Sewing can seem like such an expensive hobby to get into. The
machine, the needles, the fabric, the buttons….it all just seems like such an
investment. It seems even more so when you can walk into a store and purchase a
shirt for $5 when the fabric to make that shirt would cost you $10!
So why do people say that sewing your own clothes can save you
money? The answer is a complex one. We’ll look at both sides of the answer: the
instances sewing your own clothes can save you money and the situations where
it doesn’t.
When It Doesn’t Save You Money
There are actually very few instances where sewing your own
clothes doesn’t save you money. The world of fast fashion has led many people
to believe that department store clothing is the better bargain over sewing
your own clothing. The reason department store clothing seems like the better
option is because of quality.
Generally speaking, cheaper clothing has cheaper quality. The
companies use fabric produced overseas and cheap labor to produce high
quantities of clothing. This is fine for some who change out their wardrobe
every season. Someone who needs a new shirt or skirt every month to stay up on
the trends may find that store bought clothing works for them. However, many
people prefer a quality shirt that won’t wear out after 5 washes.
For that, they generally have to pay more. This is where the
trend of store clothing being more affordable begins to reverse. As quality
rises, the store bought clothing becomes more expensive which makes sewing more
attractive economically. Additionally, if any type of clothing needs to be
tailored (such as hemmed pants or shortened sleeves), the cost grows once
again. This is why many people have turned to sewing their own clothing.
When It Saves You Money
Sewing becomes a money-saver when quality and tailoring comes
into play. When sewing your own clothing, you can make any adjustments you need
before the item is made. This eliminates the need and cost of a tailor. This is
great for folks who do not fit into standard sizing. If you are a novice
seamstress, I reckon that there are cheap sewing machines for beginners and
this will help you save a lot of money.
As an added benefit, you get to choose the type of fabric you use
and the print of said fabric which increases your creative options and can
increase the quality. Even when pieces you make do eventually wear out, when
you’ve constructed it yourself it is much easier to repair. By extending the
life of your clothing in this manner, you could save tremendous amounts of
money each year by not having to replace items.
Another time that sewing your own clothing can save money is when
designer fashions come into play. Designer pieces can cost thousands of dollars
but when you sew yourself you can make something very similar for a fraction of
the cost. This is particularly true when looking at dress clothing. Prom
dresses, evening dresses, cocktails dresses, and tuxes are all fairly expensive
items to purchase. By sewing them yourself, you can often cut that price tag
down by a decent amount. Of course, finding the best sewing machine for making clothes is
important. As I’ve said, there are a lot of good models out in the market that
won’t break the bank.
Final Thoughts
Depending on the type of person you are, it may seem silly to
make your own clothes when you can just go buy some. However, there are those
out there who prefer quality over quantity and wish to have truly unique and
tailored items of clothing in their wardrobe. Truthfully, neither type of
person is wrong if they claim that sewing will or won’t save you money. It’s
all in your perspective.
Such an informative post :)
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Lovely post dear! Have a great weekend! xx
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