handmade & thriving

Historically, I have relied mostly on fast fashion to grow my wardrobe. This year, however, I have taken an interest into learning to sew my own clothes.

I am passionate about sustainability in fashion, which has led me down several rabbit holes including capsule wardrobes and eco-friendly brands.

The more I sew, the more I realize how little I knew about where clothes came from. It's embarrasing to think that I've spent all these years obsessing over garments, yet I never thought twice about the (overworked and underpaid) hands that touched the fabric before me.

In addition to moral concerns, sewing can be a beautiful creative outlet. I often complain about how certain garments don't fit me properly, or how they are boring or uncomfortable. These problems can easily be solved by customizing one's clothing to one's own body and taste. Following your own creative process, you can have a deeper connection to your garments than just buying something made for the masses.

While I will still own a mixture of secondhand, new, and handmade pieces, I want to focus more on handmaking my wardrobe moving forward. I'm excited to continue to share my progress as I learn and grow!

my wardrobe plan

1. ✓ Buy comfy, soft undergarments (petticoat, bloomers, legwear)
2. ✓ Aquire a full coord (skirt, shoes, headwear, blouse)
3. ✓ Focus on cutsews, cardigans, accessories, and legwear to mix/match for more coordinates
4. ✓ Invest in Sew more main pieces that match my wardrobe

december 2024 update

I did the thing!! I've updated my wardrobe using comfy, soft undergarments focusing on cutsews, cardigans, and accessories. I've also sewn quite a few pieces that I'm very proud of this year!

For next year, I plan to focus more heavily on accessories like jewelry, shoes, and small garments like corsets. I want to pull in more gothic elements to my primarily oldschool wardrobe, as I find those are the ones that I end up wearing the most regularly.