The handmade revival
October 4th 2010 02:01
It wasn’t so long ago that if you told someone your clothes were handmade, they’d look at you with scorn, or worse, pity in their eyes. Back in the 1980s, we were (as Madonna so eloquently put it) living in a material world, a world of massive consumption where there was absolutely no shame in being part of the capitalist machine. Labels like Nike and Reebok were at the top of their game, the humanitarian issues surrounding fast fashion were largely unknown, and no-one gave two hoots about squandering our natural resources. If you wanted it, you went out and bought it, with little thought as to where it came from or whether you actually needed it.
But somewhere between the stock market crash of the late 1980s and the vintage fashion revolution of the 1990s, people began to realize that having lots of stuff just wasn’t cutting it anymore. The seemingly ubiquitous shopping malls had lost their shine, the exploitation of cheap overseas labour by our favourite brands had begun to surface in the media, and we slowly began to understand just how much our consumer culture was damaging the natural environment.
In addition to these large-scale problems, we’d also lost our sense of individuality, and the very sense of love that came from wearing (or having) something that was handmade. “When we make things, we make them with love and out of love for the people who matter to us,” says writer Francesca Newby in Notebook: Magazine.
“We make something that will live on beyond us… not because of how they look or what they’re worth, but because you cared enough to make them at all.”
Handmade clothes were all that anyone wore back in the day; in fact until mass production became the way of the world in the post-war 1950s, it was highly unusual for anyone to wear a ‘bought’ dress. “The majority of women would turn to a dressmaker for a new frock, funds permitting, or stitch it up themselves if not,” says Newby. “If you needed it, you made it, or you found someone who could.”
The 1960s saw a massive boom in high-street retail stores, but even as late as the 1970s women still had a large proportion of their wardrobe that was hand-stitched, knitted or crocheted. “It wasn’t until the 1980s that ‘handmade’ became a badge of shame, and labels became the only way to avoid the scorn of your peers,” says Newby.
The 80s was a decade of rampant commercial progress that was born out of optimism, but ultimately left many people feeling empty. What joy is there to be had in acquiring endless amounts of ‘stuff’? And how can we ever appreciate something if we never had to long for it in the first place? So many questions that led to the one very simple answer: that maybe to step definitively into the future, we needed to reflect on the past and reinstate some old-fashioned values.
The vintage fashion revolution of the late 20th century definitely paved the way for the revival of handmade clothing, but rather ironically, it wasn’t until the last decade when every woman and her dog became tech-savvy that we realized how important the old skills of sewing and knitting really are. In 2010, there is a huge number of online communities dedicated to these old-school crafts, and the designer handmade marketplace (pioneered by the truly fabulous Etsy) is booming.
In a matter of a few short years, fashion-conscious chicks have been given virtually unlimited access to unique, handmade designer clothes and accessories, and designers of all backgrounds have been able to peddle their wares to a worldwide audience, with minimal overhead costs. And to think that it was technological progress that allowed such a revolution of the old-school arts to take place!
The new generation of fashionistas is one that is both environmentally and socially aware. We know about the pitfalls of fast fashion, and there are growing numbers of us who are doing all we can to move away from the money-obsessed, throwaway society of the late 20th century. By embracing the handmade revival and learning to either make things ourselves, or support those who do, we’re not only helping the world at large but also keeping our individuality intact at the same time. And there’s nothing more stylish than that.
To take part in the handmade revival, check out Etsy, the UK’s Folksy and its brilliant Aussie counterpart Made It. Other wonderfully inspirational handmade revival websites include Indie Art & Design, Sublime Stitching, The Make Lounge and many, many more.
Hand-sewn and knitted garments are experiencing a surge in popularity among fashion-savvy Gen Y.
But somewhere between the stock market crash of the late 1980s and the vintage fashion revolution of the 1990s, people began to realize that having lots of stuff just wasn’t cutting it anymore. The seemingly ubiquitous shopping malls had lost their shine, the exploitation of cheap overseas labour by our favourite brands had begun to surface in the media, and we slowly began to understand just how much our consumer culture was damaging the natural environment.
In addition to these large-scale problems, we’d also lost our sense of individuality, and the very sense of love that came from wearing (or having) something that was handmade. “When we make things, we make them with love and out of love for the people who matter to us,” says writer Francesca Newby in Notebook: Magazine.
“We make something that will live on beyond us… not because of how they look or what they’re worth, but because you cared enough to make them at all.”
Handmade clothes were all that anyone wore back in the day; in fact until mass production became the way of the world in the post-war 1950s, it was highly unusual for anyone to wear a ‘bought’ dress. “The majority of women would turn to a dressmaker for a new frock, funds permitting, or stitch it up themselves if not,” says Newby. “If you needed it, you made it, or you found someone who could.”
The 1960s saw a massive boom in high-street retail stores, but even as late as the 1970s women still had a large proportion of their wardrobe that was hand-stitched, knitted or crocheted. “It wasn’t until the 1980s that ‘handmade’ became a badge of shame, and labels became the only way to avoid the scorn of your peers,” says Newby.
The 80s was a decade of rampant commercial progress that was born out of optimism, but ultimately left many people feeling empty. What joy is there to be had in acquiring endless amounts of ‘stuff’? And how can we ever appreciate something if we never had to long for it in the first place? So many questions that led to the one very simple answer: that maybe to step definitively into the future, we needed to reflect on the past and reinstate some old-fashioned values.
The vintage fashion revolution of the late 20th century definitely paved the way for the revival of handmade clothing, but rather ironically, it wasn’t until the last decade when every woman and her dog became tech-savvy that we realized how important the old skills of sewing and knitting really are. In 2010, there is a huge number of online communities dedicated to these old-school crafts, and the designer handmade marketplace (pioneered by the truly fabulous Etsy) is booming.
In a matter of a few short years, fashion-conscious chicks have been given virtually unlimited access to unique, handmade designer clothes and accessories, and designers of all backgrounds have been able to peddle their wares to a worldwide audience, with minimal overhead costs. And to think that it was technological progress that allowed such a revolution of the old-school arts to take place!
The new generation of fashionistas is one that is both environmentally and socially aware. We know about the pitfalls of fast fashion, and there are growing numbers of us who are doing all we can to move away from the money-obsessed, throwaway society of the late 20th century. By embracing the handmade revival and learning to either make things ourselves, or support those who do, we’re not only helping the world at large but also keeping our individuality intact at the same time. And there’s nothing more stylish than that.
To take part in the handmade revival, check out Etsy, the UK’s Folksy and its brilliant Aussie counterpart Made It. Other wonderfully inspirational handmade revival websites include Indie Art & Design, Sublime Stitching, The Make Lounge and many, many more.
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Comment by Erica Louise