Why sew your own clothes? Good fabric is expensive and the time it takes to sew clothes is worth something. Cheap clothes are only a mall walk away, so why even bother sewing your own clothing?
There are plenty of reasons to sew your own clothing, and probably the top reason is that it's FUN. I don't mean you will love every minute of it (I have spent way too many minutes with a seam ripper or staring at the pattern wondering what, exactly, the pattern designer was thinking...). However, there's definitely something to be said for learning new techniques and the satisfaction of saying, "Oh, I made it!" when someone asks where you got that adorable shirt.
But in case you need more reasons for judgy Aunt Sally who can't believe how much time and money you waste sewing your own clothes, here's three more.
1) You get a fit that's perfect for you
Everyone's body is different. And once you really get into fitting techniques, you will start to learn how to make clothes fit you perfectly. For example, I have a very long torso (which I only know because I sew my own clothes, for the record). I always have a problem with shirts being too short for me, so I started sewing shirts that would be long enough for me. Once I realized that my torso was longer than what most patterns are designed for, I realized that if I extended the bodice of dresses, the intended waist of a dress would hit...my waist! Which means that those pretty fit and flare dresses that are supposed to flare out from the narrowest point of my waist? Now they do!
Even when you are first starting out and don't know all the fitting techniques yet, the simple act of being able to hem a dress or shirt to the exact length you like can be really powerful. That's when you start to see how great sewing your own clothes can be.
2) You can make it exactly how you like it
This seems kind of like a well, duh, reason. You pick the pretty fabric, you make the outfit you want! But it's more than that. Once you've sewn enough, you get a feel for how to adjust the pattern so it's the outfit you want, even beyond getting the perfect fit.
I love going sleeveless in the summer. But most of the sleeveless patterns I have are for a really narrow tank top strap. I like my straps to be a bit wider, so when I'm tracing the pattern, I just draw beyond the strap. And ta da! Wide sleeveless straps, just the way I like them.
3) You made it, so it will be durable...but if it gets torn, you can fix it
The thing about cheap clothes, even beyond the questionable ethics about how they are made and the environmental impacts, is that they don't last. When you make your own clothing, you know you made it to last. But on the off chance a seam rips? You made it! You know exactly how that seam went in, so you know exactly what to do to repair it.
What are your favorite reasons for sewing your own clothes? Leave me a comment and let me know!