Hi. I’m Beverly. Here’s a little bit about me and why I sew.
I have always been a big girl. Even as as child, I had a hard time fitting into clothes off the rack. I can still remember the panic I felt when I was elected to represent my first grade class in the school Valentine’s day coronation because I knew I wouldn’t have anything to wear for the ceremony. Luckily, my grandmother sewed me a dress that made me feel great. She made me exactly what I had described: a long pink dress with ruffles and ribbons. I completed the look with curled hair and Dorothy Hamill glasses. Looking back, I cringe at the style but, hey, it was the 80’s and I was six. My personal style may not have been fully formed at that point, but at that early age I learned a very important lesson: there is nothing wrong with my body! It’s the CLOTHES that don’t fit me, not the other way around. I saw that the only way to get clothes to fit my body is to sew them myself. I learned to sew from my from my grandmother, and I’ve kept my love of sewing to this day.
So, the number one reason I sew is fit. Although I am a full-figured woman, the issue of fit is not unique to my body type. I can’t tell you how many people with more culturally ideal bodies than mine complain about fit issues. All you have to do is listen in on women in the dressing room and you’ll hear about how their “butt is too big/flat, boobs are too big/small, legs are too long/short,” etc., etc. Many women are even reduced to tears and feel demoralized that they’ve tried on dozens of outfits and yet nothing fits. That breaks my heart. Ladies, you are beautiful. Just because your body deviates from the proportions used by the clothing industry does not mean that there is something wrong with you. Be proud of your shape! Make your own clothes that accentuate your assets and minimize the areas that you don’t want to highlight.
Another main reason I sew is style. Personal style. I want my clothes not only to fit, but to say something about who I am. If I limit myself to just the clothes that are sold in stores I am making myself a slave to the fashion industry. Trends come and go, but style endures. As much as I admire a pair of skinny jeans and knee high boots on someone else, that is not a look I will ever wear. Ever. It’s just not me. Also, as a plus-size woman, I am not given a wide variety of styles to choose from in the stores. Believe it or not, I don’t want to wear elastic waist pants and boxy tops. I want to wear colors, prints, and shapes that speak to me, make me feel beautiful, confident, and like the best version of my truest self.
Another issue that constantly nags at me is the ugly side of the fast fashion industry. In order to have constantly changing trends at an affordable price, our clothes are made poorly, out of cheap materials in foreign factories. The workers are grossly underpaid and treated in ways that go against my moral compass. I cannot enjoy an item that was made from human suffering. Our throwaway culture has tremendous environmental and human rights side effects that I just can’t ignore. While the price of fast fashion may be low, the cost is high. Making my own clothes is, therefore, also an act of social activism. I know where my materials come from and I can construct one-of-a-kind garments of a high quality that will last a very long time. It feels good to be a maker and not just a consumer.
Finally, I know that a lot of sewers say that thrift is one of their main reasons for sewing, but for me, that’s not the case. While it’s true that items of comparable quality to my creations would cost more in the store, there is no way to beat the prices of today’s cheap, mass-produced clothing. Having a closet full of junk is not something I aspire to. Since it is cheaply made, fast fashion isn’t intended to last. The flimsy materials are not comfortable, don’t drape well or breathe and it’s no wonder you don’t want to wear any of it. As a result, you keep going out to buy more cheap clothes, and the cycle continues. I’d rather spend a little more on a few items that I love because they make me look and feel great. To me, that is money well spent.
So, those are some of the reasons why I started sewing. What are some of yours?
You can reach me at beverly [at] sewbeverly [dot] com.