In todays society do you think it is more benificial to buy or make your own clothes?

I would definitely make it, but sadly I am not a good seamstress. My grandmother could look at a dress in a store and go home and make it. She did that for me all through highschool and for numerous weddings. My husband’s grandmother can do it too. Her homemade dresses look like designer gowns. All are done with no pattern. They could spend fifty dollars on material and copy a three hundred dollar dress. Man oh man.. I wish I had inherited that talent, and so does my daughter .

if its a toga!

I made clothes, curtains, slipcovers for years when my kids were young and we were poor. However, I learned how to use a sewing machine in jr. high (when it was called Home Ec and was required for the girls.) It was a skill that I loved; I am sure that most young women aren’t interested today.

I kept scraps of all my daughter’s home-sewn clothes made when she was young. I have made little quilts of them over the past ten years. (2” hearts appliqued on 3” white cotton squares, sewn together and hand-quilted. They are big enough for a doll carriage or a little throw.)

And no, I will never pay retail for designer clothes.

I can’t make good-looking clothes that are both time- and cost-effective. I can work a sewing machine and knit; but an hour’s income from my job will buy a fine pair of jeans or chinos and two hours’ income will buy a beautiful sweater. I knit because I enjoy it, but I buy clothes because I have only so much time.

I see things that are overpriced because of their label or because they’re trendy, and I don’t buy them, because labels fade in popularity and trends change. I see things that are expensive because they’re made from quality materials with good workmanship in classic styles, and I buy those, because I’ll still be wearing them in five or ten years.

I’m a young woman and I love to sew!

But I know my limitations and time availability. If I had more time I’d certainly make more clothes and get better at it as I do so. Right now, my schedule doesn’t allow for that and since I’ve taught myself a lot of things I know i have a long way to go towards making all of my own clothes.

That being said, I hate purchasing things that I know I can make myself, like a black skirt or a sun dress. I do like to purchase things that have a lot of detail because I know that I can’t dedicate the time to something like that.

I like finding used clothing and getting reconfigured.

I like to shop. Granted, I don’t get to do much shopping in Laramie, WY (unless you count Wal Mart as shopping. I don’t.) I don’t make my own clothes because a) I can’t sew, and I really don’t care to learn. Although I do crochet. I just don’t have the inclination to buy a sewing machine and learn how to do it well. ...and b)I like to shop. I don’t like to pay full price for things, and I don’t really buy “designer”, but I do like quality. I love Anthropologie, and they tend to be a little pricey. The way I see it, we all have things we spend our money on. Some people have to have the latest technology, some people eat out at nice restaurants every other night, I like to spend my money on beautiful clothes.

I would rather make my own, I’m trying to learn the skills required to do that. My mum is a wonderful dressmaker. She has told me before how when she was a teenager she’d buy a pattern and fabric on a Friday, make the dress and go partying on a Sunday evening.

I recently made a dress from a bedsheet for my Drama Costume Coursework. Wasn’t too shabby at all, considering.

Back on topic… I can’t stand it when I see extremely expensive clothes priced purely on a label. I’m not paying royalties to use a name! I want clothes, thank you very much!

I would love to learn how to sew ppcakes!!! Maybe you could teach me.

But yes, it makes me a bit sad when I saw the cutest Marc Jacobs dresses or blouses, but in no way could afford it unless I wanted to be broke for a while!!!!

Also, for me there is the issue of sizing. I find it extremely difficult to find clothing that fits me the way I would like, without paying ridiculous amounts. The options that there are, like American Apparel or H&M produce such crappy clothing that I have to try on at least 3 articles of the same size to find one that is symmetrical or not flawed in some way. Tailoring is the way to go. And with little skills the thrift store, garage sale, or dumpster can be a bounty.

@peedub, you are correct. i think tailoring is my favorite skill i have acquired to this day, i am a mere 4’10 basically and i find it extremely hard to find pants that do not drag on the ground.
@thehaight, of course! i would love to teach you to sew, come to philadelphia and i will for sure give you lessons, its sew easy! hahaha. but thats easy for me to say, i’ve been sewing since middle school basically.
@tennis5tar, goodluck sewing!!!!

for everybody else, thank you a lot for answering the question, i liked to see what everyones input was, i’m glad even though i am an aspiring designer i am not the only one who does not fall into the “designer” propaganda, when i see something made well, i agree it is worth the money but the things designers are throwing on racks have holes in the seams with one wash and wear and are just not “quality” goods.

Lastly, I love it when I see fresh young (or old) faces sporting things they made. I would support a young designer any day of the week rather than buy something from (insert major label).

i make my best guy friend things, he’s always telling me to get a label to sew in so he can show it off, maybe i should listen to him and do just that, hahaa.

I buy a lot of things and then change them dramatically. :)
I also make a lot of my own stuff.
Nathan makes tons of his own stuff, and alters tons as well.

ppcakes; where are you studying. In Philly?

AIPH :)

@pp: Nice.

i guess so, i seem to know a lot of what they are teaching but i also went to a 4 year vocational school before i came here, seems like im paying for things i learned for free a lot of the times and its not classes i can test out of either, stupid if you ask me!

How long before you finish? Center City is crawling with all kinds of culture; soak up everything. I used to live a block from what was then called Phila. College of Textiles, in East Falls, and loved to see the changing textile exhibits.

i still have 2.5ish years left, its a 3 year course depending on how many classes and things you take, but i think mine will end up being either 3.25 or 3.5 years. I’m almost a year in, and im still learning things i already know.

Oh, dear, not a good situation. Is there an advisor or dean you can talk to; maybe do an independent project? (We have jacked this thread. Sorry)

Its all good that we jacked the thread, it was my thread anyways and i think i got all the answers i was going to get anyways. I’m pretty sure because i have no “proof” that i was taught business management,entrepreneurship, textiles and fabric and all them things that there is no way to “exempt” me from these classes. because although i do have a degree from high school it says nothing about specifics and i would have to have the documentation to back me up.

Can you take the exams to see whether you know enough (before you have to take the courses?) When I entered college, we took placement exams for foreign languages and math, for example. And please forgive me, but it is “those things.” G

you’re right it was those things, i reread it like what was i writing. haha. and i passed English comp I & II already, which is all my school requires. I could go talk to the dean of student affairs but im not really sure he would be down with giving me “special opportunities” Its not really to big of a deal, with each class i learn something new, but its not much, i know soon i will be having classes that i know nothing about, and i cant wait! i love to learn, which most people don’t understand.