new fabric. The linens and homewares section of your local thrift store has a wide selection of high-quality fabrics. Cotton bed sheets are the cheapest and easiest sewing material for beginners. However, as long as the fabric fits in your hand and is not too thick or stretchy, it is fine. Before you start, wash, dry and iron.
Don’t try to make a wedding dress straight away.Try a beginner project like boxy top, A-line skirt,or tote bag. Or get one piece of clothing that fits you (again, avoid stretchy fabrics). use it as a pattern to create something new. The goal is not to win the CFDA’s Emerging Designer Award, but to develop a basic understanding of how clothing is made. play. experiment. be careful.
It will be ruined. Sew the butt seam to the side seam to create unwearable “pants” with no leg openings. You end up accidentally cutting out the center of a giant piece of dough and wasting hours of work. This will cause large tangles in the machine threads. You will curse and scream and tear your hair out. You may end up destroying the item you were trying to save.
At times like these, it helps to remember that you have a higher purpose. Not every corner of the planet is filled with non-biodegradable tube dresses and puff-sleeved tops, and you don’t have to remember to return them if they don’t fit. Best of all, if you successfully complete your garment, you will receive compliments on it. And in the most humble tone you can manage (almost bragging, actually), you’ll respond, “Thank you.” Hooray. “
Trust me, it never gets old.
This story is part of the Atlantic Planet series supported by HHMI’s Science Education Media Group.
