The uptick in sewing your own clothes continues from 2008. Lately, fashion bloggers like Paige Calvert of Paige Joanna have gotten hold of the trend and are showing off their handmade goods online. Some are even making a combo blog of sewing advice and reviews, as seen on blogs like HelloSewing. Whether you sew all the time or occasionally, you will want to check out the new trend.

The Need to Wear Something Unique

It seems that no matter what we get in fashion, we always need something different. For so many years prior to the advent of fast fashion, people struggled to get enough variety into their wardrobe. Now that we have fast fashion available, people find that they need something more unique! Handmade satisfies that need to wear an item that no one else has, with the bonus of expanding people’s creativity.

Handmade Has a Special Quality

Handmade clothing is rewarding in more ways than one, but the primary factor for some collectors and home sewers is that special hand that comes with homemade sewing. The drape is different, the thread can be more unique, the trims are precious, and the tailoring can be fabulous. But even if extra care isn’t budgeted for, handmade often offers more quality. An added bonus is the small removal of one person at a time from the sad realities of today’s garment industry, even if people don’t sew all their clothes.

There Are More Fabric Options for Handmade

Fabric has always been precious, and within fast fashion it can be difficult to find fabric with real personality. Many people are choosing handmade not only to save money on garments with more expensive fabrics, but to bring more sparkle into their wardrobe.

 From chic black wool to elegantly printed chiffon fabrics, there is a plethora of options when it comes to handmade clothing. Imported fabrics are becoming more and more common on Stateside sites like Denver Fabrics or Fabric.com. With online fabric stores around the world achieving larger volume in online retail, there are sure to be even more quality options coming in the future.

Caring for the Environment

It’s been noted by The Telegraph in their April 21, 2008 article “Sewing Machines Are Back in Fashion” that you can also judge the trend in handmade clothing by measuring how many sewing machines are being sold. The sales are reported to be boosted by women concerned about the environment who want to reduce their carbon footprint.

Fast fashion is convenient, but it doesn’t offer much in the way of environmentally friendly options. So the maker community has begun sewing clothes again, and the sales of sewing machines are a sure sign that this trend will continue. 

There is a small but steady movement of makers who take it a step further and turn their home sewing into design lines using eco-friendly practices, such as Alabama-based designer Alabama Chanin. Those who sew often may find that sales await them in the form of patterns or clothing sales, but the handmade piece remains the ultimate goal for many home sewers.

Handmade and “slow” fashion also offer more options when it comes to embellishments, and many people find that this is a real draw. From beads to felt applique, there are so many things that can be added to garments. These are hard to find in fast fashion pieces, as is one of the most treasured embellishments, embroidery. The home sewer or slow designer gives themselves time and opportunity to add these embellishments when they make their clothing by hand.

  Sewing