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July 24, 2020
I've been reading a ton of articles on various fashion business sites about the break down and collapse of the clothing manufacturing model. You know that one I talk about all the time - that fast/cheap fashion model.
As I've said before the monumentally huge impediment to moving from that model is that it is so financially attractive. So that by the time a designer or design company or a retailer wants to move away from it, the accountants, lenders and financial managers all say they will loose their profit and go out of business. Even when they want to, or try to make efforts to economize or redo their business so they can accomplish their goals of a more sustainable brand, the
financial people in the company won't let them.
This has been the big problem for progressing out of this business model brought on by the Grunge fashion trend.
I'm struck primarily of particular articles that extol this upheaval of this business model as a boon for independent companies and especially independent designers who own their own companies. Because they sell directly to the customer and don't go through brokers, manufacturers, and retail stores, they have an advantage to turn on a dime and redo their looks for the times we are in currently.
But a group who can turn on a dime faster than any other in the clothing business are sewists.
I noticed this when, during the 80's I started my design company. As designs were changing to those huge sleeves that could take flight in a good wind.
 
This is one of Vera Wang's first gowns, and the classic nature and style shows through. I loved these. When clients came to me with the latest from Vera Wang, I could say, "You bet!" and not have to deal with old inventory or try and sell old gowns. I could literally turn on a dime and create the gown that was so perfect for the girls immediately.
The ability to turn on a dime and completely switch styles from the poofy sleeve to the classic dress. And what made this even more exaggerated is that the Grunge look was taking hold. So while the kids were wearing this:
The parents were wanting something more "formal" for their deb or wedding gowns. So in the midst of that I'm doing this:
  
All totally classic, straight-forward and beautifully elegant for these gals to wear. And BTW, they loved having something that made them look gorgeous in the middle of all the ugliness they were wearing.
The point here is that another advantage (aside from well-fitting, well-constructed, flattering, personalized, unique) to sewing and that is that you can turn on a dime with the fashion.
Can't get clothes right now?....no problem, make them.
Can't get your fit?...no problem, make it.
Can't get your style?...no problem, design it.
Can't get that dream dress/top/pants/skirt (etc.)...no problem, it's in your stash waiting to be made.
So while the rest of the world is wondering what to wear in lock down, what to wear when you go out, and what to do with the clothes they thought they needed last winter when they bought that fashionable formal item for their cocktail party, sewists are ahead of the game - they are in the here and now and can sew that "here and now" style and have it immediately!
Don't you just love that?!
July's Feature Resource
Core Patterns are a great way to get to simplifying not only your sewing but also the selection process that you go through in selecting projects.
I personally keep a list of visual ideas on Pinterest (which is so perfect for this) so that when I'm perusing the net, I simply add photos or pictures to my Pinterest page, and make a little note like "Neckline," "Lapel," "Scarf," and on like that to draw my attention to that part that I like. Sometimes it's color or color combinations, sometimes it's a simple way that a collar rolls. Sometimes it's the whole dang thing.
Then when I get those, "I need a new red top," or "I don't have a good red top to go with all the red bottoms I have," or any other harebrained idea, I can simply check out my Pinterest page of ideas and boom I'm off and running.
Then there's finding the pattern, or even worse having to draft the whole thing up from scratch. But lately I've been turning more and more to my core patterns and with a little manipulation of those patterns, I have a pattern that fits, that's flattering, that's comfy and that is fairly time-efficient to make up.
These are all from my core knit pattern.
Now how do you pick out a core pattern? What makes a good core pattern? What are some ideas for variations? How do you avoid pitfalls in fabric selections for blocks or different sections on a core pattern?
And this resource also includes another bonus - how to better choose fabrics for your patterns and how to better purchase online fabrics that will work with your projects.
As usual this resource is 15% for the month of July - click here to see more..
PS - I do a lot of posting on Facebook as SewingArtistry - like my page to see more goodies!
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