I have a J. Crew melton wool winter coat that must be about about 20 years old, that I wear every winter and that I love because it has an interesting shape and construction. When it eventually wears out I suspect I’ll never be able to replace it with something equally interesting and good quality at an affordable price unless I sew it myself. If I tried to purchase something like it today I would be hard-pressed to find fabric as nice, with such clever construction. Even the lining is still going strong after so many years of daily use!
I love fashion and clothing and the opportunities for self expression they give us. We all get dressed every day, and when we choose what to put on our bodies we’re also communicating something about ourselves, whether that message is intentional or not.
Personally, I embrace that opportunity to express my personality, my mood, and my taste via what I wear. I’m not interested in making a grand statement or standing out dramatically through my choices. Instead, I enjoy wearing beautiful, quality, well-designed clothing. I like to open my closet in the morning and know that I have options for the various activites and events in my life, and I can choose items that express my mood and that I can wear in a variety of ways that suit my preferences and lifestyle.
I prefer well-made clothing that endures, that I can wear over and over again, for years in the future, that I can combine in a variety of ways that can continue to enjoy. The joy that I find in clothing is in the quality as well as the different and varied ways I can wear it. But that category of clothing, which is well made, with natural fabrics that will endure over time, that includes interesting details, is becoming increasingly difficult to find. Ten years ago I could rely on a few consistent retailers to deliver it, but today we’re increasingly left with two choices: fast (and cheap) fashion, which is also bad quality, poorly made, employing workers under questionable conditions, or over-priced “luxury” brands, which more and more don’t meet my expectations for quality, good construction, or interesting details. Luxury prices continue to inflate while the quality decreases. I’m not interested in paying a lot of money to advertise someone else’s brand by wearing a logo to communicate that I can afford over-priced clothes of mediocre quality.
In other words, there are very few acceptable options anymore. And it astonishes me that our options are so narrow.
That’s why I continue to sew and to design sewing patterns with interesting details that are achievable by anyone who is willing to invest a little time to learn to sew, to spend some time with the process,who also enjoys making and wearing clothing that is good quality, well made, and which doesn’t involve underpaid labor, logos, or poor-quality fabric.
And that’s why I’m still here, almost 18 years after launching this company, making sustainable sewing patterns for people who like making and wearing quality clothing. I’m determined to keep at it, although it often feels like I’m swimming against the stream.
This article from Vogue calls it “accessible luxury,” in a way that is apparently distasteful to the fashion industry, a disdainful category. I would argue that more of us should be striving to wear exactly that: quiet luxury that lasts. (The article eventually comes to the same conclusion, more or less. Will the fashion industry, and consumers, eventually embrace this idea? It would be beneficial to everyone, including the environment, if they did…)
In any case, I’m grateful to those of you who continue to support my small business and who also believe in good quality clothing, as well as the joy of making and wearing it. Thanks for taking this journey with me, for reading and following and for buying our patterns. I’m glad you’re here. You give me hope!