‘Yes, I really did make it’

Press, 7 August 1985, Page 32

‘Yes, I really did make it’

“Gosh that suit you are wearing is beautiful. Where did you buy it?” “Oh, I made it.” “Really,” came the disbelieving reply. “I mean the material is the best I’ve seen and the cut, it fits you so well. Surely you must have had help with the design.” “Actually I did use a pattern but I adapted it to add some individuality.” The questioner goes away still rather unconvinced. Why? Probably because for years dressmaking has been hampered by a tag it never deserved. Too many people have labelled the homemade garment dull, unexciting, old-fashioned, but they have not had the evidence to back their claim. In most cases it is not easy to tell a homemade garment from a bought one — indeed, often the only way to differentiate is to look for a badly hung hem and you can be sure it won’t be on the garment made by the keen dressmaker. Today’s dressmaker, with the help of beautiful fabrics, is creating garments that can rival and surpass manufactured clothes in looks

and economically they win hands down. One of the big obstacles for dressmakers to overcome is lack of confidence. Many will create a superb outfit in the latest fashion look but will be reluctant to step out in it. Why? Perhaps because they don’t want to wear that unfair tag — they don’t want to hear whispers of “goodness, poor thing makes all her own clothes.” Of course there are many dressmakers who wear their clothes with confidence with the knowledge that they are wise, clever and creative.