I have already touched this subject in my opening post; if you want a short version just read the 4th paragraph. If you care to read more, this is your lucky day because I'm going to write more.
There are several reasons that combined together made me want to make my own clothes, although each one is good enough on its own: my personal tastes, my size, my low budget, all the problems that come with shopping for clothes online, and finally my great and still growing disapproval of modern fashion industry in general.
I always liked styles that were at least a little bit on the extravagant side. As a teenager, I was awed by alternative British fashion of the 1960s and 1970s. I dreamt of Sg. Peppers' jacket, brightly striped bell-bottoms, flowy chiffon dress with insanely wide sleeves, velvet cape, and forest green satin top hat. I was a bit of a geek too and I wanted to dress like sci-fi heroines just as much as I wanted to cosplay Keith Richards, Ian Anderson, or Pete Townshend. I normally preferred outfits with the abundance of fabric and wasn't much for skin-show but if it could be elaborate enough, that was an entirely different thing. I'm talking plenty of leather straps, chainmail crop tops and some crazy headdress. I would've parade in the streets like this if I could, I really would have.
Then I had my Indian episode. Then came fascination with steampunk, romantic goth, Japanese lolita & mori girl looks. Although I never really wanted to fully emulate any of them, they all had elements I lusted after. I'd still kill for the perfect black lace piece or for a striped victorian shirt with just the right details and nice colour combination.
And finally, I discovered retro fashion. In addition to recalling how much I love the quirkiness of the 60s and 70s, I opened up to extremely flattering silhouettes of the 50s, modest elegance of the 40s, the timeless grace of the 30s, and a strangely alluring mixture of simple and practical, and extravagant that makes up the fashion of the roaring twenties. At the same time, I started revisiting decades which I'm old enough to remember first-hand with growing nostalgia.
But let me stress it once more, in case you missed it: I never really got to wear those clothes. For most of my life, there was no place where I could buy them. And even when all the internet of alternative fashions from around the world finally stood open before me, finding the clothes I want didn't get as much easier as one might expect. At first glance, it looks like there's plenty to choose from, way more than anybody could ever want. But at a closer look, it turns out almost nothing is exactly how I would like it to be. It might have been a boring pattern, or ugly collar, or too many frills, or too large bow, or too short sleeves, or hem I don't like - there was always something to put me off. I'm sure you know what I mean.
Or do you think I'm too picky? Well, let me remind you of another important factor - my low budget. Any piece of garment or accessory is a considerable expense for me and I always plan my shopping well in advance. It's not uncommon for my purchases to be several months apart, especially that I'd rather save for a higher quality item than just fill my wardrobe with trash. Taking it all into consideration I'm sure you can see why I don't have the luxury of buying clothes I'm not totally in love with. I can't afford to buy clothes I won't wear. I never buy clothes just for now, until I find something better. I only buy clothes I expect to wear for years and feel good about it. If something turns out to be a miss, it's quite a problem for me. So I just restlessly browse for perfect items and from time to time I indeed find what I want. But in the grand majority of cases, there's no chance I would fit into it. Yes, here is where my size comes into the picture.
I am a fat person and I sincerely hope I don't have to explain that fat women have much fewer options when it comes to fashion. First of all, in Poland, where I live, women like me are really just a minority and alternative brands aren't exactly thriving so even if there are few brands that strike my fancy they don't cater to people my size. Shopping online in British and American shops is my only option, though even there fat women are offered approximately 10% of what our thinner sisters can choose from. And there's a whole bunch of other problems.
Firstly, there's a shipping fee to cover. Usually, it's something between 20% and 50% of the price of my purchase. Should anything be wrong with the thing I bought, I'm refunded only after paying for return postage. That, of course, makes my low-budget even more of a burning issue and my pickiness kicks in with extra force - after all, I need to feel it's worth a gamble because I'm at a loss even if I return the item. It's even more the case if I buy from the USA or Canada because there's also a tax to pay at the customs office - around 25% of the total price, including the shipping fee.
Then there's the problem with finding your fit. Finding your size - as I mentioned already a challenge in itself - is just a first step of many. Sizes are based on three measurements: hips, waist, and bust circumference. The first problem is that more often than not they are not given accurately. I mean how come clothes that claim to be made for 50'' bust are way tighter than those supposedly for 46''? Second thing is that women have different proportions and the bigger we are the greater those differences get. Very often my measurements don't align with those given in specific brand's size guide. My waist is one size, bust the other and hips two sizes away. Usually, it's not that big of a deal but sometimes it is and it looks really bad. And finally, there's the fact that there are many other measurements that are not even given but make quite a bit of a difference. Like circumference of your tight, or arm, or breadth of your shoulders, or distance between your hip and your knee and many many others.
Making my own clothes is an answer to all of the above problems. Unlike ready to wear clothes in various styles and certain sizes, fabrics of all kinds can be easily bought locally. There are even places that print patterns to order, so possibilities are really limitless. Size and fit are not an issue because obviously self-made clothes are made to measure. Exact cut and style are nobody's choice but mine, down to the tiniest detail, so I will be finally able to wear whatever I like. Regarding price, well, of course, quality fabrics cost a lot too and since I'm fat I usually need a lot, but sometimes you can hunt for sales just like everywhere else and anyway, spending a lot of money on a product I will be completely satisfied with is a completely different matter from wasting it on something that's just a compromise anyway.
And then there's that final bonus: freeing yourself from fashion industry, at least to a certain degree. We all conveniently ignore how morally ambiguous the process of making our clothes and the way we consume fashion are, on a great many levels. From using child labour and practical slavery to multiple environmental issues, plenty of things make me feel guilty on those rare occasions when I buy something from the big brands. So the more I can tell I have nothing to do with the whole thing, the better.
Of course, the obvious drawback is that I need to learn to sew and tailor before I can benefit from it. But I'm quite confident it'll work and pretty soon too. So far I've made one top that's ridiculously huge and one circle skirt. I failed at some details and it took me much longer than it should but I consider it to be a great success - it is my size, I made it look even (my big bottom makes circle skirts look as if they were longer at the front and I don't like it), it's flashy orange colour I've never seen used for circle skirts in any shop, I used a fabric that doesn't wrinkle easily and it has pockets. And I have some fabric left to use for details for other clothes.
Anyway, I'll keep you posted on my progress and we'll see how hard it really is to take full control over your wardrobe!
Note: Images for which no source is given were found via Pinterest and I was unable to track them beyond that and other aggregate sites.
I always liked styles that were at least a little bit on the extravagant side. As a teenager, I was awed by alternative British fashion of the 1960s and 1970s. I dreamt of Sg. Peppers' jacket, brightly striped bell-bottoms, flowy chiffon dress with insanely wide sleeves, velvet cape, and forest green satin top hat. I was a bit of a geek too and I wanted to dress like sci-fi heroines just as much as I wanted to cosplay Keith Richards, Ian Anderson, or Pete Townshend. I normally preferred outfits with the abundance of fabric and wasn't much for skin-show but if it could be elaborate enough, that was an entirely different thing. I'm talking plenty of leather straps, chainmail crop tops and some crazy headdress. I would've parade in the streets like this if I could, I really would have.
 |
| 1. I would helplessly drool over this kind of dresses as a teen. I'd still love to own one. |
Then I had my Indian episode. Then came fascination with steampunk, romantic goth, Japanese lolita & mori girl looks. Although I never really wanted to fully emulate any of them, they all had elements I lusted after. I'd still kill for the perfect black lace piece or for a striped victorian shirt with just the right details and nice colour combination.
And finally, I discovered retro fashion. In addition to recalling how much I love the quirkiness of the 60s and 70s, I opened up to extremely flattering silhouettes of the 50s, modest elegance of the 40s, the timeless grace of the 30s, and a strangely alluring mixture of simple and practical, and extravagant that makes up the fashion of the roaring twenties. At the same time, I started revisiting decades which I'm old enough to remember first-hand with growing nostalgia.
But let me stress it once more, in case you missed it: I never really got to wear those clothes. For most of my life, there was no place where I could buy them. And even when all the internet of alternative fashions from around the world finally stood open before me, finding the clothes I want didn't get as much easier as one might expect. At first glance, it looks like there's plenty to choose from, way more than anybody could ever want. But at a closer look, it turns out almost nothing is exactly how I would like it to be. It might have been a boring pattern, or ugly collar, or too many frills, or too large bow, or too short sleeves, or hem I don't like - there was always something to put me off. I'm sure you know what I mean.
 |
| 2. I find general features of lolita fashion quite appealing but it's almost impossible to find a piece that's not ruined by an overabundance of ornamental details (photo from Lolita Wardrobe) |
Or do you think I'm too picky? Well, let me remind you of another important factor - my low budget. Any piece of garment or accessory is a considerable expense for me and I always plan my shopping well in advance. It's not uncommon for my purchases to be several months apart, especially that I'd rather save for a higher quality item than just fill my wardrobe with trash. Taking it all into consideration I'm sure you can see why I don't have the luxury of buying clothes I'm not totally in love with. I can't afford to buy clothes I won't wear. I never buy clothes just for now, until I find something better. I only buy clothes I expect to wear for years and feel good about it. If something turns out to be a miss, it's quite a problem for me. So I just restlessly browse for perfect items and from time to time I indeed find what I want. But in the grand majority of cases, there's no chance I would fit into it. Yes, here is where my size comes into the picture.
 |
| 3. Voodoo Vixen is one of my favourite, if not the most favourite brand. Still, most styles are only available for 'regular' women. |
I am a fat person and I sincerely hope I don't have to explain that fat women have much fewer options when it comes to fashion. First of all, in Poland, where I live, women like me are really just a minority and alternative brands aren't exactly thriving so even if there are few brands that strike my fancy they don't cater to people my size. Shopping online in British and American shops is my only option, though even there fat women are offered approximately 10% of what our thinner sisters can choose from. And there's a whole bunch of other problems.
Firstly, there's a shipping fee to cover. Usually, it's something between 20% and 50% of the price of my purchase. Should anything be wrong with the thing I bought, I'm refunded only after paying for return postage. That, of course, makes my low-budget even more of a burning issue and my pickiness kicks in with extra force - after all, I need to feel it's worth a gamble because I'm at a loss even if I return the item. It's even more the case if I buy from the USA or Canada because there's also a tax to pay at the customs office - around 25% of the total price, including the shipping fee.
 |
| 4. Cherry Velvet has some of the prettiest dresses for plus size girls that want to shine. One costs almost 20% of what most Poles earn in a month; shipping and taxes would double the price if they shipped to Poland (last time I checked they didn't). |
Then there's the problem with finding your fit. Finding your size - as I mentioned already a challenge in itself - is just a first step of many. Sizes are based on three measurements: hips, waist, and bust circumference. The first problem is that more often than not they are not given accurately. I mean how come clothes that claim to be made for 50'' bust are way tighter than those supposedly for 46''? Second thing is that women have different proportions and the bigger we are the greater those differences get. Very often my measurements don't align with those given in specific brand's size guide. My waist is one size, bust the other and hips two sizes away. Usually, it's not that big of a deal but sometimes it is and it looks really bad. And finally, there's the fact that there are many other measurements that are not even given but make quite a bit of a difference. Like circumference of your tight, or arm, or breadth of your shoulders, or distance between your hip and your knee and many many others.
Making my own clothes is an answer to all of the above problems. Unlike ready to wear clothes in various styles and certain sizes, fabrics of all kinds can be easily bought locally. There are even places that print patterns to order, so possibilities are really limitless. Size and fit are not an issue because obviously self-made clothes are made to measure. Exact cut and style are nobody's choice but mine, down to the tiniest detail, so I will be finally able to wear whatever I like. Regarding price, well, of course, quality fabrics cost a lot too and since I'm fat I usually need a lot, but sometimes you can hunt for sales just like everywhere else and anyway, spending a lot of money on a product I will be completely satisfied with is a completely different matter from wasting it on something that's just a compromise anyway.
 |
| 5.Welcome to the sea of possibilities! |
And then there's that final bonus: freeing yourself from fashion industry, at least to a certain degree. We all conveniently ignore how morally ambiguous the process of making our clothes and the way we consume fashion are, on a great many levels. From using child labour and practical slavery to multiple environmental issues, plenty of things make me feel guilty on those rare occasions when I buy something from the big brands. So the more I can tell I have nothing to do with the whole thing, the better.
 |
| Source article. Is it a surprise I want as little to do with that as I can? |
Of course, the obvious drawback is that I need to learn to sew and tailor before I can benefit from it. But I'm quite confident it'll work and pretty soon too. So far I've made one top that's ridiculously huge and one circle skirt. I failed at some details and it took me much longer than it should but I consider it to be a great success - it is my size, I made it look even (my big bottom makes circle skirts look as if they were longer at the front and I don't like it), it's flashy orange colour I've never seen used for circle skirts in any shop, I used a fabric that doesn't wrinkle easily and it has pockets. And I have some fabric left to use for details for other clothes.
Anyway, I'll keep you posted on my progress and we'll see how hard it really is to take full control over your wardrobe!
Note: Images for which no source is given were found via Pinterest and I was unable to track them beyond that and other aggregate sites.
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