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Original poster

What are your thoughts on homemade clothes?

137 replies

ClothingDilemma · 18/04/2026 19:59

My mum has recently retired and taken up sewing. She’s absolutely brilliant at it and we’ve come to an agreement that if I pick patterns, she’ll buy them (as she can reuse them) and I will buy the fabric for her to make the clothes for me.

I am really keen as it seems such a sustainable and fabulous idea. Clothes that are made to measure (so they’re more flattering) and no waste or fast fashion. It also works out to be a lot cheaper than purchasing at a high street store!

My partner, however, thinks it’s a stupid idea and I’ll just look silly.

YABU - it’s a bad idea.

YANBU - it’s a fabulous idea

OP posts:
Boomer55 · 19/04/2026 08:02

ClothingDilemma · 18/04/2026 19:59

My mum has recently retired and taken up sewing. She’s absolutely brilliant at it and we’ve come to an agreement that if I pick patterns, she’ll buy them (as she can reuse them) and I will buy the fabric for her to make the clothes for me.

I am really keen as it seems such a sustainable and fabulous idea. Clothes that are made to measure (so they’re more flattering) and no waste or fast fashion. It also works out to be a lot cheaper than purchasing at a high street store!

My partner, however, thinks it’s a stupid idea and I’ll just look silly.

YABU - it’s a bad idea.

YANBU - it’s a fabulous idea

If your mum is a good dressmaker, as mine was, there’s no problem with it at all. 👍

Nannyfannybanny · 19/04/2026 08:00

I make a lot of my own clothes. Even m and s these days don't Finnish garments properly,loose threads. I sew them in by hand. My dks give me alterations... just shortened 2 pairs of trousers for ds. Where I live in the se fabric is expensive, and things like zips are very expensive.

Kitt1 · 19/04/2026 07:52

I sew a lot of my own clothes but it definitely isn’t a cheap option compared to buying from the High street.

Good quality fabric is very expensive. (I live in Ireland so mostly buy online from Europe as Brexit buggered up buying fabric from the UK)

However, it’s very nice to be complimented on my style and reply “thanks, it’s my own creation”.

Sartre · 19/04/2026 07:51

It’s a lovely idea, why even question it?! I wish I’d stuck at sewing as a teen. I did textiles at GCSE and my Dad bought me a sewing machine but I wasn’t very good and I gave up. Designing the clothes was so much fun!

FuckRealityBringMeABook · 19/04/2026 07:48

DilemmaDelilah · 19/04/2026 04:30

If she's good at it, go for it!!!

Frame it as not 'home-made' but 'hand-made' - or even 'made to measure ' or 'custom-made'.

Bespoke

FuckRealityBringMeABook · 19/04/2026 07:48

Bridgertonisbest · 18/04/2026 23:13

Those £1 a metre fabrics won’t be worth wearing. They’ll be horrible to work with and even worse to wear.

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Nonsense

FuckRealityBringMeABook · 19/04/2026 07:36

TonTonMacoute · 18/04/2026 20:09

If your mum is good at sewing then there is no way you will look 'silly' wearing home made clothes that she has made to fit you.

I would say that, as someone who has made their own clothes for many decades now, it is not cheaper to make your own clothes any more. Fabric is bloody expensive! If you know somewhere to get reasonably priced fabric please share.

I make my own clothes from bedsheets and tablecloths. I get them free from FB marketplace a lot of the time.

imhereforcake · 19/04/2026 07:33

I think handmade is cheaper than shop bought if you are making for yourself but the price if you make to sell can make it unaffordable. I make for myself kids and grandkids and get 99% of my fabric from a Facebook group fabrics by Penny community group as they sell amazing quality fabrics (no polyester) eg cotton Lycra in fab fun prints for £10 a metre so can easily make a couple of outfits for the grandkids for just £10 plus my time

Amiacoolorwarmcolour · 19/04/2026 06:51

Fantastic idea.
Unless your dh is Tom Ford I wouldn’t heed his fashion advice.

66babe · 19/04/2026 06:48

I’m jealous .. I’d love this idea and if she could make some for me I’d be very happy
Tell him he’s an arse

CurlewKate · 19/04/2026 06:43

He’s being an arse about it. But I hate the idea of pretending- your mum’s made something lovely, she should get the credit for it. “My mother made it-she’s so clever!”

3GoldenLamps · 19/04/2026 06:28

I'd LOVE it.

But not going to happen because my mother can't sew (neither can I) and she is incredibly critical of my body shape (I inherited the same figure as her) and I'd never let her get near me with a tape measure.

But proper homemade lovely clothes- that would be a dream!

Bikergran · 19/04/2026 06:25

ClothingDilemma · 18/04/2026 20:02

It’s all very normal. Cotton trousers, linen dresses, some skirts. Very much what I’d normally wear. He thinks that if someone asks where it’s from, saying “my mum made it” sounds childish.

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Ah, there's the nub of it. He wants you/him to be able to boast about your clothes, as he only feels validated by labels. What a sad shallow little man. Anyone with any experience of a good dressmaker would choose that over off the peg any day.

ChocolateCinderToffee · 19/04/2026 06:04

Your OH is a twat.

whattheflipz · 19/04/2026 05:13

Ltb 🫣

bridgetreilly · 19/04/2026 05:06

Nothing wrong with saying homemade, or made by your mum. No need to ponce around saying bespoke, handmade, couture. Home sewing is ace!

DilemmaDelilah · 19/04/2026 04:30

If she's good at it, go for it!!!

Frame it as not 'home-made' but 'hand-made' - or even 'made to measure ' or 'custom-made'.

TenTenTenAgain · 18/04/2026 23:32

I hope you enjoy learning to sew op , once you are able to make things that fit and are good quality you won't go back to ready to wear.

I've been sewing seriously for about 5 years and most of my wardrobe is handmade now. Everything from coats and dresses to bags and t shirts.

My mum knits and has kindly made me a couple of jumpers so I think your husband is being ridiculous. I tell people with pride that she makes me things. It's such a skill that she has.

Make sure you refuse to do your husband's hemming op , he doesn't deserve your sewing time after what he's been saying!

Forthesteps · 18/04/2026 23:20

ClothingDilemma · 18/04/2026 20:02

It’s all very normal. Cotton trousers, linen dresses, some skirts. Very much what I’d normally wear. He thinks that if someone asks where it’s from, saying “my mum made it” sounds childish.

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He's an idiot. I'd be impressed, especially as I have three left thumbs and can barely manage hemming...

Bridgertonisbest · 18/04/2026 23:13

ClothingDilemma · 18/04/2026 21:58

Yes but the entire point is there’s no wages being paid as it’s a hobby, not a job. She is happy to do it unpaid and, eventually, I’ll be doing it unpaid too. If it was a business that would be different.

And as others have pointed out, you can get cotton for £1 a metre.

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Those £1 a metre fabrics won’t be worth wearing. They’ll be horrible to work with and even worse to wear.

Pacificsunshine · 18/04/2026 22:58

It depends how talented your mum is. You can’t compete with fast fashion on price. But you can compete with made to measure on price. Picking the right weight and drape of fabric for a particular pattern makes a huge difference.

If your mums creations are flattering, and people ask where you got it from, and you tell them your mum sewed them. They will be dead impressed, and jealous.

Shoemadlady · 18/04/2026 22:54

I think just as well she’s making them for you and not him, as such, it’s none of his business. Where does he think other clothes are made? In a fairy factory?

SurleyTurnip · 18/04/2026 22:52

I am very impressed by people who can make clothes. I watch a few people on YouTube who are self taught and they make nice stuff.

Dragonscaledaisy · 18/04/2026 22:44

I've been making my own clothes and doing alterations since I was a teenager and got my first sewing machine. I love having unique pieces.

Aparecium · 18/04/2026 22:41

A fashionista friend once commented on a top I was wearing. I said, proudly, “It’s handmade.” “Oh,” he sneered, “Do you know the name of the person who made it?” He, quite rightly, had a thing about sweatshops, but went about it in a very snobbish way. Imagine his expression when I smiled and replied, “Yes,” and gave my DM’s name. He was so astounded that it took a long time for him to twig that our very unusual surnames were the same.