I graduated in the year 2000 and I'm on the older end of the generation that is labeled as Millennials; I turned 40 last year. However, I'm also from an American Midwest farm, which means there are aspects of my upbringing that align with the typical upbringing of a Gen Xer.

Farm culture in this area used to involve having someone in the family with sewing skills, as farming was financially uncertain and buying new clothes was a luxury. Fast fashion only emerged in the 1980s, so sewing became a necessary means of meeting our family's clothing needs. It wasn't merely a hobby but a crucial skill to ensure we had clothes to wear. Unfortunately, sewing was not regarded as a viable career path by the Silent Generation or even the older Baby Boomer Generation. It was seen as something to be integrated into daily life, rather than valued as a distinct skill set, unless one managed to pursue a career in sewing. Since many people knew how to sew, the demand for sewing services was not exceptionally high, and charging for such services was often looked down upon. I have encountered numerous instances where sewing tasks were downplayed with statements like:

"It's just a little job." "I could do it myself, but..." "It's no big deal." "This would be hard for me, but I'm sure it's easy for you." "It's just [farm pants, a fishing coat]." and so on.

This profession still exhibits a double standard for men and women, particularly among those over the age of 60. A man who sews is typically referred to as a tailor and is involved in crafting suits for businessmen, which caters to a niche market of high-paying clients. This specialization is widely accepted. On the other hand, a woman in the same profession, especially if she operates her sewing studio from home, is often perceived by older generations as someone who engages in "sewing on the side" while her husband is the primary breadwinner. These individuals often try to "help" by taking on stitching tasks themselves, thinking they are saving a few dollars, but in reality, they create more work due to the holes they cut in the fabric. While a mechanic can charge $75-$150 per hour for their expertise, if a sewist asks for a fee that is comparable to minimum wage, they are accused of "losing common sense," "robbing us blind," "trying to deceive people," or even labeled a liar for pointing out the necessary repairs due to the holes that were cut in the garment. (I kid you not, someone from an older generation actually said this to me. Yesterday.)

In stark contrast, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z recognize the underlying and outdated social attitudes present in the aforementioned statements. They understand that these messages are carefully constructed to prevent sewists from recognizing the true value of their skills and charging accordingly for the years of experience they have devoted to honing their craft.

The majority of our customers are first-time brides in their 20s and 30s who come from families without any sewing knowledge beyond their grandmother or great-grandmother. These brides make an effort to purchase a dress, but these garments are often ill-fitting and require alterations. Unfortunately, the time and effort spent on research and development of pattern shapes for each size eat into profits. I've shared this graphic before, but it illustrates this point well:

I have been amazed and deeply humbled by the younger crowd's dedication to social awareness, their determination to challenge the status quo regarding wages (specifically the gender pay gap), and their advocacy for skilled individuals to be compensated based on their abilities rather than outdated societal constructs. At our shop, we prioritize educating our clients about clothing, particularly how poorly designed garments contribute to low self-esteem and negative body image issues.

Knowing how to sew is just a fraction of what we do; the majority of our work revolves around caring for individuals, uplifting their self-esteem, and making them feel confident in their clothing.

While our business falls under the service industry, tipping sewists has not been a longstanding tradition. However, we are now witnessing a shift in mindset among Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z, as they recognize the importance of tipping. At our shop, it's common for us to underestimate the time and effort required for a job and end up investing more hours into a dress than initially estimated - which certainly contributes to sewists feeling like they're being taken advantage of when someone behaves unkind in outdated attitudes. Sometimes, we forget the true value of our knowledge and skills. That's why we are genuinely touched and grateful whenever we receive a tip—it's a new and humbling experience for us.

The younger generations often face unfair criticism, being labeled as "lazy" or "entitled." Personally, I see them (us!) as individuals who refuse to accept outdated social constructs simply because "that's the way it's always been." I'm not usually one to jump on bandwagons, but I will not tolerate verbal abuse, especially considering we had charged only half the regular price for the job. It's essential to stand up against such mistreatment as a business.

Thanks for listening, 

Topic in this post: #DayInTheLife

Kristen sews because clothes don't come shaped like humans and people often think their bodies are the problem, which is a problem. 

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