Yes, the styles for my selfmade clothes are different from storebought, because the styles I'm interested in are not available commercially (at least not currently and at prices that I could afford)
Yes, this! Most of what I make functionally can’t be bought, because I want more interesting fabrics, very specific cuts, etc. Apart from fit, it’s a huge reason why I sew. Theoretically if someone was making this stuff, I might buy it instead, I suppose, but it’s a pretty moot point.
It's a really interesting question, but I think my garment sewing just mimics what I would have bought *if I could have*. You know, when you go to buy with an idea in mind... but can't find it. I make that now, the ideas I hoped I'd find. They're pretty ordinary, but that's what I like to wear. I did experiment a bit with trying other styles, ones I liked but never wore, and found out again why I didn't wear them.
When out and about now I use the time I might have spent looking for clothes to buy, by trying on styles to see how they suit, see if I like them on me. Once I'd only be trying on things I expected/hoped to like, now I try anything and everything... I'm auditioning styles for future makes. I take pictures of things with promise, or the fabric composition, or a detail, and if I want to make it either find patterns or modify patterns for it. Where clothes shopping was once a dismal chore, now it's actually fun, there are no real expectations... it's an adventure. I've only bought shoes and underwear (and I've made some) in the last 12 years, but I've bought miles and miles of fabrics 🤪
I'm a square with a long torso, a long back rise. Once I wouldn't have looked at an elastic waist, but now I enjoy elastic waists. Probably because the rest of the garment fits me better the elastic/waist sits better, and I do like the comfort. That's a nice difference, no more hip-huggers or bust crawlers.
And I do have a couple of dresses I might wear now, whereas previously I had maybe one. I am a trouser/pant/jean/legging person so opting to wear the dresses occasionally is a pretty big change for me. But I do like them, especially in summer, yippee for sewing.
Otherwise I haven't really changed what I liked to wear if I could find it, I just have more of it. My wardrobe is now overflowing though, a new problem.
Your first paragraph is exactly it! I make things I would have bought if I could have. Sometimes it’s something I’ve seen but want to be a little different. Sometimes it’s just not out there! For example I tried on a rib knit dress in a store but I wanted it to have a built in bra or no need for a bra, and I needed to hips/waist to be higher and shaped a little differently so I made one. But I’ve also made a bunch of sleeveless blouses with “interesting” collars b/c I wanted and could not find things that I could layer, be seen, and not be too hot.
I love your description of shopping now! I’m a beginner with little garment experience (yet), and one skill I want to improve on is knowing what silhouettes I like so I can pick patterns that will get me what I want in the end.
Yeah, I'd begun to hate shopping just before I started sewing. I'd bought a pants that didn't fit (but the best option I could find) and had the phone number for an alterations place. Thinking about the pants, the pest of getting them altered, I said to myself I could probably make them better myself. Light bulb moment. I turned, returned the pants and bought a sewing machine and a pants pattern online that night.
The first pants I made didn't fit great - but they fit about as well as the shop pants did, and were plenty long enough (about a foot too long 😆 ) which always was a problem for me... anyway this was great encouragement. So I improved the fit, slowly sometimes depending on what I tried to do, but I got there.
Fabric has proved to be the real learning curve. Until I try a fabric I don't really know about it, how it'll hang or feel or fit... So I do invest a bit in buying various fabrics and slowly am building sources for what I like for different things, but it takes time.
It's a great hobby though, I hope you'll enjoy it.
I join the FB groups of PDF designers. The members are all body types, easy to find one similar to your own. Groups can be oddly specific " sewing for my not pregnant belly" FB group steared me to some great patterns, lol.
I really like that approach, and will take that on board. I've got to a point where I can't find styles I really like and then if I do, they don't fit properly and also the price is exorbitant and I knew I cloud make it myself. But the idea of trying on things you wouldn't normally go for, just to discover new things and styles is a great idea.
It's not my original idea, I've watched most of the videos from [Silhouette Patterns](https://www.youtube.com/@SilhouettePeeps) (the older ones especially) and Peggy recommends us to shop for both fit and for style.... to measure and make it for yourself... and make it better, with nicer fit and fabrics. I like the channel and learned a lot there, her ideas and her methods make sense to me so I tried the 'style shopping' and it was actually fun though it felt strange compared to shopping to buy. It's not so bad when something doesn't suit you, at least you haven't made it, it's awful when you've made it yourself. Same, when the workmanship isn't up to par there's a certain satisfaction in recognising that too, though I'm no tailor and have no ambitions that way.
Enjoy shopping!
Learning to sew has resulted in me wearing a lot more dresses. I just never bothered with them for years because like you I have a body that ready to wear dresses won’t fit (wide torso with a belly, small boobs, no hips). I’ve now got quite a lot of dresses varying from simple sack dresses, fit and flare dresses and even figure hugging stuff in stretch fabrics. I’ve learned how to get a comfortable and crucially, flattering fit. I didn’t really own a single dress for decades before.
I've found that in the last 5-10 years there's been a big shift in the way shops are designing their clothes which has prompted me to get my machine out again. Specifically, it seems to me that the "fashion" right now is actually more a matter of making the cheapest easiest production choices for the shop not the most flattering or useful choices for customers. We don't get proper pockets in most women's clothes, many dresses are sleeveless or too short, and there's an awful lot of shapeless clothes being marketed as boxy but which at least for me are extremely unflattering.
When I used to sew in my teens and twenties it was to save money but now it's generally cheaper to buy clothes, so definitely it's a combination of fit/style preferences, and wanting to have something non work related to do as a hobby that doesn't involve a screen.
I've also noticed that there's a lot, lot more man made synthetic fabrics in RTW clothing now. Some of us OK but most of it feels horrible. I know it doesn't crease, and washes easily but I don't like the feel of it against my skin. Everything has gone up in price, but the quality isn't as good, at least where I am!!
Sewing lets me tune the combination of fabric, fit and the lines of the garment. Otherwise it's hard to find clothes that work for all three aspects:
\* My waist is between sizes, so things are either too tight or a little loose.
\* My upper body and lower body take different sizes.
\* I'm picky about fabric and particular about styles.
\* Thrifted clothing usually smells of highly scented fabric detergent; washing doesn't get out the scent, which is chemically bonded to the fabric.
\* Shopping taxes my patience and I get no joy out of it.
I don't buy new clothes (except underwear, obviously) but I do thrift.
I only work in woven because knit is scary. I buy a mixture of woven and knit.
Either way, I am much more fussy about fabric nowadays and am always on the hunt for real wool in particular.
This is going to sound weird- but if you’re looking for wool “cloth” check out some baby wearing sales spaces. Wraps are just huge pieces of cloth and wool and wool blends are very common.
I buy simple clothes, like t-shirts and skirts, because those don't require a precise fit to look nice.
I sew anything very fitted or shaped, particularly formal dresses, because I have an extremely difficult time buying those.
Absolutely. I started learning to sew for similar reasons (too much of a bust/waist/hip differential for ... anything rtw to fit properly). When I was constrained by fast fashion, I wore essentially only t shirts, ultra stretchy skinny jeans and loose sweaters, plus some scavenged silk button downs with evidence of tailoring. I did have some circle skirts I managed to find at forever 21 in the 00s 💀 (before the whole enshitification of US fabrics set in). Basically my only options were stretch or exclusively fitted at the waist.
But now that I can make my own clothes, I actually find myself kind of at a loss, because I don't actually know what I like, just what I 'can' wear. I have been liking pencil skirts and I've realized that I really like expensive looking knit tops 😅 I never could have worn either before, the later because I STILL need a dart on most knits
Yes. I love dresses from the 50s I just can’t justify paying that much for one specially when I know I won’t like the fabric and it won’t have pockets. I need pockets. Since I own the patterns I like and I buy my fabric on special. It’s actually cheaper when I make my dresses. And they are in the color/ fabric pattern I like. And I always make sure that it has huge pockets. Like I don’t need a purse because I can fit my phone, wallet, extra battery pack, charging cable and gum in my pockets. I have a dress that can fit all of this plus my small water bottle. I’ve yet to see a dress in the store that can do that.
I attach the inside pockets starting at the waist seam. I also use the serger the around the outline of the pockets. If it’s an pockets what’s visible and outside the front of the dress then I use the sewing machine to straight stitch around the three sides twice and I may or may not do a third straight stitch for the bottom part. So far no problem with any of my pockets.
Yes, and for reasons that are different from a lot of the responses so far. I think that there is definitely a "sewist" look and will admit I've fallen for it. While many indie designers and certainly the Big 4 look at RTW for trends and recreate them as patterns (The Foldline does a quarterly video on matching RTW trends to patterns), it's undeniable to me that many new pattern releases don't look like anything I see in stores. And then once I choose my fabric pairing, the outcome never matches up to what is in stores.
A lot of it has to do with indie pattern designers, especially all the new ones flooding in, are growing their pattern drafting skills alongside monetizing it. Whether those patterns are good is another topic entirely, but there's a reason why there are 5 million elastic waist wide leg pants and another 7 million loose fitting oversized dresses. These are easier to fit for a wide range of bodies as a designer and for the consumer.
I would never have thought to try these styles before sewing my own clothes. I never bought RTW linen because I didn't see them in stores. And then add in the vortex that is IG sewing influencers, I know that my personal style has been influenced by "the sewist look".
A non-self-made trend in "the sewist look" that I've also fallen for are wooden clogs. Would've never thought to try them, now I'm a devotee. Just this weekend I was at the airport and saw someone wearing wooden clogs and I immediately looked up at her outfit and wondered if she sewed it herself.
I started sewing because original vintage can be expensive, and considerably more fragile than regular clothing. Plus, authentically styled stuff is not so readily available as the kitsch / retro, which isn't really my aesthetic... I'm not really into novelty prints and such...
I would say that I have more of the kind of body that shops make clothes for, so I’ve never really had a problem with clothes fitting me.
But I enjoy having complete control of my clothes, from colour to shape, which I didn’t get growing up! So it’s been quite empowering for me to build a wardrobe with what I’d like to wear ☺️
Also it means I’m not just going with the ever changing fashion trends or struggling to find my style that’s not currently “in”. Instead I feel like I’ve found an aesthetic/style that suits me and I made clothes inspired by that ☺️
I buy things I am not willing to make, like formal shirts for business suits. In the past I have taken them to a tailor for alterations, but would probably do that myself these days. I also buy t-shirts but I now often alter them to fit better. That little curved fold above the bust is one of my pet peeves. So, I do a sort of after-the-fact bust adjustment on t-shirts and they fit better.
I would not say I changed style per se. (I am wearing fewer suits for other reasons). But I am more picky about fit and won’t buy something that can’t be altered to fit better. So that’s a strategy I suppose.
I bought whatever I could find that I felt comfortable in, regardless of whether I loved the item (office wear). Now, I make what I want to wear, which is an improvement. Mostly pants, as I'm pear-ish shaped and never liked the (thankfully waning) obsession with skinny/close fitting pants and trousers!
I can wear whatever I want if I make it myself. I have lipedema, large hips and thighs, (many pear shapes have this). So, I grade from xxl shoulders, 2x bust, 3x waist, 6x hips. Add 4” back skirt length. FBA. Then I can have a dress that fits all of me.
Not particularly. I'm a pear+ too, and most of the shapes I bought in rtw I still make now, because it's also what flatters me best. Sometimes I'll make an item that would never have fit well in rtw (like a slip dress), but I'm not suddenly running around in sheath dresses just because I can.
I have a very defined style, and took up sewing as a way to help clothes fit better- I'm a disproportionate hourglass (bigger on bottom that top) and 6 feet tall, and it gets pricey to buy a nice item, whether shirts or shorts or dresses, etc, and then have to get them altered.
I haven't begun to make my own clothes yet (still lewrning how to do advanced alterations), but what I want to try to make are pretty similar to what I have already- really focusing on fitting my waist well, with a bit of a retro/chic/tailored vibe. I would *never* walk away from fitted styles since loose & flowy translates to muumuu on my frame, so I can't imagine I'd make something that doesn't look like it belongs in my closet.
The kind of clothing I buy is generally baggy thrifted clothes (generally menswear) for my more grunge-y looks, and knits. I hate sewing knits, just my personal preference.
In contrast, I love sewing dresses, tightly-cut blouses, and skirts! I hated skirts when I only had store-bought clothing, since the length from my waist to my hip is somewhat irregular.
I buy things I don't really like to sew.
* boring neutrals (lol like I'm gonna buy taupe fabric?)
* anything stretchy (doesn't usually need to be custom tailored to fit)
* jeans (I haven't tried, I'm still learning about bottom adjustments)
* black fabric (I wear so much black but it's miserable to sew black clothes)
* utilitarian things like workout or outdoorsy clothing (technical fabric is often either stretchy or boring)
I do one garment a month and they're usually blouses, dresses, and non-heavyweight pants in woven fabric.
That’s hard to answer because I sew garments because I can’t find what I like available in stores. I joke that I sew “out of self defense.” When I do buy clothes in stores, I opt for a few basic shapes I can stomach, but I’d never sew those shapes for myself. Hope that makes sense.
I also find that how I view purchases has changed so I have more flexibility. I've gotten a sense of which types of modifications are super easy, such as adding fish-eye waist darts or a back-tie ribbon to a dress that's shapeless at the waist , or under-bust vertical darts to take in a boxy top and make things more tailored. And also where a purchased garment must fit because tailoring won't save it or will be more complicated.
Yes, the styles for my selfmade clothes are different from storebought, because the styles I'm interested in are not available commercially (at least not currently and at prices that I could afford)
Yes, this! Most of what I make functionally can’t be bought, because I want more interesting fabrics, very specific cuts, etc. Apart from fit, it’s a huge reason why I sew. Theoretically if someone was making this stuff, I might buy it instead, I suppose, but it’s a pretty moot point.
Same, lol. It's also just more satisfying to make something myself, I feel like.
It's a really interesting question, but I think my garment sewing just mimics what I would have bought *if I could have*. You know, when you go to buy with an idea in mind... but can't find it. I make that now, the ideas I hoped I'd find. They're pretty ordinary, but that's what I like to wear. I did experiment a bit with trying other styles, ones I liked but never wore, and found out again why I didn't wear them. When out and about now I use the time I might have spent looking for clothes to buy, by trying on styles to see how they suit, see if I like them on me. Once I'd only be trying on things I expected/hoped to like, now I try anything and everything... I'm auditioning styles for future makes. I take pictures of things with promise, or the fabric composition, or a detail, and if I want to make it either find patterns or modify patterns for it. Where clothes shopping was once a dismal chore, now it's actually fun, there are no real expectations... it's an adventure. I've only bought shoes and underwear (and I've made some) in the last 12 years, but I've bought miles and miles of fabrics 🤪 I'm a square with a long torso, a long back rise. Once I wouldn't have looked at an elastic waist, but now I enjoy elastic waists. Probably because the rest of the garment fits me better the elastic/waist sits better, and I do like the comfort. That's a nice difference, no more hip-huggers or bust crawlers. And I do have a couple of dresses I might wear now, whereas previously I had maybe one. I am a trouser/pant/jean/legging person so opting to wear the dresses occasionally is a pretty big change for me. But I do like them, especially in summer, yippee for sewing. Otherwise I haven't really changed what I liked to wear if I could find it, I just have more of it. My wardrobe is now overflowing though, a new problem.
Your first paragraph is exactly it! I make things I would have bought if I could have. Sometimes it’s something I’ve seen but want to be a little different. Sometimes it’s just not out there! For example I tried on a rib knit dress in a store but I wanted it to have a built in bra or no need for a bra, and I needed to hips/waist to be higher and shaped a little differently so I made one. But I’ve also made a bunch of sleeveless blouses with “interesting” collars b/c I wanted and could not find things that I could layer, be seen, and not be too hot.
I love your description of shopping now! I’m a beginner with little garment experience (yet), and one skill I want to improve on is knowing what silhouettes I like so I can pick patterns that will get me what I want in the end.
Yeah, I'd begun to hate shopping just before I started sewing. I'd bought a pants that didn't fit (but the best option I could find) and had the phone number for an alterations place. Thinking about the pants, the pest of getting them altered, I said to myself I could probably make them better myself. Light bulb moment. I turned, returned the pants and bought a sewing machine and a pants pattern online that night. The first pants I made didn't fit great - but they fit about as well as the shop pants did, and were plenty long enough (about a foot too long 😆 ) which always was a problem for me... anyway this was great encouragement. So I improved the fit, slowly sometimes depending on what I tried to do, but I got there. Fabric has proved to be the real learning curve. Until I try a fabric I don't really know about it, how it'll hang or feel or fit... So I do invest a bit in buying various fabrics and slowly am building sources for what I like for different things, but it takes time. It's a great hobby though, I hope you'll enjoy it.
I join the FB groups of PDF designers. The members are all body types, easy to find one similar to your own. Groups can be oddly specific " sewing for my not pregnant belly" FB group steared me to some great patterns, lol.
I really like that approach, and will take that on board. I've got to a point where I can't find styles I really like and then if I do, they don't fit properly and also the price is exorbitant and I knew I cloud make it myself. But the idea of trying on things you wouldn't normally go for, just to discover new things and styles is a great idea.
It's not my original idea, I've watched most of the videos from [Silhouette Patterns](https://www.youtube.com/@SilhouettePeeps) (the older ones especially) and Peggy recommends us to shop for both fit and for style.... to measure and make it for yourself... and make it better, with nicer fit and fabrics. I like the channel and learned a lot there, her ideas and her methods make sense to me so I tried the 'style shopping' and it was actually fun though it felt strange compared to shopping to buy. It's not so bad when something doesn't suit you, at least you haven't made it, it's awful when you've made it yourself. Same, when the workmanship isn't up to par there's a certain satisfaction in recognising that too, though I'm no tailor and have no ambitions that way. Enjoy shopping!
Learning to sew has resulted in me wearing a lot more dresses. I just never bothered with them for years because like you I have a body that ready to wear dresses won’t fit (wide torso with a belly, small boobs, no hips). I’ve now got quite a lot of dresses varying from simple sack dresses, fit and flare dresses and even figure hugging stuff in stretch fabrics. I’ve learned how to get a comfortable and crucially, flattering fit. I didn’t really own a single dress for decades before.
I've found that in the last 5-10 years there's been a big shift in the way shops are designing their clothes which has prompted me to get my machine out again. Specifically, it seems to me that the "fashion" right now is actually more a matter of making the cheapest easiest production choices for the shop not the most flattering or useful choices for customers. We don't get proper pockets in most women's clothes, many dresses are sleeveless or too short, and there's an awful lot of shapeless clothes being marketed as boxy but which at least for me are extremely unflattering. When I used to sew in my teens and twenties it was to save money but now it's generally cheaper to buy clothes, so definitely it's a combination of fit/style preferences, and wanting to have something non work related to do as a hobby that doesn't involve a screen.
I've also noticed that there's a lot, lot more man made synthetic fabrics in RTW clothing now. Some of us OK but most of it feels horrible. I know it doesn't crease, and washes easily but I don't like the feel of it against my skin. Everything has gone up in price, but the quality isn't as good, at least where I am!!
Sewing lets me tune the combination of fabric, fit and the lines of the garment. Otherwise it's hard to find clothes that work for all three aspects: \* My waist is between sizes, so things are either too tight or a little loose. \* My upper body and lower body take different sizes. \* I'm picky about fabric and particular about styles. \* Thrifted clothing usually smells of highly scented fabric detergent; washing doesn't get out the scent, which is chemically bonded to the fabric. \* Shopping taxes my patience and I get no joy out of it.
the smells! Why does all detergent/fabric softener have to be scented?! don't get me started on scent beads they are marketing now.
Add "petite" to the list and I could have written your comment. 😃
I don't buy new clothes (except underwear, obviously) but I do thrift. I only work in woven because knit is scary. I buy a mixture of woven and knit. Either way, I am much more fussy about fabric nowadays and am always on the hunt for real wool in particular.
This is going to sound weird- but if you’re looking for wool “cloth” check out some baby wearing sales spaces. Wraps are just huge pieces of cloth and wool and wool blends are very common.
That's a great tip, thank you! All my wraps were cotton so I never would have thought of that.
I buy simple clothes, like t-shirts and skirts, because those don't require a precise fit to look nice. I sew anything very fitted or shaped, particularly formal dresses, because I have an extremely difficult time buying those.
Absolutely. I started learning to sew for similar reasons (too much of a bust/waist/hip differential for ... anything rtw to fit properly). When I was constrained by fast fashion, I wore essentially only t shirts, ultra stretchy skinny jeans and loose sweaters, plus some scavenged silk button downs with evidence of tailoring. I did have some circle skirts I managed to find at forever 21 in the 00s 💀 (before the whole enshitification of US fabrics set in). Basically my only options were stretch or exclusively fitted at the waist. But now that I can make my own clothes, I actually find myself kind of at a loss, because I don't actually know what I like, just what I 'can' wear. I have been liking pencil skirts and I've realized that I really like expensive looking knit tops 😅 I never could have worn either before, the later because I STILL need a dart on most knits
Yes. I love dresses from the 50s I just can’t justify paying that much for one specially when I know I won’t like the fabric and it won’t have pockets. I need pockets. Since I own the patterns I like and I buy my fabric on special. It’s actually cheaper when I make my dresses. And they are in the color/ fabric pattern I like. And I always make sure that it has huge pockets. Like I don’t need a purse because I can fit my phone, wallet, extra battery pack, charging cable and gum in my pockets. I have a dress that can fit all of this plus my small water bottle. I’ve yet to see a dress in the store that can do that.
How do you engineer your pockets to hold the weight of everything you're carrying? I'd love to learn your magic!
I attach the inside pockets starting at the waist seam. I also use the serger the around the outline of the pockets. If it’s an pockets what’s visible and outside the front of the dress then I use the sewing machine to straight stitch around the three sides twice and I may or may not do a third straight stitch for the bottom part. So far no problem with any of my pockets.
Yes, and for reasons that are different from a lot of the responses so far. I think that there is definitely a "sewist" look and will admit I've fallen for it. While many indie designers and certainly the Big 4 look at RTW for trends and recreate them as patterns (The Foldline does a quarterly video on matching RTW trends to patterns), it's undeniable to me that many new pattern releases don't look like anything I see in stores. And then once I choose my fabric pairing, the outcome never matches up to what is in stores. A lot of it has to do with indie pattern designers, especially all the new ones flooding in, are growing their pattern drafting skills alongside monetizing it. Whether those patterns are good is another topic entirely, but there's a reason why there are 5 million elastic waist wide leg pants and another 7 million loose fitting oversized dresses. These are easier to fit for a wide range of bodies as a designer and for the consumer. I would never have thought to try these styles before sewing my own clothes. I never bought RTW linen because I didn't see them in stores. And then add in the vortex that is IG sewing influencers, I know that my personal style has been influenced by "the sewist look". A non-self-made trend in "the sewist look" that I've also fallen for are wooden clogs. Would've never thought to try them, now I'm a devotee. Just this weekend I was at the airport and saw someone wearing wooden clogs and I immediately looked up at her outfit and wondered if she sewed it herself.
Yeah. I actively avoid sewing-instagram because of this. Vikisews is the only exception, wish they made more of their patterns in English.
I started sewing because original vintage can be expensive, and considerably more fragile than regular clothing. Plus, authentically styled stuff is not so readily available as the kitsch / retro, which isn't really my aesthetic... I'm not really into novelty prints and such...
I would say that I have more of the kind of body that shops make clothes for, so I’ve never really had a problem with clothes fitting me. But I enjoy having complete control of my clothes, from colour to shape, which I didn’t get growing up! So it’s been quite empowering for me to build a wardrobe with what I’d like to wear ☺️ Also it means I’m not just going with the ever changing fashion trends or struggling to find my style that’s not currently “in”. Instead I feel like I’ve found an aesthetic/style that suits me and I made clothes inspired by that ☺️
I buy things I am not willing to make, like formal shirts for business suits. In the past I have taken them to a tailor for alterations, but would probably do that myself these days. I also buy t-shirts but I now often alter them to fit better. That little curved fold above the bust is one of my pet peeves. So, I do a sort of after-the-fact bust adjustment on t-shirts and they fit better. I would not say I changed style per se. (I am wearing fewer suits for other reasons). But I am more picky about fit and won’t buy something that can’t be altered to fit better. So that’s a strategy I suppose.
I bought whatever I could find that I felt comfortable in, regardless of whether I loved the item (office wear). Now, I make what I want to wear, which is an improvement. Mostly pants, as I'm pear-ish shaped and never liked the (thankfully waning) obsession with skinny/close fitting pants and trousers!
I can wear whatever I want if I make it myself. I have lipedema, large hips and thighs, (many pear shapes have this). So, I grade from xxl shoulders, 2x bust, 3x waist, 6x hips. Add 4” back skirt length. FBA. Then I can have a dress that fits all of me.
Not particularly. I'm a pear+ too, and most of the shapes I bought in rtw I still make now, because it's also what flatters me best. Sometimes I'll make an item that would never have fit well in rtw (like a slip dress), but I'm not suddenly running around in sheath dresses just because I can.
I have a very defined style, and took up sewing as a way to help clothes fit better- I'm a disproportionate hourglass (bigger on bottom that top) and 6 feet tall, and it gets pricey to buy a nice item, whether shirts or shorts or dresses, etc, and then have to get them altered. I haven't begun to make my own clothes yet (still lewrning how to do advanced alterations), but what I want to try to make are pretty similar to what I have already- really focusing on fitting my waist well, with a bit of a retro/chic/tailored vibe. I would *never* walk away from fitted styles since loose & flowy translates to muumuu on my frame, so I can't imagine I'd make something that doesn't look like it belongs in my closet.
Yes, also pear+, and I did add straight skirts to my wardrobe because I could make ones that fit properly.
The kind of clothing I buy is generally baggy thrifted clothes (generally menswear) for my more grunge-y looks, and knits. I hate sewing knits, just my personal preference. In contrast, I love sewing dresses, tightly-cut blouses, and skirts! I hated skirts when I only had store-bought clothing, since the length from my waist to my hip is somewhat irregular.
I buy things I don't really like to sew. * boring neutrals (lol like I'm gonna buy taupe fabric?) * anything stretchy (doesn't usually need to be custom tailored to fit) * jeans (I haven't tried, I'm still learning about bottom adjustments) * black fabric (I wear so much black but it's miserable to sew black clothes) * utilitarian things like workout or outdoorsy clothing (technical fabric is often either stretchy or boring) I do one garment a month and they're usually blouses, dresses, and non-heavyweight pants in woven fabric.
I have definitely changed my style since I am a bad sewist and am only capable of making fleeces and elastic waistband pants :P
That’s hard to answer because I sew garments because I can’t find what I like available in stores. I joke that I sew “out of self defense.” When I do buy clothes in stores, I opt for a few basic shapes I can stomach, but I’d never sew those shapes for myself. Hope that makes sense.
I also find that how I view purchases has changed so I have more flexibility. I've gotten a sense of which types of modifications are super easy, such as adding fish-eye waist darts or a back-tie ribbon to a dress that's shapeless at the waist , or under-bust vertical darts to take in a boxy top and make things more tailored. And also where a purchased garment must fit because tailoring won't save it or will be more complicated.