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Handmade clothes vs. factory-made

post #1 of 18
9/9/10 at 1:06pm
Thread Starter 
Labels like to advertise when their clothes are handmade. Rag & Bone and Band of Outsiders come to mind. Both like to point out their relationship with Martin Greenfield Clothiers, for instance, which makes a lot of their suits by hand. I'm always curious to know how much of a difference that makes.

First off, beyond increasing the labor costs and putting a premium on clothes, what value does handmaking clothing add to the clothes themselves? Do they drape significantly better? Do the seams last that much longer? If you start with a high-quality fabric, does it matter if it's sewn together by hand or not?

Second, if clothes aren't handmade, then how are they made? I presume in a factory, but if anyone happens to know exactly what that means then please enlighten me. For example, are J. Crew's chinos put together by machines in a factory in China somewhere? It seems more likely that their chinos are put together by actual people using their hands (though still in a factory in China).
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post #2 of 18
9/9/10 at 2:11pm
I have no input from the clothing industry, but I work in the bike industry and there is a similar trend... everyone tries to emphasize the artisanal aspects of their frame building, especially if they're welded in the USA/Canada/England/Holland; however, the best quality frames are coming off highly automated assembly lines in Taiwan. Sure they're still made by hand, but because everything is so compartmentalized and they have the added volume for extensive testing, they are so much better than most of the non-boutique builders in the West.
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post #3 of 18
9/9/10 at 2:51pm
It’s all about individuality. Handmade clothes are being done old-fashioned way because there is a belief that it is better – it lasts longer, it wears better and it works. If you compare two garments made in say Turkey and England, the difference is significant because the labour in England is more skilled, has better working enviroment, the quality control is more strict etc.
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post #4 of 18
9/9/10 at 3:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GlenCoe View Post
If you compare two garments made in say Turkey and England, the difference is significant because the labour in England is more skilled, has better working enviroment, the quality control is more strict etc.

Pretty sure it depends on the individuals constructing the garment, not just the country of origin.
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post #5 of 18
9/9/10 at 3:35pm
As I recall, handmade refers to one person constructing the piece from start to finish vs. a setup like an assembly line where one person is in charge of a single detail and does that all day. Kind of like how Astons are built by one very skilled mechanic, but it isn't like he's using all hand tools or anything

Still have to be careful though, I've seen more flaws in handmade garments than non
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post #6 of 18
9/9/10 at 3:38pm
Martin Greenfield Clothiers is a factory. It's a factory in Brooklyn, but it's still a factory.
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post #7 of 18
9/9/10 at 3:53pm
Another advantage of handmade (in bicycles and clothes) is that it can respond to changing demands more quickly. Small outfits will always have more modern geometry and stuff first, which the big factories will then adopt and test and produce several years later.
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post #8 of 18
9/9/10 at 3:54pm
Thread Starter 
All good points. I would think automating as much as possible would improve quality [i]and[i] reduce costs. Or maybe that's just my brainwashing from having grown up in the homeland of Ford Motors.
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post #9 of 18
9/9/10 at 7:02pm
handmade is a vague term.

My clothes are made by hand. Even though sewn by a machine. A human is doing the sewing. a facory good is when an actual machine sews the garment by its self.
The human error and ability to make judgment calls is what really is great about handmade goods.
That's why shuttle loomed denim is so popular. It's the character ( flaws, slubs) that makes the fabric beautiful.

My suits are literally sewn by hand( the parts that need it. I.e. button holes, lapels, sleeves and arm holes, lining..etc). It takes a long time to make one and you want someone knowing what they are doing to do that for you or you will get a shitty end result. A machined good looks flat and that looks like garbage too.
Machines, computer, and a lack of understanding for a descent wage are killing the fashion business as I want to see it. A lot of steps that were once used to make nice clothing are skipped over. People don't appreciate and don't know what they are missing.
I am not the best person to answer this question because I am narrow minded in thought and think everything should be done the old fashion way unless technology can make the old fashion way even better. However in most cases in the clothing industry that isn't the case.
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post #10 of 18
9/9/10 at 8:02pm
i'll make you some shit by hand. you ain't gonna like it though.
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post #11 of 18
9/9/10 at 9:19pm
Are any SW&D clothes really handmade? Anna M shirts that MC dudes wear are like 800 dollars and are significantly handmade
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post #12 of 18
9/10/10 at 2:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mauro View Post
handmade is a vague term.

This is especially true for knitted garments and accessories. "Handmade" can indicate handloomed or handknit, or any single part in the process of creating the item that involves a person. IME, if a label just states "handmade," it's probably the third possibility.
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post #13 of 18
9/10/10 at 2:57am
some words about this :
1 if you want something unique can't be industrial, only by hand you can have all the special details you want
2 More the process is industrial, more profit has the Company producing; so most of time the construction of the cloth is simple as possible. All little changes are big problem for the production chain
3 you have different level : industrial, Made to Measure, bespoke...unfortunately I'm not so expert to explain all the difference between these different way of producing, but of course you can clearly see the difference between them comparing a jacket constructed by machine and one hand made.
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post #14 of 18
9/10/10 at 3:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncontrol View Post
Pretty sure it depends on the individuals constructing the garment, not just the country of origin.


1000000000000000000000000% true
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post #15 of 18
9/10/10 at 11:35am
Thread Starter 
Very good points. I think when you say machine-made goods look "flat" you're exactly right. Handmade stuff--assuming the person putting it together knows what he/she is doing--generally has a sense of texture and dimension that you don't see as much in machine-made clothes. It may only be a small difference, but I think it's noticeable, even if you don't realize you're noticing it.

Decent wages for workers is a whole other issue. At least if I buy a pair of handmade Rag & Bone pants I know they weren't made by some kid in a sweatshop working 12-hour days for $.50/hour. That's not to say that all clothing that isn't handmade comes from sweatshops, but the problem is that it's impossible to know where the hell it comes from. That little tag that says "Made in China" doesn't really tell you that much.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mauro View Post
The human error and ability to make judgment calls is what really is great about handmade goods.
That's why shuttle loomed denim is so popular. It's the character ( flaws, slubs) that makes the fabric beautiful.

... A machined good looks flat and that looks like garbage too.
Machines, computer, and a lack of understanding for a descent wage are killing the fashion business as I want to see it. A lot of steps that were once used to make nice clothing are skipped over. People don't appreciate and don't know what they are missing.
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