Guest Post: Elena Cresci

I first met Len when I worked at Lush in Cardiff. Her energy always left me speechless and her lovely and friendly self made me feel at home in a new job. After getting to know each other, I found out that like me, Len had a passion for journalism. Through hard work and determination, Len has landed  a place on the prestigious post grad course at Cardiff University. Due to my busy week and stupid cold (I sound like Darth Vader) Len is going to take over the blog for the day and give you guys something to read! ENJOY! 

follow len at @Elenacresci

“Yep, I made it myself!” - Why fast fashion doesn’t do it for me anymore

Before I picked up my sewing machine on a whim two Summers ago, the most complex garment I’d attempted was a poorly hand-stitched square of a skirt, made out of quilter’s cotton I’d found in Swansea market. Topshop had a line of beautiful floral skirts at the time, but my student loan couldn’t quite stretch to their pricetag. A friend quipped how she could probably make that skirt if she wanted, and I thought, well, why not? Two years later, I’ve made a fair few fashion nightmares, but also some lovely garments I’m quite proud of, including dresses for various Uni balls.

The appeal of sewing your own wardrobe goes beyond the cost of garment alone; in fact, I’d say I’ve had a few occasions where I’ve spent more on the fabric and notions than I would have on a high-street item. Yet when you’re sewing for yourself, you are in control of fit, fabric, style, even if you’re using a sewing pattern. I’ve lost count of how many ill-fitting garments I’ve worn in the past. The high street have to cater for a larger scope of people; as a seamstress, I cater for me and me alone.

Before sewing, I would probably spend a fair bit of cash on poorly mass-made items, and I still do to this day. When it comes to price, we’re all willing to lower our standards, and when it comes to fashion, if it looks good and it costs a tenner, it’s win win, right? Yet when seasons change, when harem pants/floral prints/insert trend here go out of fashion, what happens to the garments which don’t even make it off the discount rack? Our consumption of fashion, much like our consumption of junk food, demands more more more, and fast. For the eco-minded and ethical shopper, it’s a bit of a minefield, and I’m far from innocent; I can still spy a good bargain from a mile off, especially if it’s something I couldn’t necessarily make to a wearable quality.

While there are separate issues of ethical fabric sources which come hand in hand with sewing, you’d be surprised how much learning to sew removes you from this cycle of consumption. Lately, I’ve found my shopping routine consists of “Could make that. Made that. If I had time, I would SO make that!” and so on and so forth. My attitude nowadays seems to be why buy it if I can make it? Although coats, blouses and trousers are currently exempt from this rule, for as long as the technique for buttonholes continue to evade me. On the plus side, trawling through charity shops has an added dimension. If it doesn’t fit, there’s always a sewing machine on hand to restyle and resize!

Sewing does take time, and I know I’ll never keep up with the ‘trends’, because I just don’t sew that quickly! But I have noticed a curious phenomenon lately in that the garments I’m wearing more and more often are ones which are self-made, and not even necessarily because they’re my nicest. There’s a degree of comfort and self-confidence in wearing a skirt you spent ages making yourself.

Fancy giving sewing a whirl? As a fledgling seamstress, my first stop was BurdaStyle.com, which offers a community of like-minded craftsters providing inspiration and advice, as well as a site which offers an array of free patterns for you to download and whip up yourself. There’s a wealth of inspiration and advice on offer on the blogosphere. A favourite of mine is Gertie of Gertie’s New Blog For Better Sewing (http://www.blogforbettersewing.com/), who creates some jaw-dropping vintage inspired creations which will have you trawling eBay for vintage sewing patterns in no time.  If you like, drop by my sewing blog Can’t Say Strawberry and say hi!