Is It Cheaper To Make Your Own Clothes?

I love sewing and I especially love sewing my own clothes but I often wonder if it is cheaper to sew my own clothes rather than buy them. Sewing your own clothes is extremely fun, rewarding and therapeutic, it can also be extremely beneficial for those who struggle to find clothes in their size or style.

Sewing your own clothes doesn’t often work out cheaper as the materials alone can be quite expensive though there are ways to cut the cost. This also depends on how much you regularly spend on clothes as a comparison as sewing your own clothes may be cheaper.

There are a lot of factors and things that go into making your own clothes from the fabric to the pattern and even the fastenings. All of which can amount to a high price if you aren’t careful, though you can save money on pretty much every aspect if you want to.

Here are some of the deciding factors of whether or not sewing your own clothes is cheaper than buying clothes.

Factors To Consider When Comparing Costs

Fabrics

The main base of any garment you make is going to be the fabric, you can’t do much more without it. With that said you may find the fabrics you want to use/need to use can quickly become quite expensive. Depending on what you are making, how much fabric you need and what types of fabrics you are using can all be contributing factors.

Alternatively, you can make this as cheap as you like by buying in bulk, odd ends or even recycling fabrics. Using recycled fabrics would significantly cut down your costs making it a much cheaper alternative to buying clothes not to mention better for the planet.

Brand Of Clothing

You may find making your own clothes cheaper than buying them depending on where you buy your clothes from. For example, if you predominantly buy your clothes from places such as Primark, New Look or H&M you will find sewing your own clothes more expensive after buying fabric etc.

Alternatively, if you are buying your clothes from more premium brands such as Hugo Boss, Jaeger and Tommy Hilfiger you may find some homemade garments cheaper. Making your own clothes compared to buying couture brands such as Balenciaga, Gucci and Fendi are much cheaper and more affordable.

Fastenings & Trims

There is much more that goes into making a piece of clothing other than the fabric itself, there are fastenings and trimmings. The fastenings can be anything from zips to buttons which can often add a small amount onto the overall cost of the garment.

Trimmings for a garment from decoration to flowers, feathers and more can really add up a small fortune to the overall expense of the garment. This increase in cost can severely impact your final total making your home-sewn garment more expensive than store-bought.

Quality Of Clothing

While the brand is one factor the quality of the clothing also matters, Cheaper clothing on average holds less value and the quality isn’t as good compared to more expensive clothing. If you are wearing lower quality clothing you may find it needs replacing quicker.

If you choose to sew your own clothes you can buy quality fabrics that will make the garment last longer. This in turn can work out cheaper as that one garment will outlast the numerous cheaper store-bought alternatives.

3 Ways To Make Sewing Your Own Clothes Cheaper Than Buying

I wanted to include some ways in which you can save money when looking to make your own clothes compared to buying them. Making anything for yourself doesn’t have to be expensive and can work out much cheaper than you maybe once thought.

Use Recycled Materials

You can find plenty of places these days that offer recycled fabrics to help the environment and keep your budget low. Many clothing stores are now making clothes with recycled plastics, clothing and materials so it is definitely available if you look hard enough.

You can even use your own clothing and recycle elements that way to save on buying fabric and making the most of the resources open to you.

Use Old Bedding, Curtains and Cloths

A wonderful way of keeping costs down when making your own clothes is to use old bedding, clothes and curtains as these are large pieces of fabrics that are great for creating clothing.

You can use your own bedding and curtains you no longer require or find some in charity shops that may be more to your style and colour preference.

Buy Secondhand or End Of Roll Fabric

You can buy cheaper fabrics from reuse shops, recycle shops and charity shops. That way you can find a lot of fabric for a little amount of money. Bedding and curtains are often large pieces of fabric without a seam which make great base pieces to use as fabric for clothing and large projects.

Alternatively, you can buy the end of roll pieces that will be large enough to make some garments at a reduced price, yet you don’t have to compromise on quality. You can find these on fabric stores, market stalls and online