Anyone can learn how to sew if they wanted to. While yes the skills you learn can come in Handy for repairs and re-purposing what of making your own clothes? Buy the Fabric and make them? Would it be costlier than buying ready-made clothes? Can someone save some money thusly?
Technically you can indeed save money by making your own clothes, but since there are a lot of thrift stores as well, then you can just buy used clothes and you get to save money just the same.
It depends on the clothes. I've bought t-shirts at Goodwill for $1 to $1.99, so buying fabric and sewing a shirt would not be cheaper. On the other hand, making a prom dress would be cheaper than buying a $300 prom dress. So yes, sewing your own clothes can save you money on certain types of clothes, but it doesn't work for everything. I bought a pair of gray velour drawstring lounging pants for $3 on clearance at Walmart. You can't get 3 yards of plush gray velour for $3 ,so sewing wouldn't save you money in that case. I would suggest that before starting to see a new garment, look at your shopping options and see if you can buy that piece cheaper than making it.
There is an old sewing machine in my husband's ancestral home which was being used before by my mother-in-law. My brother's youngest sister studied sewing because she plans to put up a small garment business. But for her training, she would be making the dresses of her children. After some months of studying and sewing, she surrendered and admitted that it is cheaper to buy ready-made clothes than to sew by herself which is a tedious job.
I have a passion for making crafts and giving old clothes new designs by a little bit of cutting and sewing. Just the other week, I found an old skirt of mine while I was clearing out my closet from unused clothes to provide additional space. I didn't want to get rid of it so I thought of a way to make it feel brand new again so I turned it into a cross necked tube. I would love to sew my own self-designed clothing one day too as soon as I learn how to. Aside from saving, it gives a feeling of pride that you were able to make your very own unique outfit.
You can buy very cheap clothing, made in China or somewhere else in Asia, but there are of course many reasons not to buy these ... Buying secondhand clothing is a better option and if you are lucky you can find something that suits your style, but it can be hard finding your size and taste in a secondhand shop. Making your own can be cheap, depending on the material you use. I have recently started knitting and I feel it is a bit expensive to buy good quality wool. But I love the fact that you make something yourself and it is fun If you make your own clothing you can be creative and make unique pieces.
Overall, I do feel like making your own clothes would be cheaper. But I also think that it depends upon what type of clothes you are looking to make. If you are going to buy materials that are good quality, and expensive, then you may end up spending more money than you would have had you purchased clothing from an actual store.
It would be cheaper in a sense that you'll spend less money for your clothes compared to buying them from stores. However, the con of doing this is that you'll spend some time creating your clothes which hurts your earning potential. I firmly believe that time is money and you are spending your time doing things that won't let you earn more, or widen your network, then you are wasting your time.
Good OP. Yes, it can be cheaper to save by making your own clothes if as mentioned by others the cost of materials and notions are of good quality. Keeping your eye out for sales at fabric shops is a must. Buying fabrics in an off season can save you money. If you know someone who works in a fabric store that would extend their employee discounts to you would be great or even a senior citizen. Sometimes I go to estate sales and find fabrics, yarns and notions. To save you have to think out of the box.
Most people say that the cost of buying fabric outweighs the benefits of making their clothes. Now in terms of creativity, it is more fun and creatively satisfying to make your own clothes, and that is what they like about it. Of course, not everyone sees it that way.
I think so, yes. I see it as very similar to knowing how to plant or farm. Having the skill certainly helps in the way that you always have the option to just rely on yourself if necessary even though you could just buy it at the store. If you know how to sew then you could make expensive looking clothes with just cloth and a sewing machine. In that way, what would have costed you hundreds of dollars can be made with just under half of that price, and the same goes for the many clothes you could use for home as well.
Have you considered refashioning clothes? It combines the cheapness of thrift shopping with the creativity of sewing. Some people buy a dress that is several sizes too big or looks outdated and they cut and sew it into a cuter and more current style. For example, this girl bought a cheap old dress at a thrft store and refashioned it into a cute skirt.
If you can sew well, and have access to cheap materials, then there is no reason that you shouldn't be able to make something very cheaply indeed. But sewing isn't a skill that everybody has. I certainly can't really sew to the level that I would need to be able to in order to actually wear any of the clothes that I make. If you are lucky enough to have that skill, though, you could definitely save a lot of money indeed!
There are ways to save money on the cost of material like going to the second hand store getting something that has good fabric but bad style and use the fabric to make something new. Also making your own clothes is also about your own style. When you make your own clothes you can add or remove things on the item that you do not like or change a collar or sleeve and make the item a one of a kind, all you.
Like ACSAPA who covered it all is so right. I know how to sew and went to special classes outside of school like a finishing school to learn how to sew too. I went to Walmart and saw material for sale and it all was over $4 a yard. I too bought a short pants at Walmart for just 3.83 guess shipping is bringing costs higher for Hawaii, so it's cheaper to buy ready made. When I was younger a long time ago material was so inexpensive not today though. Many fabric merchants have since closed and never returned. Crafting is different for you can sell your sewn items with a good profit. I know people who make a living sewing things and selling what they sew. There's ebya, craft fairs, events and festivals where a lot of artisans have booths. Many do this type of business on the side too.
I learned how to sew in high school, but didn't keep it up. Now, I have been watching tons of basic sewing videos on YouTube. Sewing your own clothes can be cheaper, but I picking up sewing again because I need certain garments which are hard to find in department stores. Plus, I live in Southern California which has a great garment district. My friend told me of a designer outlet that sells fabric at $2.50 per pound. I am so excited about visiting that store.
I would love to be able to make my own clothes, I'm good at fixing tears and mending seams but I wouldn't know where to start making a skirt for example. I also think making your own clothes would be good for weekend or casual outings but not for the office. Unless you're a professional that is.
I have a good friend who makes a lot of her own clothes, and I have always been jealous because it seems like it is really easy for her to do it, and I know that if I tried I would just struggle and fail and get frustrated. She does spend a lot of time on them though, so it is not like it is something that you can just easily pick up and start saving, you need to have some skill.
I think the cost of fabric, time and effort would be a downfall to making your own clothes. My mother used to make a lot of my clothes when I was younger but it was more I couldn't find clothes that fit me well so she tailor made my clothes. I don't thinkwe saved on the cost of the clothes she made. In fact it would have probably cost a lot less had we bought the clothes at a store. She is a great seamstress. A friend of mine's sister is also a fantastic sewer and made a bridesmaid dress for me. I think I paid her $100 to make the dress plus the cost of fabric so there wasn't a whole lot of savings there.
The actual cost of the materials for making your own clothing can be very cheap - much cheaper than buying the same quality. HOWEVER, as a couturier, I know the amount of time and effort that it takes to construct something beautiful and one of a kind. I would say that it depends on how much that you value your time. Making your own clothing is a very time consuming endeavor.
