Expressing Your Style Through Knitting Your Own Clothes

A few days ago, I did a post on Instagram where I shared how clothes have always been my favorite form of self-expression and how creating my own clothes through knitting has always had that power to make me feel confident to wear things that feel true to me. In the post, I asked the question: If you love it, what’s holding you back from wearing it? And I got a lot of great answers to that question! (You can go check out the post here). 

It’s really made me think about what it takes to know your style, to feel confident about what you wear, and the role of knitting and creating your own clothes in all of that.

The truth is that it’s not that easy to know your style and to find that confidence.

I think that it comes down to a few things:

• Knowing who you are and what you really like. What makes you feel good about yourself the second you take it out of the closet and put it on, what color makes you happy and gives you energy for the day, what shapes make you feel comfortable, beautiful and at ease.

• Daring and trying things out. To me style is a lot about experimenting. I’ve tried so many different styles, and I’m still trying new things every time I create a piece. It’s in the experience that you learn what you really love, in getting out of your comfort zone sometimes too.

• Finding the confidence to be unapologetic about who you are and what you wear. And I know that’s the hardest bit because of the way people look at you and react to what you wear, but in the end, you dress up for YOU and only you, so it doesn’t matter what they all think.

What about knitting in all of that? 

Well, knitting, for once, allows you to customize and make your piece truly unique. What feels more like you than something you’ve created with your own two hands?

Knitting allows you to make garments that REALLY fit you, just the way you want them to. Like, how many times have you been frustrated about not finding the right size in a store and ended up buying something too big, too small, or not cut the right way for your body? For me, too many times, and I have the privilege of being thin in a society that values it too much so I can only imagine what it is for bigger size women.

And a piece knitted with love has a very special value. A handknit has a name, a story. You’ve carried it with you, had conversations, watched movies, listened to music or podcasts while knitting it. And all that inspiration weaved itself into the little stitches. You’ve not only knitted yarn, you’ve knitted experiences, emotions, people, and so many little things that together make something of the most incredible value to yourself. And that’s where you can draw all the power and confidence to feel really like you whenever you wear it.