In a recent discussion among friends about how people used to dress, something occurred to me. It’s something I’ve read about, but have perceived as long-ago history. The truth is, I can remember doing it myself.
People used to really care about what they wore.
Maybe it’s a coincidence, maybe not, but it occurred to me that the by-gone days where the majority of people carefully chose their clothing, and got dressed up in their “Sunday best”, they got dressed up to go out, for whatever reason. This was in an era when we, as a society, weren’t yet enveloped in fast fashion. It’s almost like we were more invested in the clothing that we had. Most people had drastically smaller wardrobes. In some places a simple hook or two was enough. This was a time when it took a great deal more effort to obtain clothes – whether you made them yourselves, or you paid for them. It seems our society used to care a lot more about clothes.
Clothes used to be, and still are, a status symbol. It says a lot about you. Consider those who show up at the departure gate in business attire and those who show up in sweats. I’ll admit I haven’t been to an airport in years, but I’d imagine it would influence how others treat you.
Stories tell of fishermen in the British Isles having one sweater for working, and one for their Sunday best. More stories tell of ganseys, and other hardwearing garments, having patterned stitches in the upper arm and torso, but stockinette stitch from the elbows down – so that they could easily be reworked as they got damaged. This is the sustainable fashion of its time! These weren’t the aristocrats, these were hardworking, rural, and often impoverished people. They knew what to expect from their clothes, and they made and wore them accordingly.
So how is it that we, as a society, ended up with far more clothes that we care less about? Sure we may have a favorite, but do we actually have a closet full of favorites? Clothes that we feel great wearing? Clothes that reflect how we feel about ourselves? Clothes that are beautiful? I don’t, but I’m working towards it.
How did we make this shift from Sunday bests to a culture that seems to celebrate $200 ripped jeans?
Clothes are so easily obtained, either because they’re cheap, or because we have disposable income to spend on them (thinking of you, $200 ripped jeans).
Perhaps the easier it is to obtain clothes, the lower the standard is.
The same can be said for food – the easier it is to obtain food, the lower the standard is. Farmers know their food, and they cherish it. As knitters, we know the cost of making a garment from scratch, both in terms of time and money. And I think on the whole, we value our clothes more. There’s something about using a color that you absolutely love, or getting the perfect length that helps us to cherish each handknit garment.
in Pascuali Cashmere, size US 8
Standards in this world seem to get lower and lower, don’t they? But we can always choose to be an example. It doesn’t need to be the fanciest hand knit sweater, it can be a simple one in a beautiful color. Even beginners can produce works of art if their focus is on beauty. If you’re intimidated by new skills, I’ll encourage you to learn. But if you don’t have the bandwidth right now, a simple project in a beautiful yarn can be just the thing. Whatever is right for you in your life today, if your focus is on beauty and excellence, it will show!
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