If you’ve ever bought a shirt, dress or pair of overalls from a shop, you’ve probably given very little thought to the buttonholes.
Why would you?
They’re just there, quietly doing their job.
But recently, while making a shirt, I spent a surprising amount of time creating buttonholes. Measuring and marking them. Sewing each one. Carefully cutting them open. Positioning the buttons. Then sewing every button on.
By the time I’d finished, I found myself thinking about all the tiny details we take for granted when we buy clothing — and all the hands, time and skill behind the clothes we wear.
And that got me thinking about slow fashion.
In a world where clothing can be produced by the thousands, it’s easy to forget that every garment begins with people. Someone designs it. Someone makes the pattern. Someone cuts the fabric. Someone sews the seams. Someone presses it. Someone finishes it. And yes, someone makes the buttonholes.
At Lin Pin Clothing, I see every step that goes into creating a garment because I make each piece myself.
There are no production lines and no piles of identical garments rolling off a factory floor. It’s just me, my sewing machines, an ever-growing collection of beautiful fabrics and, quite often, a cup of tea going cold beside me.
Why I Choose Handmade
I’ve worked with textiles for most of my adult life, and one thing I’ve learned is that clothing tells stories.
Sometimes it begins with a piece of vintage fabric that has already lived another life as a tablecloth, curtain, sheet or bedspread. Sometimes it’s a beautiful length of cotton corduroy waiting to become a pair of overalls. Sometimes it’s an existing garment that can be repaired, altered or upcycled instead of being thrown away.
Every piece carries a story.
When I sit down to create a garment, I know where the fabric came from. I know how it was cut and how it was sewn. I know the decisions that were made along the way. And I definitely know how many times I’ve unpicked a seam because it wasn’t quite right!
That relationship between maker, material and finished garment is something I love about handmade clothing.
It isn’t about making things as quickly as possible. It’s about taking the time to make something thoughtfully, with care, and creating a piece that someone will hopefully love and wear for years.
Why Handmade Clothing Costs More
One of the questions independent makers often hear is: why does handmade clothing cost more?
The simplest answer is time.
But there’s much more behind that time than sitting at a sewing machine.
There’s choosing and sourcing fabrics, designing, pattern cutting, measuring, cutting the cloth, sewing, pressing, fitting and finishing. Then there’s photographing each piece, writing descriptions, adding it to the online store, answering questions, packaging orders and sending them on their way.
And somewhere amongst all of that, there are those buttonholes.
Much of this work is invisible by the time you see the finished garment hanging beautifully on a rack or appearing on your screen.
When you buy handmade, you’re not simply buying a piece of clothing. You’re supporting craftsmanship, creativity, small-scale production and a maker who genuinely cares about what they’re creating.
For me, slow fashion isn’t about chasing trends or producing more.
It’s about making less, making thoughtfully and making pieces worth keeping.
And perhaps the next time you button up a favourite shirt, you might even spare a little thought for the humble buttonhole.
Linda
Maker behind Lin Pin Clothing
Margaret River, Western Australia
Lin Pin Clothing