Shopping while curvy is such a pleasant experience that a group of women started a community, making their own clothes from scratch since finding cute things in stores was just too easy. Deliberately making your own clothes from standard patterns is a bold move, a welcome sight, to see women take charge of their wardrobes whether designers offer alternatives for curvy women or not.
Curvy Sewing Collective aims to be a resource for women who want to start creating their own clothing, and run into the issue of using popular patterns that are only made for certain body types. It gives you the freedom to really create whatever you see fit, try out things designers may be too scared to create for curvy women, and express yourself the way everyone else does.
The site has pattern reviews, recommendations of fabric, and has built a positive place for women to talk about how they want their clothes to feel, fit and look—something runway designers haven’t even tried to do. It’s also rare to see chic clothes that are affordable, and the Curvy Sewing Collective is trying to bring awareness to easy styles to create for your own wardrobe so you don’t have to continuously depend on other retailers to be inclusive.
One of our favorite parts of the site is their monthly round of women submitting photos of clothing they have made, and tutorials on practical things curvy women need when sewing like adjusting pattern pieces for larger arms, figuring out correct chest measurements, and the best pattern companies that offer size ranges. And it’s a lot more modern than you think—there’s plenty of dresses and skirts, but also shoes, bras, and active wear. The Curvy Sewing Collective takes the tips from your grandma, and makes it a whole lot more stylish, just the way you want.
So grandma’s style is cool.