Making your clothes vs. buying them?

Question

Is it better to make your own clothes if you know how, or to purchase them? Does it cost more to make them or to purchase them?

Answer 1

It can cost a lot to make your own clothes, especially 1) the start up cost for your first time, like sewing machine, scissors, etc and 2) good quality fabrics if you want nice clothing. On the other hand, if you make your own clothing it is gauranteed to fit you perfectly, unlike ready to wear clothing.

If you made an item of clothing, it would cost a lot less than buying the same one of a kind handmade item from a boutique. This is because if you buy it from a store, you are paying for the materials as well as the person's time to make it, and some extra for the store to make a profit.

On the other hand, your one of a kind hand made clothing will be a lot more expensive than mass produced clothing at Gap, Old Navy, Target, Walmart, and other stores. These stores use cheap labor, and buy large amounts of fabric in bulk which means they can make a less expensive product.

I took a sewing class from a very experienced young woman, who worked at a wedding dress shop in high school, and in college was majoring in clothing design and also designed costumes for campus theater productions. She made a lot of her own clothing, and the only thing she said was not worth the effort was jeans, because denim is a rediculously hard fabric to sew with a standard sewing machine.

Answer 2

My mother always made my clothes when I was in school -- I as very tall (5'9" by the end of the third grade) and thin. Finding pre-made clothing that fit was difficult. My mother was a very good seamstress and she knew how to alter the patterns to get the clothing to fit properly.

I still sew, but I don't make my clothing. Everything about sewing can be expensive -- from the sewing machine to the fabric, the thread, the patterns and the extras (buttons, zippers, interfacing, lining, etc.). Sewing also requires a lot of patience and a willingness to follow the instructions that come with the patterns. You can spend a lot of time and money making a garment to find that it really doesn't fit or look good. I prefer to be able to go try on the clothes and know they fit when I pay for them.

Now when I sew, I make quilts -- definitely an expensive undertaking. But it's much more enjoyable.

Answer 3

Many discount stores such as Wal-Mart, ShopKo, K-Mart, etc.. can sell clothes cheaper than you can make them. The majority of these clothes are made outside the US in sweatshops. These clothes may be cheaper, but also do not have the quality for long lasting especially in the stiches (slip stitches) and buttons which unravel easily if one thread is loose.

May be cheaper to buy for quanity.
Cheaper to make if desire quality.

Answer 4

If i could make my own clothes, i would. I would not have fear of bumping into sby with exactly the same clothes, and find out she looks better in it than i do. It would be much cheaper too.

Answer 5

At one time, years ago it was cheaper to sew your own clothing. Now fabric is very expensive as well as notions to finish your project. It is only practical if you cannot find something pre-made + really want it.

Answer 6

If you know how to make your own clothes, I would imagine it would be cheaper to do so than to buy them.