If you were to make a list of classic garments like the little black dress—garments that people wear across the decades, what else would be on that list?
Now, if you were to make a list of the garments that you wear across the decades, what would be on that list?
In this episode, Sarai and Haley talk about how to sew a wardrobe you'll still love in ten years. They cover what makes a garment long lasting—both stylewise and physically—how to choose styles that you'll love to wear for years, and practical tips for making garments that stand the test of time.
Below are the show notes for this podcast episode, and a brief summary of what's covered, followed by a full transcript.
Show Notes
- Seamwork Bo
- 8 Handmade Garments I’ve Worn for 5+ Years
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Design Your Wardrobe: Our popular course that helps you plan the sewing projects you'll love to wear. -
Style Workshop: This hands-on workshop helps you define your core style. It's FREE for Seamwork members and just $10 if you aren't a member. - Download our free sewing planner
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Podcast listeners get half off an unlimited Seamwork membership when you use this link, plus you get to keep that price as long as you’re a member! - Tell us your idea for the next icebreakers for makers!
10 Tips to Sew Garments that Last 10+ Years
Tip 1. Look at what’s always appealed to you
Think about what’s always appealed to your taste. And go beyond clothing and style. Think about movies, seasons, colors, style icons, and moments in fashion history that have always caught your eye.
What about these appeals to you? Are there elements you can pluck out to add to your wardrobe?
Tips 2. Find the clothes you’ve worn the longest
Go into your closet and look at the pieces you've worn the longest. What do they have in common?
Tip 3. Make a list of your go-to silhouettes
Make a list—or sketch some outfits—of the silhouettes you wear the most. Have these changed over time? Are there any that have persisted throughout your lifestyle and body changes?
Tip 4. Use materials and finishes that will really stand the test of time
To ensure your garment can physically last for as long as you want to wear it, take care to pick high-quality fabrics and notions. Don’t skip the extra minutes it takes to sew a sturdy seam finish or secure closures. It will all pay off in time.
Tip 5. Learn how to care for your garments
Now that you’ve invested the time to pick your materials and seam finishes with care, invest a few more minutes to learn about proper fabric care and storage. If you’re working with wool, learn about cedar. Look up the best ways to launder and store your garments.
Tip 6. Consider sewing more outerwear
Outerwear pieces are often designed to last for years. They have enough ease to wear over your clothes, so they can span a few sizes if your body changes, and they usually are made of quality materials that last longer.
If you want to add some classic pieces to your closet that are intended to be worn for years, sew more outerwear.
Tip 7. Plan for body changes in the future
When choosing patterns to sew, consider how to include a flexible fit. You can leave extra seam allowance at the side seams to let garments in and out, or you can include partial elastic waistbands.
Tip 8. Choose colors that feel safe and have longevity for you
Don’t be afraid of going with the same color choice for many projects. If you’ve loved navy for the last 20 years, you probably won’t get tired of it in the next few.
Tip 9. Examine how your style has changed over time
Take a look at old photos, or think about the outfits you remember from different periods of your life, and look for the things that have remained consistent. These will inform your classic pieces, the ones you know you’ll turn to when trends change.
Tip 10. Don’t be afraid to lean into trends
There’s a difference between following trends and taking advantage of trends. You can sew trendy things, but make sure they align with your core style. If the trends reflect some of the colors, silhouettes, and fabrics that you’ve worn for a long time, they are trends worth taking advantage of.
Bonus tip: Take more pictures!
A bonus tip is to take some pictures of yourself wearing what you make. Create a folder in your phone and document the outfits that make you feel great. Take the time to reflect after a year, and you’ll start to spot the elements of your core style that come out season after season.
Podcast Transcript
Sarai
You. I'm Sarai.
Haley
And I'm Haley.
Sarai
And this is Seamwork Radio.
Welcome back to Seamwork Radio, where we share practical ideas for building a creative process so you can sew with intention and joy. And today we're talking about how to sew a wardrobe you'll still love in ten years. We're going to cover what makes a garment long lasting, both stylewise and physically, how to choose styles that you'll love to wear for years, and practical tips for making garments that stand the test of time.
All right, let's dive in with our icebreaker for today. Haley, what's the garment that's been in your closet the absolute longest?
Haley
I think that it probably has to be some outerwear pieces that I have. I've had some since I was a teenager.
One that comes to mind is I have a London Fog trench coat that I thrifted. I must have been about 18. I was old enough to know that what London fog was, and it's from probably the late 60s. I actually don't really wear it that often, but I'll never get rid of it because it's a classic trench, and I love having the option of it in my closet.
And I think outerwear is so great because it has a lot of longevity. Even if your body has some changes throughout the years, unless they're very dramatic, your outerwear is still going to work for you. For me, I think there's been the same three sizes that I've fluctuated between most of my adult life and most of my outerwear pieces have really served me throughout that.
Sarai
Yeah, they're designed to be worn over clothing. There's ease built into them that makes it easier to fit them over a longer period of time, for sure. I think for me, I was thinking about this, and I also have some outerwear. I have a coat that I still wear all the time that my grandmother gave me that belonged to her. I've had that quite a while.
But I think the thing I've had the longest is a bag that my mom bought for me at a vintage fair, and it is so cool. It's like a structured handbag with an acrylic handle. I think it's probably from the 40s. It has a cover on it that's removable, and you can flip it. So on one side it's red patent leather, and then you can flip it. On the other side it's black patent leather. Or you could take it off completely, and then it's just like a black fabric handbag. So it's like three handbags in one.
Haley
That's amazing.
Sarai
So cool. So we saw it there, and then she went back and bought it for me because she saw how much I liked it. And I've had that for a really long time, decades in my closet. And the great thing about bags is that you don't outgrow them physically. I've had some bags for quite a long time, and that's definitely one of them. Probably the oldest thing to me in my closet.
Haley
That's a good one.
Sarai
Yeah. So give us your icebreakers for future episodes. So if you're a Seamwork member, you can go to seamwork.com/go/icebreakers, and that'll take you to a thread in our community where you can leave questions for us for future episodes.
All right, so let's get into our topic for today. So when you're shopping or when you're sewing, you can really get swept away with an idea without really considering the bigger picture of your wardrobe or the longevity of that piece in your wardrobe. And I think sewing with longevity in mind is something you can easily do with a few creative approaches to planning.
I think a lot of people come to sewing because they are interested in longevity, and they do want to make things that are going to be with them for a long time and that really reflect who they are. So I think sometimes it's really easy to have that good intention, but then start to treat sewing more like a lot of people treat shopping, where it's just sort of like a little dopamine hit, like, a little fun thing to keep acquiring new clothing, and it becomes a little bit more like shopping than it does really thinking through what's going to be long lasting and true to you.
But I think creative planning can help offset that. So how important is longevity when you're planning your sewing? Haley?
Haley
I think that it's something that's become more important to me in recent years, and that's something that's come with maturity. I'd say that earlier in my sewing practice and my sewing career, it was just kind of, like, incidental if it happened. And now it's something that I pursue a little bit more purposefully.
However, it's not necessarily the goal of everything that I make.
Sarai
Yeah, I think that's true for me, too. I'm not always thinking about longevity. I think some of it is just kind of like you said, it's about maturity. As you get older, your style, I think, solidifies a lot more. And so I don't know if the word is luxury but you have kind of the perspective to develop ideas that are going to be more long lasting in your wardrobe. So I think that helps a little bit.
I do try to create things that I'm going to wear for a long time just because creating stuff takes a lot of time and energy, and so I don't want to just make things that I'm going to wear for a few months and then get tired of. So in that way, I want everything to be long lasting in my wardrobe. So I think about it in that way. I think.
Haley
Do you have any trendy things that you've sewn that ended up being really everlasting? And why do you think that they've had that longevity?
Sarai
I think this is maybe too early to say, but I think one trend that I lean into that I think has kind of become a core part of my style is right now. Like, bohemian dresses and blouses are very trendy and in style, like that bohemian kind of sometimes cottage core leaning, like puff sleeves and lots of details and very femme. Those kinds of things are super trendy, but I really feel like they're kind of a part of my style. And so I've made things in that vein that I know I'm going to wear for quite a long time.
And part of that is that I've always really liked those things. So even though it's trendy right now, I've always really been drawn to really detailed vintage blouses, for example. Things with those kinds of details just have always really appealed to me. So I feel like whether or not it's trendy right now, it's going to keep appealing to me.
Haley
I feel like the difference is that you're not following a trend. You're taking advantage of it.
Sarai
Yeah.
Haley
And I think there's a really important distinction between those two things.
Sarai
Yeah, that's true. What about you? Do you have anything that was trendy and ends up being long lasting for you?
Haley
The garments I keep thinking of are, I have a couple of Bo tops, which are Seamwork pattern. It's very boxy, kind of a crop top. And when I sewed them five years ago, when the pattern first came out, I think that was, like, a very trendy silhouette and top in that moment. But I made them. I've made three, actually, all in really nice fabrics. One's like a really gorgeous rayon crepe. One is a silk and cotton gauze, and the other one is a silk noil. And because I made them, and it was just kind of, you don't need a lot of fabric. And I was like, oh, I'm going to get fancy fabric. And because I have fancy fabric, I'm going to take extra care and do French seams and hand sew the bias facings. And I took that extra care, and I still wear all three of those on a very regular basis. It wasn't something that I'm like, oh, I'm going to make this, and I'll never wear it again. It was just something I wasn't really making with the intent of it being really long lasting.
The things I think that contribute to that are, it ended up being a style that some elements of it, I incorporated into my core style, really. So even if it's not, like, the trendiest shape right now, it still works in the context of my style and my wardrobe.
I chose really nice fabrics, and I chose really nice finishes. So physically, they just have stood the test of time.
Sarai
Yeah. All important things. Making something that's long lasting that we'll get into some of those today. Okay.
Haley
So, like, on the opposite end of the spectrum, have you ever sewn something you thought would be timeless, but then ended up not being?
Sarai
Well, when you mentioned the Bo top, and it's kind of like this loose, boxy top, it made me think about this dress that I made that's like a sack dress, basically, a few years ago in black linen, and it sounds like super classic. Sack dress. Black linen. I mean, you don't get much more basic than that. And I don't think it’s that it's trendy or I don't think it went out of style, quote unquote. I just found that even though that is kind of a classic style, I thought it would know kind of like a cool, Eileen Fisher sort of easy to wear, chic look.
But I just feel, like, really frumpy whenever I wear it. And I don't know why. Because I think sack dresses can be really beautiful, and it's not, like, super long or anything. When I put it on, I just feel like I'm not trying very hard that day. I don't know why.
Haley
A very real feeling.
Sarai
Yeah. I feel like other people look great in them, but when I put it on, I feel like I'm literally, like, I feel better in my pajamas than I do. I feel more dressed up in my pajamas than I do in this dress, and I don't know why that is. So sometimes something can be timeless and classic, and you can like it on other people, and it just doesn't feel good to you? I think that's an example that came to mind for me.
Haley
I've made dresses like that before, and I always say that I feel like Friar Tuck.
Sarai
Yeah. It's not even like, I don't know what it is. Maybe it's too comfortable. I don't know. I just feel like very. I'm not even getting dressed. I don't know. Feels odd.
Haley
I can have that feeling sometimes. I feel like that's why lots of times I end up, like, with my Bos. I made them from silk because I knew that if the fabric collapsed a little more or fabrics that had a little bit more drape to them, I knew if it collapsed against my body a little bit more, you can see, like, a hint of body underneath. I'd feel a little bit less self conscious of the shape on me.
Sarai
I think another thing about this particular dress is, I mean, black linen, I think, is really nice. A really nice fabric, and in the right shape, it looks great. But for this particular dress, on me, black linen has that kind of faded look to it after you wash it a couple of times. And I think that looks good in certain styles, but in this case, it just contributed to the, like, “I'm not trying very hard” look. It just made me feel even more worn and frumpy in it for some reason. I don't know. I can't really explain it. It's just a feeling.
Haley
And if that doesn't fit with your core style, then it just doesn't fit.
Sarai
Yeah.
Haley
I feel like I have fallen into this trap. I do it a lot when I'm making special occasion things, because when I make something for a special occasion, I don't have a ton of special occasions in my everyday life. I always start out with like, oh, yeah, I'm going to make something, like, super classic so that in a few years from now, I'd still enjoy wearing this dress. And then I get really into whatever occasion I'm making it for. I'm like, oh, it's a spring wedding and it's outside and it's in LA, and I let the context of it overwhelm the design choices that I'm making, really.
So I feel like I've definitely made a lot of special occasion things that once I pull them out of the back of my closet for the next wedding or whatever I have to go to, I'm like, wow, I got oddly specific with that. And that's just me being maybe a little bit of like a magpie in the design process and being just—I love making special occasion things and getting swept away.
Sarai
Yeah, I know. We were just talking before we started recording about, my mother in law is getting married at the end of this month. And so it's like, oh, I want to make a dress for the wedding. I could wear something I already have, but it's so fun to make an occasion dress.
All right, well, let's get into the tips. So the first tip we have for making things that are really going to last in your wardrobe are to think about the things—and these can be beyond clothing and style, but think about the things that have always appealed to your taste.
So think about things like seasons, or decades of fashion, or colors, or movies, or style icons that really appeal to you and that have for a long time. And once you've done that, kind of think about what about these has appealed to you continuously over the years, and then how can you add elements of that into your sewing?
I think that's a really, really helpful way to kind of think about what is integral to your taste, like what has been with you for a really long time and that you'll probably continue to love for a really, really long time.
And that, for me, is such a great starting point for thinking about the longevity of my garments, because it really leads me to make choices that are in line with who I am and what I value, because I know that I've valued it over decades and not just over the last two months.
Haley
I feel like we've been talking about the Style Workshop a lot in the last few episodes, and I think that's one of the reasons the Style Workshop is really successful at doing what it aims to do, which is uncover your personal style. And that's because it really emphasizes digging into that history a little bit more.
Sarai
Yeah, absolutely. And I think it's really helpful to think about things outside of fashion when you're thinking about these things. Like, if there's a certain person whose style you really admire, that can be a really good clue. If there's just a certain aesthetic or a certain film or something like that, I think, can feed into this, maybe even nature or flowers, what kinds of things are you always drawn to, and how can you incorporate that? And I think that can really lead to a lot of new creative, connecting the dots in a new creative way.
Haley
I think another way that we can do this is that we can look at the pieces that are in our closet that we've worn, really, for the longest time and start connecting the dots about what they have in common.
Sarai
Yeah, that's really helpful. We kind of got into that a little bit earlier, and I think that's really useful.
Haley
I mean, just pulling out the things that you've worn the longest or really, like, your most worn things, it doesn't need to be the longest, but maybe over the last few years even, and laying them all out on your bed and setting a timer and jotting down all of their. I love having the constraint of time.
Sarai
Just recently. So I'm doing kind of a low-buy year this year, trying not to buy a lot of stuff. And that's led me to pull things out of my closet more, even things I haven't worn in a while. And I pulled out this cashmere beaded sweater from the 50s that my grandmother gave me, and I wore it with jeans the other day, and I was like, wow, this is so cool. I used to wear stuff like this maybe, like, ten years ago, and I haven't worn this in quite a while. And it just made me realize that kind of the cyclical nature of it, and that there are certain things like that. The things about that that really appeal to me are that it's very detailed. It's very pretty. It's in a neutral color. It's very textured. Those are all things that have appealed to me for a very long time. And so it's interesting to look at those items in my closet that have been with me for the longest and see what is it specifically about them that really resonates.
The next tip is to think about what have been your go-to silhouettes and whether those have changed over time.
It might be that you're really, really drawn to a certain type of shape in your garments, and you always have been, or it might be that that has changed for you over a period of time, and just those patterns are really helpful to notice.
I think, for me, my silhouettes have changed a little bit, but there are certain silhouettes that I've always, always really loved and feel good in. Those are kind of like slinkier silhouettes, like bias cuts. I've always really loved bias cuts, things that kind of glide over the body, whereas things that are more structured or that have more like a fitted waist with a big skirt, things like that. Those have kind of come and gone in my wardrobe, but the more slinky shapes have stayed with me. So I think that's kind of interesting to look at.
Haley
Yeah, I think that looking at that is really interesting, kind of in contrast with what you were saying about that cashmere sweater, how there's going to be those elements that maybe stick around but become less frequent, make less frequent appearances in your wardrobe, and then those things that are really consistent day to day type things. I think examining both of those is really interesting practice.
Sarai
Yeah. Another thing that is in my closet that has appealed to me for a long time, and this was kind of driven home by a video that we made last year that was about the items, the handmade items I've had in my closet the longest. Maybe we can link that in the show notes, but we did that video and it's on YouTube if you want to see what those are for me.
But one of the things that I noticed in that, that has appealed to me for a really long time are things that reveal my shoulders because I really like my shoulders and enjoy, I don't know, I just enjoy shapes that are kind of open around the shoulder and neckline.
And I've known that for a long time, but that video really drove that home for me. And sometimes just pulling out those things and looking at those common elements across the items that you've had for a long time can be really helpful in looking at it in terms of the overall shape, the overall silhouette, maybe what parts of the body it emphasizes for you can really help to kind of suss out what matters to you about it.
Haley
Our next tip is to pick materials and finishes that can stand the test of time. This is really related to what I was talking about with the Bo tops earlier and just choosing things that, not shying away from things that are a little bit more luxurious, not shying away from those finishes that take a little extra time to sew.
Oftentimes I find kind of two things that if I'm making something out of a nice fabric, I'm going to tend to treat it with a lot more respect. And also, if I'm taking the time to sew something really well, even when I choose to really maybe not treat it with as much respect, it's going to stand that test of time because it was really well made.
Sarai
Yeah. I think you feel differently about it, too.
Haley
You do.
Sarai
Especially if you invest money in the fabric.
Haley
Yeah. And time, you will value it a lot more.
Sarai
Definitely. The next tip is to learn how to care for your garment.
So that includes fabric care and storage. I think those are both really important. So I mentioned that cashmere sweater that I've had for a really long time before. And if you've ever owned cashmere, you know that keeping it free of moth holes is a whole thing.
So I am really proud that that sweater does not have any moth holes. Over the years. I keep it in a bin with cedar chips in it. And I also have a cedar chest where I keep a lot of my wool sweaters.
By learning a little bit about fabric care and storage, it's not really a lot of extra time or effort or money necessarily to keep garments around for the long haul with just a little bit of extra care. Learning how to wash that fabric, how to store things like wool sweaters or wool coats properly, can really extend the life of the things that you make.
Haley
Yeah. Learning a couple of tricky techniques for how to lift a stain has saved my life. And several garments.
Sarai
Yeah. And a lot of this information you can find online very easily. And again, it doesn't have to be a huge effort. I have a bag of cedar chips and a bag of—they’re like cedar blocks that you just hang in your closet. They're not very expensive, and they've probably saved a lot of my garments.
Haley
That's a great tip. And always fold your knits.
Sarai
Yeah.
Haley
Don't hang them up. All right. Our next tip is to consider sewing more outerwear. Jackets and coats often hang out in your closet the longest, and that's because the fit tends to be a little bit more generous. They are intended to be worn over garments. So if body changes are something that is a concern for you, or even if it's not a concern for you, sewing more outerwear is definitely a place where you could build a little bit more longevity into your sewing practice.
Sarai
Yeah, definitely. And kind of going along with that is just thinking about your body changes ahead of time. So when you're conceptualizing the garments that you want to make, consider maybe how to include a flexible fit, for example. So if you're going to be wearing something for ten years, chances are your body is going to be changing over that time at least a little bit. So including an adjustable fit or leaving a little extra seam allowance at the side seam so you can take it in and out can be really helpful. So just think about that as you're sewing, and if you really want to make something that's going to last for quite a long time, these are really easy changes that you can make a lot of the time that will make it last for longer and be wearable for longer.
Haley
Yeah. And it doesn't necessarily have to always be something that's like drawstrings or elastic. It can be something as simple as cutting something on the bias, which is going to give it a little bit more flexibility, choosing silhouettes and shapes that have built-in ease to them, that give you a little bit more forgiveness when it comes to the inches on your waistline. I think those are all considerations we could make, and it doesn't necessarily need to be an elastic waist pair of pants every time.
Sarai
Yeah, absolutely.
Haley
Our next tip is to choose colors that are your safe colors. So don't be afraid of going with the same color choice time and time again. If you've loved navy for the last 20 years, chances are that you probably aren't going to get tired of it in the next 20 years. I think sometimes there can be a lot of pressure to make new things and have a lot of variety. And although I do encourage trying new things, there's nothing wrong with leaning into your tried and trues, especially when it comes to color, because I find that I've definitely gone through color phases in my life, but there are my tried and trues that have always been by my side.
Sarai
Yeah, I think it's a really good point. And I also think that thinking about how long this is going to last in your closet, how long you're going to have, this can be really motivating when it comes to choosing those safe colors, because I think sometimes it can feel kind of drab and boring to choose, for example, black to make something in. But if I think, like, I'm making this so that I'm going to enjoy wearing this for the next 10, 15, 20 years, that seems more exciting to me, to make it in a kind of safe color because I have a reason behind it versus, oh, I'm just making it in this kind of boring color. So I think that's kind of a cool way to frame it.
Examine how your style has changed over time and look for the things that have remained consistent. That's our next tip.
So if your style has kind of evolved over time and you're kind of looking back, look for those sort of threads that go along throughout it and have not changed, because I think we all have those things that stay consistent, and they might not always be super apparent at first.
It might not be something very obvious if you have gone through a lot of style changes, but they're usually there. And that could be something as simple as color. It could be a love of texture. It could be a certain fabric that you're always drawn to, but just look for those things that really do stay true to you over time. And I think we can all find those, and they provide hints of what's going to be meaningful to you as you go forward.
Haley
Yeah, I think there's that kind of like, maybe slightly old fashioned fashion advice that there's certain classic pieces that you should always have in your wardrobe. And I like to reframe that to what are your classic pieces? For one person, that might be a trench coat. For one person, that might be a bomber jacket or a fur coat, or it could be something leopard print. So what are your classics, really?
Sarai
I like that. It's kind of fun to look at those lists of classic garments and then make your own out of it. I think that would be kind of a cool project if you wanted to spend a year making your classics. I feel like that would be so fun.
Haley
Right? Maybe you're not like a little black dress person. Maybe that's not what you wear on special occasions. Maybe you wear a red suit. I don't know. I don't know you or your life, but that would be a really fun.
Sarai
That would be really cool.
Haley
All right, our next tip is to not be afraid to lean into trends.
I think that sometimes we get hyper focused on one thing or another when it comes to our closets or our wardrobe or our sewing. And if that thing is maybe longevity that we become hyper focused on, it can maybe get us in a mindset of avoiding playing a little bit. And I don't want you to go and do that.
Instead, I'd like you to think about taking advantage of trends, which is something we mentioned earlier in this episode, rather than following trends. So if you are going to lean into a trend a little bit more, make sure that it aligns with your core style, and that's really going to give you a lot better odds of making sure that it's going to fit into your wardrobe for the years to come.
Sarai
Yeah, definitely. And then finally, we have a bonus tip. This one I really like.
Take pictures of yourself wearing everything you make, and then you can look back on them over time and see how they wear with you after all those years. This is something that I've started doing. Not just taking pictures after I make something and then posting them on the community, which I always try to do.
But I've been trying to take outfit pictures day to day whenever I wear something that I've made. And I have really noticed that that has led me to wear my makes a lot more, for one thing, and to style them in different ways. And that's been really fun. But then I think also, in the future, I'm hoping to look back at them and see all the different ways that I've worn things and how my style has evolved alongside those items. And I think that's going to be really cool as well. So I really like this idea.
And the pictures don't have to be anything fancy. You can get a timer for your phone. Some of them I've done with a timer. Some of them, I've literally just held the camera, like, way above my head just to try and capture as much of what I'm wearing as possible.
Sarai
Since it's really just for me.
Haley
You can get them do a good old mirror selfie.
Sarai
Mirror selfies. I've got plenty of those. And they're really just to have on my phone and look back at. I mean, you can share them, obviously, but I think this is just something that's been very motivating to me when it comes to wearing my handmade things.
All right, well, let me recap our tips. We have a lot of tips for you guys today, all about longevity.
So the first one is to think about the things, even beyond clothing and style, that have always appealed to your taste.
The second tip is to look at the pieces in your closet you've worn the longest and look for what they have in common.
The third tip is to look for your goto silhouettes and see how those have changed over time.
The fourth tip is to pick materials and finishes that will really stand the test of time.
The fifth tip is to learn how to care for your garments, including fabric care and storage.
The 6th tip is to consider sewing more outerwear because they often last the longest.
Number seven is to consider your body changes and plan for those in the future.
Number eight is to choose colors that feel safe and have longevity for you.
Number nine is to examine how your style has changed over time and look for the things that have remained consistent.
Number ten is to not be afraid to lean into trends, but make sure it aligns with your core style.
And then the bonus tip is to take some pictures of yourself wearing what you make, and that can be really, really helpful.
So those are our tips for making stuff that's going to last for a really long time. What's your big takeaway from this episode, Haley?
Haley
I think that my big takeaway is that these practices have been something that I've adopted kind of subconsciously throughout the years as my mindset around sewing has shifted and matured. Looking at this list, I'm surprised by how many of these things I do just intuitively, without really thinking too much about the choice.
Sarai
Yeah, that's interesting. I think, for me, what this brought up for me is how cyclical fashion is and how a lot of the things that I used to really wear and then I stopped wearing have come back into style now. I guess I'm at that age where that happens, and that's really interesting to me, and that's kind of brought up some things for me in thinking about what are the elements that do appeal to me regardless of trends and how can I continue to wear those things.
So, like that beaded cashmere sweater, I feel like I used to wear stuff like that, and then I stopped, and now I see fancy cardigans everywhere, and it's very on trend. And so that encouraged me to bring it out again, and that just made me think about why I love this particular garment and how I can keep wearing it, whether or not it's in trend or not.
Haley
Doesn't it also make you think of all the really great things you've gotten rid of over the years?
Sarai
Yes, it does. I used to have so many cool sweaters and cardigans that I'd probably die to have back now. But that's okay. It's all part of growing a little bit older. All right, well, thank you, Haley. This was a great conversation today.
And to help you bring more longevity into your wardrobe, you might want to download our free sewing planner. It can help you to plan your wardrobe out. It's a printable tool that helps you design and plan your sewing projects and includes pages for sketching looks, for planning out individual projects with sketches and swatches. And you can print out as many pages as you need. It's available for free at Seamwork.com/go/planner.
And if you like this episode, consider leaving us a review. We have a five star review here from Lizzie The Bug that I wanted to read today. It's titled good for my creative soul. “This podcast energizes my creativity when I'm in a slump and makes me think in a completely different way about fabric, textiles, sewing, and all the little pieces involved in every sewing project. These conversations make me feel less isolated and part of a larger community. I love to think about my own answers to the icebreaker questions and share them with my friends who also create with fabric.”
Oh, that is so sweet, Lizzie. Thank you so much for that review. That really made my day. I really love reading that. And I love that Lizzie shares her answers with her friends, too. That is so cool. That's so, like, very sweet.
Haley
I want to be on that text thread.
Sarai
I know I want to be friends with Lizzie. All right, well, if you guys feel so inclined, you can leave a review for us. And we super appreciate every single review we get. We read them all. We absolutely appreciate and love every review. So thank you so much to those of you who have left five star reviews. And if you haven't yet and you have a minute, we'd really, really appreciate that.
You can also follow us on YouTube at Seamwork video. You can follow us on Instagram at Seamwork. And if you'd like to join Seamwork and become part of our private community, plus get access to hundreds of sewing patterns and dozens of sew along classes, podcast listeners get a 50% off lifetime discount when you join at Seamwork.com/go/podcast50.
And I just wanted to mention following us on YouTube, just in case it's not clear. It's not just podcasts on YouTube. We have totally different content on YouTube. Most of it is centered around stuff I'm making, projects I'm doing, and it's really fun to follow along. And if you want to see my sewing process and how I design and sew my wardrobe, it's a cool place to be.
So you can check that out at Seamwork Video on YouTube. All right, that does it for us this week. I'm Sarai.
Haley
And I'm Haley.
Sarai
And this is Seamwork Radio.