General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Are you going to change your buying practices because of the Bangladesh building collapse? [View all]politicat
(9,808 posts)I make most of my clothes (socks and tights are the exception) so no changes there. Most of my fabric is either vintage/scavenged (estate sales) or American/European mill ends already because I'm a natural fibers snob. I've got a deep bench with regards to my stash. Scrap usually ends up getting used for small projects. My job doesn't require me to dress in any specific way so I dress to suit myself. Choosing to only self-tailor was about 1/3 frustration with current fit, trend, materials and construction, 1/3 concern for working conditions, and 1/3 hobby/self-sufficiency/ personal challenge.
DH has a self directed uniform of black surplus BDUs and a specific type of shirt. We know his trousers are US made of US materials, and while they're not cheap, they wear like iron and last forever. He favors long sleeve polo or Henley shirts, both of which can be hard to find, but he has a tiny bit of a sensoring processing issue, so I have to apply twill tape to any seam in any shirt he buys anyway lest his shirts irritate him. It's just as easy to make his shirts at that point. Same with his underwear; fortunately, those are easy to make.
We get socks and tights from Sock Dreams. About half their stock is US made, a quarter European, and the rest is ethically manufactured in China. American Appparel is another option, but they can be more trendy than either of us likes.