The skinny on seams

Photo showing 3/4" seam
Photo showing seams of 3/4"
Third photo shows how easily factory-made seams unravel
Bottom photo shows razor-thin 1/4" seam

Your clothes may look great on the outside but if you don't pay attention to how they look on the inside, you'll frequently find yourself having to pitch out a favorite garment because you can't let it out. Changes in weight are as common as changes in fashion; but it's only in the last few years that consumers have come to it accept clothing with razor thin seams inside that allow no possibility of alteration.

It wasn't always this way. In fact, before the Industrial Revolution, just about everyone wore custom-made clothing - and shoes for that matter. When factory-made clothing came into existence, it was viewed as being inferior and the manufacturers had to do a selling job to get everyone to buy it. Even as recently as the 1950s, the factory-made garment did not confer status the way a custom-made suit did. Obviously, manufacturers have put effort, by way of branding, into changing people's views, so that many people now view clothing from a factory as superior. But is it?

If you look inside most manufactured clothes, it's easy to see that, if you even put on a couple of ounces, you'll have to get rid of the garment. However, if you buy clothing that has been made by craftsmen or artisans, you're more likely to get a generous seam allowance, meaning that a weight gain will not leave you scrambling to put together a new wardrobe.