Buying vs. Sewing: Which is better?

Sometimes I hear people talking about whether it is better to buy clothes, or to make them yourself, and since I do a lot of sewing I thought it might be interesting to talk about this. Since we now live in a generation where very few women actually can sew clothing, the answer is usually "buy", simply because they know no other way. But for those who can sew, or who want to learn, you may be wondering if it is worth it at all.

When my mom was a teenager, she sewed a lot of her own clothes. At that time it was definitely more cost effective, not to mention completely normal to do so. Patterns, fabric and notions were often considerably less expensive than buying a new, ready-to-wear item.

Today, however, clothing can be made so cheaply (often overseas) that once you buy all the materials you need, plus consider the time it will take to make what you want, that you will often spend more money sewing than buying. However, when deciding if you should make or buy something, it is important to not just compare like items (ie: a store bought t-shirt vs. a homemade t-shirt) but also the quality of items (ie. materials used, weave and durability of fabric, linings, notions, etc). Handmade items are often better quality than store bought items.

For example, if you see a blouse you like at Forever 21, it will probably be priced around $10-$20. We can know from this price, as well as from taking a look over the shirt itself, that this item is probably cheaply made and may not last more than a couple of seasons. If that's ok with you, then it's probably better to just buy the shirt than try to make it, because it will be more expensive once you get all of the materials and account for your time (although you may be able to produce something of better quality).  However, if you see a blouse at Nordstrom, or a store with similar quality items, it will probably priced between $75-$100, and in that case you can surely re-create a similar item (in look and quality) for less.

Here are a few examples of my own recreations when I decided to try my hand at sewing instead of buying:

I saw this dress on Corilynn, and fell in love with it. 

I knew it was a good quality item based on the information given and product reviews, but at $145, it just wasn't something I could afford. In this case it was definitely less expensive for me to make my own version, which I did for around $40, plus lots of time. 

Another example of when sewing may be the way to go is when you want a more custom piece. I saw this dress on Merrick's Art and thought it would be great for summer. 

She made her own design, using a Stella McCartney dress as her inspiration. The Stella McCartney dress is no longer available, (and no doubt would have been beyond my budget anyway) so this is a time when sewing can allow you to create something you can't find in stores. (A custom dress made by someone else will almost always cost a lot of money).

I used the same pattern from my dress above, with a few tweaks, and created this dress for around $30, (plus lots of time). 

It should be noted that while the dresses I made were similar to those that I couldn't afford, they weren't perfect. Patterns vary, as do fabrics, and you may not get the exact fit you were hoping for. This is especially true if you, like me, are an amateur seamstress (I am learning new things all the time) and may not have all the skills needed to get a perfect fit. So while the materials may be cheaper than a ready-to-wear piece, you always risk the possibility of spending that time and money on something that doesn't turn out exactly like you hoped.

Sewing can also be a good option if it's just something you simply enjoy doing. I love to sew, so for me, the extra time it takes to make an item doesn't really feel like an extra expense. But if you don't enjoy sewing, the savings just might not be worth it to you.

What do you think? Is it better to buy or sew?