Stop hating your handmade closet and start dressing like the crafty cool girl you know that you are ❤️‍🔥

If you’ve ever opened up your handmade closet and thought, I have nothing to wear… BUT you know deep down you have good style and for some reason you’re just having a hard time bringing it out... Well then this is for you.

I want to start by talking about a capsule wardrobe or “basics” if you will. Not because I think you should have a capsule wardrobe, but because I think it’s a great starting point for the formula that will help build your handmade cool girl closet ✨

When I started learning about capsule wardrobes way back in the day, it felt like the world’s cry away from consumerism and towards a more minimalist lifestyle. At the time (before I sewed), I was fully on board with this. Literally all the clothes that I owned could fit into a carry on sized luggage. Looking back, I’m still impressed with myself for that haha

Since building both my handmade wardrobe and my sewing pattern business, I certainly can’t call myself a minimalist anymore 😅 I have a closet full of clothes and an entire sewing studio dedicated to my business.

So while I’m not endoursing a minimalist lifestyle or a capsule wardrobe, I actually think it’s the perfect starting point to intentionally create a collection of handmade garments that make us feel fulfilled, and also like we have outfits we love to wear.

Let’s start by imagining the basic items that make up a capsule wardrobe.

A quick google search will take you to an image like this:

Because each of our lives is different, the “basic garments” that make up our wardrobe will likely be different from each other. With this in mind, I want you to write down, or just conceptualize the categories of clothes you wear the most (even if they’re ready to wear pieces and not handmade ones).

I’m going to do this exercise with you so you can see it in practice, and because I too am actively building my cool girl closet 😘

Now for each category, we’re going to identify:

a basic version of the garment AND a cool girl version of the garment

T-Shirt

T-Shirt Basic Version

First up, we’ve got the basic t-shirt. Each pattern I chose is a bit different, but they can all be categorized as basic in my eyes. There’s a mix of drop shoulder vs normal shoulder, t-shirt fabric vs knit fabric, and an oversized fit vs fitted.

T-Shirt Elevated Version

Now for the elevated version of a t-shirt, I’ve chosen the The Pleat Top, which I’ve made recently and absolutely love!! And the Varisty Tee, which maybe you could argue leans more basic than elevated, but it’s elevated in my mind which is what matters 😅

Okay I’m going to stop narrating for a bit because I think you get the point 😘🫶

Tank Top

Tank Top Basic Version

Tank Top Elevated Version

Button Up

Button Up Basic Version

Button Up Elevated Version

Trousers

Trouser Basic Version

Trouser Elevated Version

Skirts

Skirt Basic Version

Skirt Elevated Version

Dresses

Dress Basic Version

Dress Elevated Version

Jackets

Jacket Basic Version

Jacket Elevated Version

Now that we’ve established our categories, and chosen a basic option and a cool girl option for each, we’re well on our way to our dream wardrobe!

Of course, there are way more cool patterns out there to peruse, and sewing your dream wardrobe inevitably takes time, this exercise helps you create a vision and a plan. Once you start chipping away at this, you’ll slowly but surely fill your closet with garments you’ll actually wear regularly and be extremely proud of. Plus because we’ve been intentional about choosing basic and elevated versions of each category, you’ll always be able to easily dress up an outfit without feeling bored or frusterated with your options.

If you’re looking for more inspiration for your handmade wardrobe, check out Me Made May 2025 and 2026 videos, where I highlight 31 size inclusive sewing patterns on my youtube channel! ⬇️

Happy sewing!

Jess 🫶

How to Build a Handmade Wardrobe You’ll Actually Wear + Sewing Pattern Inspo