recent articles on sewing

Ralphetta | Posted in General Discussion on September 23, 2009 09:34am

Did anyone else read the recent articles in Vogue and InStyle magazines about sewing? Two different people wrote articles about their experiences sewing. They were brief and I guess were supposed to be clever. One person had no experience and was supposedly given expert instructions. The novice seamstress was assisted in buying 3 yards of silk for $150, didn’t include thread. (I’m still shaking my head over that one.) I can’t imagine anyone having any interest at all in learning to sew after reading them.

Replies

gailete | Sep 24, 2009 12:25pm | #1
I don't see Instyle, but what article do you mean from Vogue so I can go look at it?

Ralphetta | Sep 24, 2009 09:50pm | #2
Sept. Vogue, page 364

gailete | Sep 24, 2009 10:51pm | #3
Oh, you mean Vogue the magazine not Vogue the pattern magazine. Forgot there was 2 of them. I don't get the 'fashion' one just the sewing one.

Ralphetta | Sep 25, 2009 05:13am | #4
Right, the fashion magazine. That's why I was unhappy with the way both, (that one and InStyle) described the experience. If they had been more positive articles, they might have encouraged a few people to try sewing. Am I nuts or don't you think that spending $150 on fabric for a beginning sewer is ridiculous?

gailete | Sep 25, 2009 12:34pm | #5
$150 for fabric for one garment for a beginning sewer is nuts, but then I have seen pictures of the supposedly first quilts of people and I am always astounded how they can nail something that after close to 40 years of making quilts I can do. Also unless this item was a formal, $150 for one garment is completely out of my ballpark finance wise. I get disappointed with many magazines that have their 'budget' project and it turns out to be something silly like a dog jacket for $40--excuse me, but my own clothes don't even come to that. I could show them a thing or two about budget sewing!
SewistKitty | Sep 26, 2009 09:48pm | #6
I read both articles and was disgusted with the way sewing was portrayed by the novices. Wouldn't it have been nice to have a staff member who has some sewing experience make something to wear? Patterns for beginners could have been listed as well as helpful books such as "The Reader's Digest Guide to Sewing" or some of the books aimed at repurposing garments. A great opportunity to promote sewing was lost. I know that both magazines are aimed at consumers but we sewers also buy ready-to-wear.
Ralphetta | Sep 26, 2009 10:12pm | #7
But Vogue produces patterns and a sewing magazine! Why would they print that article in their biggest selling issue of the year?
SewistKitty | Sep 26, 2009 11:12pm | #8
The article was in the Vogue fashion magazine not the sewing issue of Vogue patterns.
Ralphetta | Sep 27, 2009 03:20am | #9
Yes,I know that.My point was that you would think a company that promotes sewing in another publication by the same name would be more interested in increasing the number of sewers.
gailete | Sep 27, 2009 10:24am | #10
>>My point was that you would think a company that promotes sewing in another publication by the same name would be more interested in increasing the number of sewers.<<

Because the few times I have flipped through the Vogue fashion magazine they were more interested in promoting very expensive, high dollar, high fashion garments. Are they in fact actually put out by the same company or do they just share the name 'Vogue'? I know currently there are two crafting magazines out both called Stitches. One I would dearly love a subscription to and the other I'm not at all interested in.

Some of those 'fashion' magazines are so out of touch with reality it is unbelievable. I was looking through one at the doctor's office and saw a purse advertised for something like $18,000 for an ugly, clunky green purse! Can you imagine the cost of the clothes you would need to match such an expensive bag??? And what of the matching green shoes. Oh right, things don't have to match any more, so the shoes would have been purple and the outfit, red and green! HA I much prefer the Vogue pattern magazine, even though many of their patterns are geared towards the younger set, but they do have the occasional nice garment geared towards older women. I know some women can afford $18K purses and the accompanying clothes, but the majority would like to see (IMHO) garments that are a little more real to life, but they don't pay the big advertising bucks!
jjgg | Sep 27, 2009 09:17pm | #11
Just remember the story of "The Emperors New Clothes", take a deep breath and go about your business.I refuse to ever even consider a Louis Vuitton purse - Why pay so much money so you can advertise for the company? If I'm carrying around something with their logo, I want them to pay me for advertising!People are so gullible and buy into all this ridiculous advertising.>>>I was looking through one at the doctor's office and saw a purse advertised for something like $18,000 for an ugly, clunky green purse!<<<
gailete | Sep 27, 2009 09:34pm | #12
>>I refuse to ever even consider a Louis Vuitton purse - Why pay so much money so you can advertise for the company? If I'm carrying around something with their logo, I want them to pay me for advertising!<<

I'm with you on that one. I don't help anyone advertise. I will pick up logo T-shirts at yard sales for my hubby as long as they are less than 50 cents though and don't advertise beer, booze or cigarettes, etc. I don't know why people pay to let others know they are suckers for a name brand!
Gloriasews | Sep 28, 2009 11:15am | #14
I'm with you, Jigg - I never buy anything with a logo on it, because I think it's kinda tacky. I have to agree with you, again, in your comment that the companies should pay the customers for the advertising. I think people buy the really, really expensive stuff with the logos just to impress people (a form of bragging that they can afford such an item). As you said, people are gullible - & they must stay 'trendy'.
cycler1729 | Sep 27, 2009 10:40pm | #13
The worst offender is Real Simple Magazine. We all know that Vogue shows high end fashion but when a magazine that is telling you to simplify your life (and reuse and reduce waste) has a T-shirt for $200. and says that it's a bargain that is completely outrageous.
ThreadKoe | Sep 29, 2009 02:29pm | #15
I agree. I laugh at the fashion mags that do those High/Low articles where they tell you how to mimic an expensive outfit at an "affordable" price. I always wish they would do one "dirt cheap", which would probably be more in line with what most of would actually spend. lol. Cathy
gailete | Sep 29, 2009 07:20pm | #16
The AARP magazine had an article like that once and as someone that lives on Social Security ( and a bit higher amount than many of our seniors) I could have laughed at their 'affordable' clothes. One outfit combined was somewhere in the $200-300 range. How many of our seniors can afford that for one outfit? Crazy, some people have their heads in the clouds I think.
Ceeayche | Oct 20, 2009 08:53pm | #17
Okay Gailete,

I do love to sew and I do appreciate the good sense of a plain white Target T-shirt. But I'm guilty of loving Coach purses (they have the "c" logo which matches my first initial) and are well made. I only have two, but I do adore them, they have worn better than any of my less expensive styles... so in that sense I do think they are a bargain. Though both are several years old, they are both still stylish and don't show any wear. On the other hand, I've got two bags I bought this spring at Kohl's that already show wear and I probably won't use them next year. While I enjoyed their kicky color this summer, they have also not held up internally... the lining ripped in one and is wearing thin in the other. And one of the zippers never did operate as smoothly as it should.

And, I do buy the September/October issues of Vogue and InStyle magazine. They are the largest issues of the year and clippings from them give me ideas for fashion sewing throughout the season. I don't expect them to have wearable fashion, they are pure fantasy. But then again, I no longer subscribe to that nonsense every month!

I do have a girl friend that purchases bags and accessories like that.... her husband is a former NFL football player and she can afford them. And, it's fun to drool over them!
sewelegant | Oct 21, 2009 07:06am | #18
I found this discussion interesting, mainly because I too thought I needed to have what was published in the latest magazines or I'd be "outdated" and maybe look foolish. These people know the young are gullible and manageable and exploitable, but on the other hand I also know, as you all do, that there are many, many ladies in our land who have more money to spend than I (as a nurse) could earn in a lifetime and they buy this type of magazine and shop in high end places and that's OK; that is capitalism.

But that is a big reason I wanted to sew... so I, too, could wear one of a kind clothing. I wanted to learn fine sewing techniques so I could feel my clothes had quality. It is wonderful to like to sew and be able to do that. I hate to see it become a lost art. What I really hate to see is fine fabric becoming so expensive the average person has to weigh in whether or not it is worth it to sew.
cycler1729 | Oct 21, 2009 07:34pm | #19
I agree that it is smarter to buy one perfect, beautiful quality bag that you love and will use for years than to waste money on a new $25 bag every year that doesn't last. If you amortize the cost, it usually is a better buy. The same for any qualty item.

But many people confuse a "name" and quality. I just think that most clothing that is sold these days isn't worth the price. But most people don't know the cost to produce an item (we know how much a yard of wool costs) so they pay what is asked.

And unfortunately clothing that is sold in the "lower end" stores doesn't last or is constructed really badly. (And I won't mention fit.)