This document discusses the importance of clothing and sewing skills. It provides a historical overview of textiles from ancient times to modern innovations like the sewing machine. It addresses common misconceptions about clothing, such as the ideas that expensive clothes are always better quality or that clothes must be new to be fashionable. The document emphasizes that sewing can provide personal empowerment, financial savings, and bring communities together. It also notes sewing incorporates skills in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. Barriers to sewing are addressed, and takeaways stress how textiles impact human development and that sewing skills are a lifelong gateway to empowerment.

1. Clothing is
important in
today's world!
Personal Development, Economic Empowerment and
Creative Development incorporating elements of
STEAM
Mary Ruppert-Stroescu, Ph.D.
Oklahoma State Clothing Specialist
Assistant Professor
Design, Housing, and Merchandising

2. Objectives
• Historical to contemporary view of textiles and
apparel
• Clothing is important: Top misconceptions
• Sewing as a gateway
• Barriers
• Takeaways
• Resources

3. History: Neolithic sewers
•Bronze age (c. 3150 BCE.)
• Skirt
• corded fringe
• Woven waistband
• Woven Top
• sleeves,
• pulled over the head
• Houppe Belt with fringe on
one end and a metal disk
on the other.
The first sewing
needle! First needle
with a hole, 22,000-
1700 BC
Used long horse hair
or reindeer tendons.

4. History:
Late 1700s – 1800s
• Power loom
• First factory
• Urban
development
• Employment of
women outside of
the home

5. History: Mid-1800s
• The invention of the sewing machine
• 14 times faster than by hand

6. History Late 1800s - Today
• First Unions
• Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
• Textile factory fire, Pakistan
• Textile Factory collapse, Bangladesh

7. Textile Innovation
Changed the World
• Jacquard Loom
• Basis for the
computer
• Binary system
Jacuard Card Computer Card

8. Key Facts:
The U.S. Textile and Apparel Industry
• One of the largest manufacturing employers in the US.
• The third largest exporter of textile products in the world.
• Supports textile and apparel platform created by
NAFTA/CAFTA/Andean free trade areas.
• Supplies +8,000 different textile products each year to the
U.S. military.
• Invested + $15 billion in new plants and equipment , 2001 -
2009.
• Increased productivity by 45 percent over the last 10 years.

9. Government & Textile Trade
• Executive Branch of the Government
• Office of the United States Trade Representative
• Assistant to the USTR for Textiles
• …will be responsible for supervising
negotiations affecting textile and apparel
products, advising Ambassador Kirk on textile
and apparel trade policy matters and working to
expand the industry's access to foreign markets.
• The Committee for the Implementation of Textile
Agreements (CITA)
• Departments of Commerce, State, Labor, and Treasury and the
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative's Office

10. Government & Textile Trade
• United States International Trade Association’s OFFICE
OF TEXTILES AND APPAREL (OTEXA)
• US IMPORTS IN 2011
• $92,727,734,058: Ninety-two billion
• US EXPORTS IN 2011
• $19,719,001,369: Nineteen billion
• Imports and Exports
• Quotas
• Tariffs
• Regulations
• Trade Agreements
• Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)
• Trade Preference Programs

11. Today’s world
• People have SO MUCH information.
• Consumerism is pushing us
• NEW is better
• CHANGE is better
• Automation and free trade agreements
have reduced the price of ready-to-
wear clothing
• Inexpensive clothing is also cheaply
made and wears out quickly.
• Textile waste is filling the landfills
• 75% of textiles produced do not
biodegrade
• Creativity has been proven to be one of
the drivers of economic development

12. misconceptions about
clothing
1:
• Clothing is personal
• You may think that what you wear is important to you and you
alone, but clothing is the strongest, most public communication
tool we use every day.
• How we dress tells others what we think about ourselves, what we
think about others, what we fill our time with, and often is the
subtle element that can make or break an opportunity.
• Watkins (1995) defines clothing as a portable environment, one
that “is carried everywhere with an individual, creating its own
room within a room and its own climate within the larger climate
of our surroundings” (p. 47).
• Clothing mediates relationships between the self and others
(Keane, 2005).

13. misconceptions about
clothing
2:
•If it’s cheap I should buy it
 Balance this statement with: you have to be rich to
buy cheap because inexpensive clothing is often
prone to damage early in the wearing cycle.
 The fabric can get holes
 seams come undone
 the surface of the fabric often gets small balls called
pilling
 the color often fades quickly
 buy-back thrift stores do not generally pay much for
cheap clothing.

14. misconceptions about
clothing
3:
• If it’s expensive, (and a name brand) I should save up and
buy it
• Paying more than is comfortable for your budget for clothing
or accessories should be done with extreme care. Check the
quality VERY carefully. High price does not always mean high
quality
• High prices CAN mean high quality, and carefully chosen, can
result in a wise investment that endures over time.
• Be sure your purchase/investment is driven for the right
reasons – don’t get caught in the brand image trap unless
you are financially capable and fully aware of WHY you are
attracted to the brand.
• Status shopping is ok, as long as it’s mindful and purposeful.

15. misconceptions about
clothing
4:
• If I wear it once, I must wash it
 Clothing worn in an indoor environment can often be
worn several times before laundering is required.
Laundering puts strain on the garment and uses a lot of
electricity and water.
 Wearing an undergarment such as a slip or a t-shirt can
protect a garment from body oils and perspiration.
 Create a space in your home where you can air out clothes,
especially those that do not touch your body directly.
 Spot clean small soiling on the surface.

16. misconceptions about
clothing
5:
• If it doesn’t fit I should throw it away
 Never throw away clothing! If a garment doesn’t fit,
run it through the wardrobe test
 Can you redesign it? Turn a skirt into a top, for example.
 Can you tailor it? Let out seams or add panels?
 If it fails the wardrobe test
 Can you give it to a friend or family member?
 Take it to a buy-back thrift store such as Plato’s closet
 Give it to a thrift store (Goodwill, the Salvation Army, etc.) and get
a tax deduction form

17. misconceptions about
clothing
6:
• Clothes must be new to be
fashionable
 Aside from the fact that we see cycles in the fashion
system – who has not had a teenager buy clothes similar
to what we wore as teenagers? Clothes can be updated
with just a few adjustments and/or additions.
 Consider changing buttons, length, width, or color to
update.
 Buying classics such as a black turtleneck, a white blouse,
and a navy straight, knee-length skirt will also guarantee
longevity.

18. misconceptions about
clothing
7:
• Clothes must be new to be
fashionable
 Aside from the fact that we see cycles in the fashion
system – who has not had a teenager buy clothes similar
to what we wore as teenagers? Clothes can be updated
with just a few adjustments and/or additions.
 Consider changing buttons, length, width, or color to
update.
 Buying classics such as a black turtleneck, a white blouse,
and a navy straight, knee-length skirt will also guarantee
longevity.

19. misconceptions about
clothing
8:
•More is better
 Most wardrobe authorities agree that the best
approach to dressing well economically is to
establish a set of basic wardrobe pieces and some
accent pieces.
 Some people actually function with only 30 pieces
in their closet and look diverse and great every day!
 Besides, when we have so many clothes, we forget
what we have and often times end up wearing the
same pieces over and over. Think about it.

20. misconceptions about
clothing
9:
•You need to be thin to look
fashionable
 Fashion is about having a style that is aesthetically
pleasing and modern.
 Granted, it is often easier to combine an ensemble
without having to keep in mind all kinds of restrictions,
like not emphasizing the waist, or covering the upper arm,
but on the other hand we are so lucky that we can
manipulate our clothing choices to make us look
aesthetically pleasing and modern no matter what our
body type, with some careful planning and wise shopping.

21. misconceptions about
clothing
10:
• Just because people wear it, it’s ok.
• Leggings are pants
 Never wear leggings under a top that is shorter than mid-thigh, unless you are in a
dance studio.
 Leggings lack opacity and hug the skin so strongly that they look like a second skin.
 Show every imperfection
 Movement creates unpleasant image
 Even if you don’t notice in the mirror when you get dressed, the person behind you
on the stairs will have a different opinion.
 Consider leggings to be in the same category as panty hose.
 Pajamas are ok to wear in public
 Planning for our appearance in public is as important for ourselves as it is for
ourselves. Despite their comfort, wearing pajamas in public can send the message
that you don’t care about yourself. See point 10 below.

22. Sewing as a gateway
• Sewing is Empowering
• Sewing Enables financial savings
• Sewing Creates community
• Sewing Skills for Youth Development
• Science
• Technology
• Engineering
• Arts
• Math
• Barriers

23. Sewing will…
• Empower
• Individual expression
• Self confidence
• Self-esteem
• Life skills
• Patience
• Focus
• Process thinking
• Compartmentalization
• Self-efficacy
• Self-reliance

24. Sewing will…
• Empower
• Save time
• Family sharing
• Update those hand-me-downs
• Building wardrobe wisely for
specific occasions
• Flexibility to buy where you want/
can get the best deal.
• Thrift stores
• Online
• Regular size if you are
• Small
• Short
• Off-standard sizing

25. Sewing will…
• Enable financial savings
• Repair instead of throw
away
• Simple
• Buttons, hems, seam
tears, belt loops
• Fill in/hide holes
• Replace a zipper
• Complex
• Shorten jacket sleeve
• Enlarge or reduce
waistband

26. Sewing will…
• Enable financial savings
• Redesign instead of reject
• Stay fashionable, using that
knowledge and creativity
• Skirt into a dress, wrap, etc.
• Shorten sleeve, skirt
• Jacket into a vest
• Jean into skirt, jacket, accessories
• So many things…

27. Sewing will…
• Create community
• American Sewing Guild
http://www.asg.org
• “a national non-profit organization
dedicated to people who believe
sewing is a rewarding and creative
activity.”
• Join people across the lifespan
• 4-H and OHCE
• American Association of Family
and Consumer Sciences
• http://www.aafcs.org/Students/Car
eerFCS.asp

28. Sewing will…
• Develop our minds in important ways.
• To sew you must know:
• Science
• Technology
• Engineering
• Arts
• Math

29. Sewing will…
• Develop our minds in important ways
• Science
• Textile knowledge is based on scientific exploration.
Understanding polymer chains, crystalinity, and hydrogen
bonds are only some of the examples.
• Chemical Structure
• Yarn formation
• Dye-ability and color retention
• Abrasion resistance and durability
• Moisture absorbency and comfort
• Making textiles more sustainable

30. Sewing will…
• Develop our minds in important ways
• Technology
• Technological innovation
• 3-D body scanning
• 3-D printing
• Sewing machines

31. Sewing will…
• Develop our minds in important ways
• Engineering
• Engineering specific fabrics around the body
• Creating a 2-d pattern to make a 3-D garment
• Systems thinking

32. Sewing will…
• Develop our minds in
important ways
• Arts
• Creative thinking
• Aesthetic principles
• Elements and principles of
design
• Sociology
• Capturing the spirit of the
times
• Psychology
• Developing personal
expression
• Understanding how
individual decisions impact
others.

33. Sewing will…
• Develop our minds in important ways
• Mathematics
• Algebra
• Geometry
• Measuring

34. Barriers
• Why learn to sew when buying
clothes is so cheap?
• Compare sewing to cooking.
• Cooking at home vs. fast food
• The new paradigm sees sewing
differently.

35. Takeaways
• Textiles and clothing are essential to economic,
political, and human development
• Rethink your conception of clothing
• Sewing Skills are a gateway to empowerment:
economic and personal.
• Economic Empowerment and personal financial savings
• Creates community
• Develop our minds in important ways across the lifespan
• Personal Development
• Creative Thinking
• Problem Solving
• STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math

36. Resources
• Watkins, S. M. (1995). Clothing: The portable
environment (2nd ed.). Ames, IA: Iowa State
University Press.
• Keane, W. (2005). The hazards of new clothes: what signs
make possible. The Art of Clothing: A Pacific Experience, 1-16.
• http://sweetpotatoesandsocialchange.com/4-reasons-
basic-sewing-skills-are-important/
• http://www.soyoustudio.com/why-sewing/
• http://www.sewcountrychick.com/why-should-you-
learn-to-sew/

37. Clothing Matters!
Spread the Word!
Mary Ruppert-Stroescu
405-744-3819
Mary.ruppert-stroescu@okstate.edu
http://fashionmatters2.blogspot.com
Instagram/Twitter @mystyle4u
@cwesst #cwesst
• Center for wearable electronic
sensing systems
#dhmokstate
#clothingmatters
#fashionmatters