To Tailor or Not to Tailor

It's a touchy subject.  I didn't really realize it was a source of so much contention for so many people, but I guess it is, because any time I do a dress alteration video I get dislikes.  It upsets some people to think about buying a dress and then cutting it up. People have their reasons for this, and I get it from the artistic perspective that this is a work of art in a way, created by someone with a vision and you shouldn't change it.  I also get it from the financial perspective that if you pay a lot for a dress, you shouldn't have to then pay more to change it up.  But, really those outlooks are very limiting to a dress' potential.

Is clothing a work of art?  Yes and no.  The area of art that clothing falls into is Design.  Design is functional art, creativity that gets used in everyday life for everyday purposes.  Someone had to design your teapot, your spoons, your bath mat.  Do you consider them art and then weep when you burn the kettle, mangle the spoon in the garbage disposal, or spill nail polish on your bath mat?  Or do you chuck them in the trash or repurpose them guilt-free and without a second thought?  Probably the second one.

Like the kettle, spoon, and bath mat, clothing was designed by some creative soul to be both functional and aesthetically pleasing.  It's meant to bring joy for short time until it is used up and discarded.  I don't say that to diminish the work or such artists, only to put it in perspective.  Getting worn and laundered on a regular basis, organza and cotton dresses aren't going to stand the test of time like the Mona Lisa or David.  Best to enjoy them as much as possible, especially given the price we pay for such pieces.

As far as the aspect of not changing someone else's idea, the moment I pay for a piece of clothing, it becomes mine and is now a medium for my own self-expression, up to and including altering it as I see fit so that it best represents my own tastes.  I don't buy clothes because I want to to express Lirika Matoshi's tastes or J Crew's tastes.  I buy clothes that best represent my tastes.  If a designer makes something exactly the way I like it, huzzah!  If not, but my ideal could be achieved by say shortening the sleeves or taking in the waist, then I'm going to do it so that I can love not just like the garment but the way I look and feel in it. 

As far as the second point of not altering clothes because of the cost, let me just say that I used to think that if I was going to drop a load of cash on a piece of clothing, it should be perfect the way it was or it wasn't worth it.  That's ridiculous though.  Most clothing is made to fit the majority of people adequately.  The entire profession of tailoring exists because nearly all clothing needs a little tweaking to make it fit really well.  

Whether it's lengthening or shortening the hemline, adding a few darts for a more fitted waist or letting out some seams to keep fabric from puckering where it shouldn't, minor adjustments can make a world of difference in how a garment fits.  Beyond that it can make a world of difference in how you feel about yourself and the way you look in that garment.  

The bottom line in all this is that my clothes are mine to do whatever I want with.  And everyone else's clothes are theirs to do whatever they want with.  I would much rather do a little cutting and sewing so that I will wear something way more than spend the money and then have it sit in the closet or not buy it at all because it was lacking something that I could bring to it and in doing so miss out on something really great and truly unique.

Shopping Info:  Selkie's Romantics Dress in The Unicorn Defends Himself Print Dress with sleeve alteration.