Never Acquire Clothes the Same Way Again
“Learning to sew will not only help you avoid the environmental horrors of modern retail; it will show you the thrill of wearing clothes that actually fit. This is not an argument for a cottage-core lifestyle in which you hand-make every raw-linen garment that touches your body. I’m more for an incremental approach: Acquiring a few basic sewing skills, little by little, will change how you get dressed. Even if you never make a whole garment from scratch, knowing how to adjust a seam will make secondhand shopping easier and more accessible. And when you’re looking for new clothes, knowing your measurements will help you order only items that are likely to fit. The goal is not to become a master tailor. It’s to become fluent in how clothes fit your body.”
This, this, this! If I could emphasize one of the things Ann Friedmans says it's knowing your measurements, really knowing them. And, guess what? You have to measure yourself again every so often because bodies change all the time. I find making clothes to be so satisying, but especially because I've often changed things after a few wears to get things just right. I realize not everyone will do this, but everyone can get to know their body better and make better choices when buying clothes—at the rate we throw things out, that's a start.