The Power of Image

This talk by Cameron Russell has been making the rounds in my social media feed.  I've watched it numerous times and each time I think "This is so true".  She talks about how her life is made easier because she won a genetic lottery that plays into a legacy of "what is considered beautiful". It has very little to do with who she is,but how she looks. She expresses that she considers this unfair to many and that she is ultimately very insecure about how she looks.

I found her honesty to be not only refreshing, but it reaffirmed something I have already encountered my entire life.  Many women that fit into the model of current beauty standards are very insecure. In a way, I think this is part of that same legacy of the industry of beauty and fashion; women who are insecure in themselves are more likely to spend money on trying to make themselves "better".  Which is where I bring this back to sewing.

If you think of it in light of current social mores, sewing our own clothes is subversive. We take back  control of our own bodies by making things that fit us and fit our lifestyle. Or our fantasy world, which is the case for those of us that love cosplay and dress up.  But I digress.

When people say its not really cheaper to sew your own clothes I explain that its not exactly about the cost. I mean, it is, when you have expensive taste, but its when you think about how clothes fit and our relationship to our bodies, and in turn, ourselves, that the benefits really come to light. I believe this is why so many sewists will say "Ever since I started making my own clothes I find I'm more confident in my life and happier with my body".  We're breaking the cycle of a negative feedback loop that is advertisement, and that is a good thing.