Hobby to life(style)

Carefully snipping away the last of the loose threads from a completed sewing project has got to be one of the best feelings ever. Sewing can be such a tedious process especially for all the perfectionists out there. Yet it has remained my favorite hobby since receiving my sewing machine 5 years ago. I have always had an interest in fashion and have continued to use my sewing skills to elevate pieces in my wardrobe.

When I first began sewing it wasn’t by choice. My parents signed me up for sewing classes to get me involved in another activity. In the past I had always liked doing crafts and other creative things like drawing, so this did make sense. However I was unsure about it, I had never met anyone besides my grandma who sewed. I was quick to change my mind when I actually got to the lessons, I was given so much opportunity to pick a pattern and whatever fabric I wanted. I liked how starting off I had the instruction from the pattern to guide me. It was the perfect balance of creativity and structure that I had been looking for in an activity.

More recently I have been learning about the impact of fast fashion on the environment. It ties in so well to sewing, by creating our own clothing or being able to alter second hand clothing eliminates the need for any fast fashion purchases. Fast fashion is a huge part of the problem “although the price tags may be low, the environmental costs are extremely high” states Sarah Ye Co- President of Garb. While making it a goal to only buy ethical clothing seems good, many of the brands have high prices that are not reasonable for the common college student. Which is why thrifting is one of the few remaining options (Leon,1). Being a teenager with a minimum wage job I do tend to choose the thrift store over a high end sustainable brand. Mostly for money but also because it is fun, finding unique pieces usually not sold in stores anymore and even things that you know will be perfect once you alter it a bit. It is important for people to learn about how their fashion choices impact the environment forever. Instead of throwing away an item, donate it or try to turn it into something else. “In American 10.5 million tons of clothing is thrown out every year. With fashion evolving to produce more new clothing every week as opposed to a few times per year there is a dramatic shift in the quality and usage of each item. Now that most clothing is synthetic it can stay in landfills for hundreds of years without decaying at all” (Leon, 1). Hearing this statistic freaked me out, I always knew that I shouldn’t be wasteful but had never realized how detrimental tossing a few old clothes out is. I have now committed to not wasting clothing, by upcycling a shirt I haven’t worn since last trend season into something cool I save it from the dump and get to be creative. By avoiding first hand shopping less resources are wasted. So much water is needed in the production of clothing, a pair of jeans can take “roughly 1800 gallons of water to make”. This high number is similar for most other clothing items as well. This also goes along with less pollution. Cotton is heavily reliant on pesticides, almost 90% is genetically modified. Pesticides can contaminate water and soil, which ends up harming animals. Synthetic materials also produce a harmful greenhouse gas called nitrous oxide (Leon, 1).

I hope to educate younger generations on the impact of their fashion choices and easy switches they can make to help the environment. Also to encourage creativity in how they choose to do so, whether it is by designing and sewing their own clothing or reworking items they buy second hand. Every little bit pays off in the end. Sewing has brought me so much happiness and I have learned a lot over the years. I hope to continue growing my skills even as I transition into college this fall.

Sources: Leon, Leonela, et al. “Why Thrifting Is Good for the Planet, Not Just Your Wallet.” Student Environmental Resource Center, 17 Apr. 2019, serc.berkeley.edu/why-thrifting-is-good-for-the-planet-not-just-your-wallet/.