That's so weird!! Who would buy that?

But it's cut on a low emission fabric cutting machine, you know, unlike what you might use at home.... :)

I can't see someone who sews much wanting to buy something like this. It might be an aid, somewhat, for a beginner sewist. But there are better ways to go about that if you are a learner.

One value that I see is that the simple top that it seems was the first trial offering is actually the start or the introduction to the wearing of simple garments. This boxy top can be a wardrobe staple.

But, I think this product has little redeeming value beyond that.

Cutting out the pattern is not where the skill is. The skill is in the fitting and in the finishing. There is no intrinsic value in just running up the seams. If you want to learn the skills needed to finish the top, you certainly dont need this. This is an expensive way to learn!

But the thing is, you're a purist. I don't think younger people today value well fitted (or even pattern matching), to go by a lot of higher end RTW garments I see being warn. But to be able to say "I made it" when your friends ask where you got it, has value.

I also don't think they're aimed at people who want to _learn sewing_ per se, so much as to be able to run something up in not much time using minimal skills and not aim to improve your skill set. Just like the ready to cook meal kits aren't aimed at people who want to learn to cook.

So, who do you think this company perceives as being the customer? I am not sure.

What comes to my mind are this new breed of young urban folks. In the cities and before the virus there was the idea that these folks would flock to businesses that were being referred to as maker places.

The idea is that these folks are seeking experiences over material things, that live in small apartments with no room to follow a hobby, like sewing for instance. So they come in a pay for the use of machines, some instruction and buy the materials needed. They were being called "maker places".

I saw a few instances where they were selling kits or packages of a pattern and fabric.

It was my understanding taht Joanns was heading towards a format like that, and I heard of one Joanns that had actually gone over to the new concept, but now I hear nothing of it.

So, I suspect that this kind of person is maybe the kind of customer that they are looking for.

There is some instruction for some simple finish sewing that is included. But, you dont need this expensive kit for that.

I just dont think that a precut garment has any advantage or value.

They tout the company as promoting slow fashion and the advice that they offer as to how to care for your blouse reminds me of these jeans that folks buy that are advised to be wiped clean with a soft cloth or professionally cleaned, as if it was such an esoteric and rare garment. I think it is just to give it a cache.

Also, I would always wash such fabric before even considering to sew with it. I can imagine the disappointment when the garment gets washed and it all shrinks. It is a linen/cotton blend in a canvas weave. It should always be washed and dried and maybe even washed twice before cutting. I think the fabric is a bit rough for a blouse and would be more suited to bottom wear.

The company says it cuts one garment at a time - when the real savings, in terms of fabric, is using a marker onto which all the pieces of every size are placed by computer as closely as possible. The amount of fabric wasted cutting one at a time could be significant.

https://fashion-incubator.com/what-is-a-marker/

They can reuse packing materials, however, I know people in my circle who are so squeamish regarding COVID they sanitize their hands after taking a package from the Fed Ex guy. In times like these, is used packing material a selling point?

I had the same thought about the cutting. Unless they are using a pattern that can be laid out in a manner that snugs each piece up to the next pieces with the smallest of waste, there is no point and they dont win credit for being sustainable or slow fashion or any of those other attributes that the industry wants to lay claim to.

We can create much waste in our sewing rooms and many of us end up with scads of remnants and bits and pieces. Just because you may make a pillow or a toy or some such from the waste, it is still waste. It could have been used differently and made better use of.

For good visually rich reference I refer to the works of Max Tilke. He was a German artist who detailed the garments of the old world His publications contain a wealth of beautiful illustrations, some cutting diagrams and a homage to timeless garment making from a time when bits and pieces of fabric were not cut off and throw away. Some of these are true zero waste garments and I just cannot understand why more attention has not been paid to recreating and reinterpreting these garments.

Really, some of the cutting and construction of our modern hand sewn garments are so darned overly convoluted and require such waste to fabricate.

I came across Max Tilke many years ago and there used to be the complete reference that I had in an online site.

This was when the garments were laid out, cut apart and not a scrap was wasted. Who would waste fabric when it was so hard earned?

Haven't looked at this for years.

Yes, if they are cutting each garment from a length of cloth and wasting the rest, that is no advantage by any measure.

I did find a free access to the book from the Smithsonian, second link.

Some of these garments could be nicely adapted to modern life. For the most part they are made of geometric shapes.

The same is true of the squares and rectangle shirts pre20th century here in America.

My grandmother still made the little infant "sacs" from the squares and rectangles method. She was born in the late 1890s and my mother told me that she would to out and buy a length of flannel and make a gift of diapers and a little sac for new mothers. Even when I was born, post WWII, babies were still being dressed in what we called kimonos. Basically it was the squares and rectangles method. We did not have onesies at that time.

I sill have a couple of layette patterns from that time. The pattern companies published some.

https://gradybleu.com/blogs/news/tilke-costume

https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/orientalcostumes00tilk

"Some of these are true zero waste garments and I just cannot understand why more attention has not been paid to recreating and reinterpreting these garments."

I think it's because people desire a wider variety of silhouettes and garments that accentuate or enhance one's figure, instead of the garment being a piece of art in itself. They can be beautiful, but not necessarily make the wearer feel attractive.

I know that garments cut like that only make me look bigger and stouter.