Do you have a special piece of clothing that was handmade or refurbished for you?

Sewing clothes is an art form that I believe is being lost in today’s society. My mother was an excellent seamstress and made beautiful dresses and other clothes for my sisters. However, she limited her sewing to my sister’s clothing and as far as I remember she didn’t make any clothes for me (she did mend my Levi’s when I wore a hole in the knees unlike today where the style is to wear jeans full of holes). She always said it was cheaper to buy boys clothing (I think she meant shirts) than to make them. 

​
I don’t know if this was true or not, but could it be that boys’ clothing was more complicated and frustrating (at least for her) to make than girls’ clothes? I don’t know why this would be the case but as I look back on my childhood, I guess I’m glad she didn’t sew my pants. As a kid I pretty much only wore Levi’s, and I seldom wore slacks except for church and then I was not comfortable in them and if my parents would have let me, I would have worn Levi’s to church as well.

​
I learned that Levi’s were the most durable pants an active boy could ever wear, and I still believe that they are the best pants that a man can wear. As an old man I still only wear slacks or suits to church. I spent my entire professional career in slacks, suits, and ties and since I have retired, I have reverted back to my childhood ways and wear Levi’s ninety percent of the time, and it feels like I am dressed fashionably.

​
However, even though my mother didn’t make me any clothes my first wife Carol made several suits for me and for Paul. By the time Peter came along (he was twelve years younger than Paul) she was too busy to sew as much as she used to, and I don’t believe she made any clothes for him.

​
I remember a matching sports jacket and pants she made for Paul and me. Included with these outfits was a matching skirt and short sleeved jacket for herself. Her skirt matched our jackets, and her jacket matched our pants. 

​
Carol also made Paul and me another matching suit. This was a rust-colored suit and looked pretty good on us. Her sewing saved us some money, but it really put pressure on her even though she loved doing it.

​
I remember another suit that Carol made for me. It was a leisure suit which many men were wearing at the time. This was a tan suit with dark brown stitching that added to the look.

​
Carol also made her wedding dress which was very beautiful and professional-looking. She was a very talented seamstress who enjoyed sewing and being crafty. 

​
So, the answer to this question is yes, I have had some homemade clothing in my lifetime, and I always wore each piece with pride, and I still appreciate the effort and love that went into making each of them. Unfortunately, I don’t have any of this clothing anymore, but I do have fond memories of watching a wife and mother making clothes for two boys (Paul and me) that she loved. I wish circumstances had been different when Peter came along because I am certain that she would have made nice clothes for him as well.

​
Oh! The times are changing.

​
After writing this post I started to reflect on the circumstances of my childhood and early years of marriage and how financially tight things were, yet I remember the happiness we felt in both my childhood home as well as with my young family.

​
Growing  up it didn’t matter if we didn’t enjoy the stylish clothes the other kids wore to school. My sisters with their homemade clothing always looked nice and to my knowledge never begrudged their homemade clothes. We knew and were comfortable with who we were. We were always clean, looked nice, and knew that we were loved.


Happy Failing Forward,


Calvert Cazier



PS Want to help your kids have less stress and more success at home and school? CLICK HERE to get a copy of our book, The Resiliency Toolkit: A Busy Parent’s Guide to Raising Happy, Confident, Successful Children.