The Imperfect Perfect Turquoise Top

 

A couple of weeks ago I picked up a turquoise top from a charity flea market. The top was fine as it was and fit me great so there really wasn't any need to refashion it. But somehow I thought the top looked boring, factory-made, and a little too shop-bought - in other words I had an irresistable urge to imperfect it. Yes, I did not want it to look perfectly machine made, but I longed for that handmade look.

I cut up one of my mum's old cardigans she didn't want anymore and framed the neckline and made long ties with the fabric harvested from the cardigan. Then I took off the offensively matching buttons (how dare they match!) along the sleeves and replaced them with two different kinds of black buttons, half of them also retrieved from said cardigan. The result: perfect bliss! 

mismatched buttons

I agree wholeheartedly with Zoe's arguments that we are somehow brainwashed into thinking that store-bought is best and factory-made is perfection. Even in some of our own homemade clothes we (or I at least) often mimic the factory look, even in cases when we know that the garment in question would become more durable or look better if we used a technique that makes the garment look handmade, like a hand-picked zipper or a lining attached by hand to a dress. Somehow handmade and homemade are dirty words and are only acceptable if they perfectly resemble and are indistinguishable from the store-bought.

wonky neckline sticthes from the inside

Obviously a professional dressmaker will get results that are better than mine but even professional dressmakers won't necessarily make clothes that look like they were made in a factory but like they were made by a professional dressmaker because they were. But somehow I think our tastes have changed over the years to preferring factory-made over anything else because this is what we see the most and have come to accept as good and normal.

Oops! Slightly wobbly edge

But I'm not a factory and if I want to keep being happy making my own clothes it may be wise to accept - or even love - the way my clothes look over clothes that are made in a factory. I think this top is an example of how my tastes have changed to preferring homemade, as if the lack of homemade 'flaws' somehow signalled imperfection. Luckily, my top is now perfect!

imperfect homemade photo of me not paying attention to the camera

 

 

 

Any thoughts on homemade vs. factory-made, anyone?! Would love to hear them.