I've always been interested in clothing. I've also never had the funds to devote to being a fashionista, so to look at me you wouldn't really know that I'm interested in clothing. Almost as long as I've been interested in clothing, I've felt guilty about being interested in clothing, so even when I buy clothes that I love, I feel like I shouldn't. I shouldn't be shopping, spending money, or consuming. But, friends, those are all feelings that I've realized come from buying clothes at the mall.
Now that I've discovered the joy of making my own clothing, however, I'm hooked. And I think Sarai Mitnick of Colette Patterns hits the nail on the head in the opening pages of The Colette Sewing Handbook when she says that for her sewing her own clothes is "an antidote to this rushing whirlwind of fashion and consumerism. It reclaims fashion as an opportunity for creativity, joy and self-expression." Making my own is so much better than shopping. Shopping is a call to consume and conform, while sewing and knitting give you a chance to create and express yourself. It is also crazy empowering. I've realized that I'm a lot more capable than I thought I was. I'm capable of making something beautiful and practical that I can wear, which is so much more than being capable of picking something off a rack and handing over some cash.
With this in mind, I'm going to try to make as much of my own clothing as possible. I've already made a Minoru jacket (pictures to come, hopefully!), and I may even attempt jeans someday. I'll try to keep you posted on my progress.
Now that I've discovered the joy of making my own clothing, however, I'm hooked. And I think Sarai Mitnick of Colette Patterns hits the nail on the head in the opening pages of The Colette Sewing Handbook when she says that for her sewing her own clothes is "an antidote to this rushing whirlwind of fashion and consumerism. It reclaims fashion as an opportunity for creativity, joy and self-expression." Making my own is so much better than shopping. Shopping is a call to consume and conform, while sewing and knitting give you a chance to create and express yourself. It is also crazy empowering. I've realized that I'm a lot more capable than I thought I was. I'm capable of making something beautiful and practical that I can wear, which is so much more than being capable of picking something off a rack and handing over some cash.
With this in mind, I'm going to try to make as much of my own clothing as possible. I've already made a Minoru jacket (pictures to come, hopefully!), and I may even attempt jeans someday. I'll try to keep you posted on my progress.
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