BEHIND THE SEAMS
Perhaps it’s just because I myself am a sewer, but in the past year or so I’ve noticed a solid uptick in online content centred around young gals sewing, and also selling clothes and other goods. It’s an uptick I’ve been pretty enthused about for a lot of reasons—the primary reason being it means more cutie sewing content for me to enjoy. But also because it’s an indicator of a much needed societal shift we’re making away from fast fashion. Personally, I’ve been advocating for this for years. I was raised in a second-hand centred household that was excited about the hidden gems (and the bargains) we could find in the op-shops. Plus my grandma was the president of the Newport Red Cross, not to brag or anything. It helps too that I very much know my way around a needle and thread.
When op-shopping first had its moment in the spotlight a few years back, when ‘Thrift Hauls’ were the hottest thing on YouTube, we saw an openness to alternative modes of fashion consumption for the first time in a long time. A dialogue opened surrounding the cost of traditional retail on our bank accounts and on the environment, and also surrounding the reality of modern, often unethical, clothing production. Simultaneously, I think a lot of young people became sick of micro-trends and the mass amounts it led them to acquire of cow print, furry dresses, and skinny jeans. While I recognise social media has been responsible for the propelling of those short-lived trends, it’s also social media now allowing smaller, more sustainable businesses to come to the forefront. Instagram businesses are entirely legitimate and incredibly functional for a lot of people. In some ways they’re more economic than having a brick and mortar store for there is no rent involved and no employees needed to physically man a shop. It also provides a flexible platform for still emerging designers and creators. Traditional storefronts are well suited to established brand names, or business owners where success or turnaround can be predicted. But for young people in the beginning stages of their career, pursuing business through Instagram means they can market, design and produce gradually without committing to anything but their own expectations. This also means that they can operate (or begin) as a one woman show if desired or needed. Removing the hours and dollars spent running a physical store allows these sewists to spend their time in studio creating their products while orders continue being placed. Previously, launching a business independently might have been a lot less feasible.
Of course, online shopping is nothing new—it’s been the fertiliser of fast fashion since the noughties. Personally I’ve always found it quite impractical. Nothing ever fits how I’d hoped, the inevitable returns feel like way too much effort and the options are always either overwhelming or underwhelming. In contrast, independently run brands allow for a personalised shopping experience a more farm to table style if you will, where you can communicate directly with the creator, order custom pieces, and actually see their production in depth. This connection to the creator and business owner is a large part of the appeal these businesses have. With their voice-overs narrating reels, q&as populating their stories, and BTS content of them packing orders, it’s hard not to enjoy feeling a closeness to these creators, and hence feeling like a better consumer. Part of me wonders if this is just romanticising consumerism by refreshing its aesthetic, but fashion, by definition, is consumable and aesthetic driven. And what distinctly sets these sole traders apart from the drivers of fast fashion is their motive: they want to follow their creative passion. Them actually realising this passion, and the willingness of consumers to support their doing so is, I think, reflective of our culture returning the value to manual labour and tangible goods—which is something I’m fully in support of. It’s cool to know how to cook, to have hobbies, to be able to provide for yourself more holistically. People are impressed when they compliment my outfit and I reply, ‘Thanks, I made it!’ They also usually tell me they wished they could sew or that they want to learn—there’s an increasing interest in working with our hands and having diverse skills. There’s a sense of accomplishment that comes from these things, which can be hard to come by in a world where there’s always someone else to compare yourself to. It’s also particularly special to hold an item and know its value: to know who sourced the fabric, graded the pattern and hand wrote the thank you card. This is the same reason that film photography has come back, vinyls are again sought after and magazines are being made. We seem to want to slow down, enjoy what we have, and be present; not be wanting for more, unsatisfied.
In an effort to showcase some individuals and small businesses who are walking this walk, we’ll be starting a series focusing on one creator a month who either makes and sells their own clothing and apparel products; sells solely second hand, small batch products; or has some other savvy and slow-fashion-esque business style we want to share. We admire the confidence, ambition and skill of these creators and are excited to promote our combined values with our audience to continue paving the way towards a more ethically led fashion landscape for our generation and country. The best part about all of this is…their products are really the best! They make all of the cutest fits you could dream of, the best quality, made with the most love. This shift is something you want to be in on, trust me. In the coming months you can look forward to exclusive interviews with the ladies behind Shop Chops, Be. the label, Bean by Jess and more. We’re fan girling a bit on the Wanderer end, we love the work of these women and are stoked to be in cahoots with them for this series.
