Sewing Saves Money, Right??
I started sewing clothes for real when I was 13 years old. My mother would take me to the local fabric store, buy me a pattern, some fabric, and all the things I needed to complete a garment, then showed me how to follow the instructions that came with the pattern. She had a Singer Touch-n-Sew machine that my dad had mounted in an old treadle sewing machine cabinet. She still has that machine with all the bits and bobs that came with it nearly 60 years ago. She showed me the basics of how to use the sewing machine, and off I went!
Back then, I sewed partially for the pure joy of creating something and partially because I could have lots more clothes for the same money if I made them rather than bought them. As I learned and improved, I was able to have much nicer clothes than my parents would have ever been able to afford. Occasionally, my mom and I would go to the fancy shops in downtown Charleston and look at the designer clothes. I would pay close attention to the fabrics, the construction details, and the fit of these garments. Even when my tastes moved up to more luxurious fabrics and the much more expensive Vogue designer patterns, I still was able to dress very inexpensively by making my own clothes.
Things have changed in the past 50 years! Fabric and sewing supplies have gotten much more expensive while ready-made clothing has gotten much cheaper, (in more ways than one). As an illustration, I went to the local outlet of a chain store and got two nice T-shirts for six or seven dollars each. For perspective, seven dollars now is equivalent to $1.08 in 1974. Enough similar quality fabric to make such a shirt would now cost about 20 dollars, plus I would need a pattern and a sewing machine—and that is not considering the value of my time to buy materials, cut out, and sew a shirt. But the shirt I purchased does not fit well. It folds in places it is not supposed to fold, the armholes are about three times as big as they should be, and the trim around the neck sticks out instead of lying flat like it should. That leads me to one major reason I still sew clothes - so I can have well-made and well-fitting clothes. Another major reason is that I still have what my dad called “a steak appetite and a hot dog pocketbook,” meaning I still like really nice clothes that I cannot afford, or for which I will not pay the asking price. In that genre, a person can still save money by sewing and have the bonus of fine construction and custom fit. One other reason I sew that has come along as I have gotten older is that I can wear exactly what I want instead of being stuck with what is in style and therefore available in shops.
So, no, making your own clothes is not the frugal path to take these days, but there are still many good reasons to learn to sew. It is most certainly not a “dying art” as I hear so many people say. Lots of younger people have figured out the fun and benefits of sewing and are keeping sewing-related businesses cranking along. I will have a few more angles on this topic in the coming weeks.