If a shop can sell something for so little, then who is being exploited?

Jenny’s story

When Jenny Mccreary graduated from Glasgow Caledonian University with a degree in fashion business, she dreamed about a career as a designer.

But the economic downturn caused her to start teaching pop-up sewing classes in a local café – and she loved it so much, she turned her passion for fashion into a thriving business. Jenny, 31, runs Sew Confident, a Glasgow-based sewing class and crafts supplier, and has helped hundreds of people to learn how to make, fix and mend their own clothing and accessories.

She said: “I absolutely love making my own clothes. You would think would be sick of sewing

Iby now, especially after doing it all day every day, but I just love it.

“The oldest dress I have in my wardrobe is about seven years old.

“I don’t think I have anything from a shop that has lasted that long – it still looks brand new, the fabric is amazing and I just wouldn’t throw it away.

“You don’t get rid of clothes as easily if you’ve made them yourself.” Jenny believes knowing more about the design and manufacturing process could also help more people to think about how clothing makes its way onto the High Street, discouraging our wasteful obsession with fast fashion. “Sewing definitely makes you appreciate the time and effort other people put into making the clothes you buy,” she explained.

“If a shop can sell something for so little and you know how long it takes to put together, who is getting exploited?

“It definitely opens your mind to the fact we take for granted how difficult it is to make clothes.” She added: “There has definitely been a lot more interest in upcycling, fixing and mending in our classes, too.

“And actually just the other day I fixed 14 pairs of jeans for my boyfriend. It took me about two hours but I just sat and patched the inside of all his jeans.

“When I was done he said, ‘I’ve got a new wardrobe now!’”