Why I’m (mostly) hand making my wardrobe vs. thrifting
Thrifting is great and all, but there's a reason I knit more clothes than I buy
There are many topics I plan on covering that are contrary to what’s promoted in the mainstream. But today, I wanted to kick off Altstreamer by sharing one of my favorite alternative approaches: hand making (most of) my wardrobe instead of thrifting.
The method I use to hand make my own clothes is knitting. And believe it or not, there is a whole community of people out who still avidly knit! Some people like to knit smaller, supplementary projects like baby gifts and toys, while others like to knit larger, replacement projects like sweaters and cardigans. I, personally, have knit a wide spectrum of projects at this point, but this post will specifically focus on the latter since there are alternative takes to address. With this established, here’s why I (mostly) hand make rather than opting for store-bought.
How I Got into Hand Making Clothes
First and foremost, it makes sense to share a bit of my family background since that plays an important role in leading me to this point. Both sides of my family were hand makers in their own ways. Firstly, my Nonna did a lot of sewing at home before later becoming a seamstress. I was too young to remember seeing her sewing in the basement, but I vaguely remember her showing me a technique or two way back when. Then there is my grandma, who made several quilts back in the day. I also had never seen her quilt, but I was (and still am) deeply inspired by the beautiful quilts she made.
My dad is also a hand maker in an entirely different way, specializing in woodworking that often utilizes scrap wood. His artisanal furniture and home furnishings are what gave me the desire to acquire belongings that are premium and made to last versus factory made and falls apart easily. Lastly, there is my grandpa who has essentially done every handmade project (and experiment) imaginable. From remodeling Model T Fords to creating home décor with farm equipment and scrapped junk, my grandpa could really make something out of nothing.
Looking back at all the disciplines within my family, it is no wonder that I eventually arrived at hand making my own clothes! And then there is my own story for how I actually got started. I shared this at the beginning of My Knitting Journey article, but for me, it started with a poncho. I once had this beautiful poncho that I thrifted but eventually got rid of due to bad memories associated with it. I could never find another poncho quite like it. So, when my co-worker mentioned that she wanted to learn how to crochet, I became curious since I had never done that before.
And then it occurred to me: if I couldn’t find a similar poncho (and within a reasonable price point), I would make it myself. So, I learned how to crochet and made some ponchos of a similar structure. Then I became curious about other needlework techniques, so I figured I could learn how to knit. Knitting is what I have stuck with ever since, and I still plan to recreate that exact poncho with knitting one day!
That is the overall backstory of what inspired me to start hand making my clothes (and specifically with knitting) in the first place. Now, I will get into my overall objectives and what I’ve been actively knitting toward.
(More Immediate) Goal: Knit Full Winter Wardrobe
After eventually figuring out how to knit, one of my objectives was to learn how to knit a sweater. This is a detail I also mentioned in the knitting journey post, but there are several ways to go about sweater knitting! I’m pretty sure I’ve gone about every construction method at this point. All of this is to say that I became quite experienced at hand making sweaters and have learned a lot about various techniques and my own preferences along the way. With everything I knew, I then moved the goalpost to a more long-term objective I’ve been working on for several months now.
As the headline indicates, my current objective is to knit a full winter wardrobe. It involves more than just knitting and appending to what I currently have, though; I intend to fully replace all the sweaters, cardigans, and coats I have thrifted. As of May 2026, I am currently five for five, meaning I have knit one sweater a month for five months. It’s funny because a shopping haul could include buying five plus sweaters within a 20-30-minute shopping experience, but here I am hand making my sweaters in unarguably the slowest way ever! So why, aside from the evident satisfaction of wearing my own creations, would I endeavor to do this? I have several reasons, and this is what I’ll get into next.
Why I Hand Make (Most) Clothes vs. Thrifting
First off, I have opted to knit many of the new clothes I’ve added to my wardrobe to guarantee the quality and prioritize longevity. The mainstream (specifically, social media) is always pushing new fads and trends, many times with fashion. With this comes fast fashion that is made with non-durable, synthetic materials so we, as consumers, continue buying more product. I had never paid attention to the fiber content of clothes prior to knitting, but what I’ve learned is that the fibers used and how those fibers are cared for impact the lifespan of a garment.
Clothing, in the context of fads and trends, is often treated as short-term and discardable, especially since it’s made cheaply and purchased cheaply. There is often little regard for holding onto the same clothes year over year as a result of all of this. My alternative take is that we should seek out quality, timeless garments that can last us a lifetime instead of making our wardrobes so expendable. Switching from fast fashion to slow fashion would also reduce textile waste and, in time, make strides toward ending exploitative labor practices. You may be able to find these types of high-quality pieces while thrifting if you look into the right places, but I’ll get into more reasons why I’ve opted to hand make instead.
There are several layers to this conversation, so I’m going to revisit some of the earlier points I made. Because the timeless pieces I make are, again, intended to last as long as possible (and hopefully a lifetime), cost is less of a factor for me than the quality itself. I’m not trying to accumulate garments at the lowest possible cost since my intention is to keep and care for them long-term. There is still a price range I usually stay within when acquiring materials to keep it reasonable, but that is an expense I’m willing to shoulder since I can guarantee the quality.
There are small businesses and independent knitters you can also buy slow fashion from, but as someone who spends hours making my own sweaters, this understandably comes at an exorbitant cost. If you asked me today if you could buy one of my sweaters, you would not want to buy them based on my price point! So, I’ve found that, for me, it makes more sense to spend more on materials than the cost of thrifting for the sake of longevity, while also avoiding spending hundreds of dollars on a single sweater by knitting the garments myself.
I could go on and on about my reasons for hand making my own clothes, but I’ll make one last point for now. This is, bringing beauty back into my surroundings. That may sound a little corny, so I will elaborate. Much of what I used to wear was black, gray, and quite plain. Some garments I wear are still plain, but hand making my sweaters has encouraged me to step outside the box and take pride in what I make and wear. As I have learned new techniques and have explored knitting pattern ideas, I have found what I gravitate toward and what fits my ever-evolving sense of style.
Another one of my alternative takes is that style should continue to be expressive but in a non-materialistic way. There is truth in the phrase “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” but can you really say something is beautiful when it is, again, made cheaply and purchased cheaply? While beauty does not need to be expensive, per se, I think we can get back to this by hand making and home making. All you need to invite beauty back into your life is some time and persistence to become good at a skill. Then you can beautify your life in not only in a cost-effective way, but in a way that’s timeless, sustainable, and authentic to you.
More On This Soon to Come
In essence, this is how I came to start hand making my own clothes and why I do this as opposed to thrifting. There is so much to say on this topic, and my hope is that this article compels you to view clothing at the intersection of consumerism with a more nuanced perspective.
To ensure my stance is clear, I do think thrifting is a wonderful way to give clothes and items a new home! I have just personally opted for more handmade approaches for the reasons I’ve stated. The drawback of trying to do it all independently, though, is that it is simply impossible to get around to all of it. This is why stores and markets exist in the first place! But then there comes the matter of quality and price as it relates to companies’ profit margins. I’ve learned that it is important to prioritize which handmade and homemade projects I want to handle and which I’m okay with “offloading to someone else” by paying for product (i.e., jeans; Levi’s does this best). It is a delicate balance for sure, but one that I enjoy finagling with to get the most value for what I put in (whether it be time or money).
Sometime this fall, I will write a follow-up article to this that actually shows my winter wardrobe! I am continuing to make great headway with my handmade collection, but I will feature all the garments when the minimum viable wardrobe is complete. There is a garment or two I plan on writing dedicated articles for that documents the process and my progress, so be sure to keep an eye out for those before the full wardrobe article is released.
Now I want to hear what you think. Do you think it makes most sense to spend more time or money on clothing that’s made to last? What do you think it would take for us to collectively shift our consumer spending habits to more sustainable clothing alternatives? Be sure to share your thoughts with me; I am curious to hear what you think on this as well.
Those are both gorgeous sweaters! I love the cabling from the collar down on that pullover.