Definitely a good thing to think about! My personal stance is pretty simple -- it's okay to copy anything, from anyone, for any reason, as long as it's for your own personal use and you credit the original. It's not okay to make money off the copy, by selling the items or pattern, or to pretend you came up with it yourself. Creating monetized internet content is a bit of a grey area by these rules... but I can't think of an example from the sewing/crafting community that I've felt crosses the line.
As a clothing brand designer! I can tell it’s all ethical while you are making it for yourself! I would be very proud that someone brings my brand name for inspiration! I belive I have unique design that can be someone’s inspiration:) But If you start selling other designs. It’s not cool anymore!
Hey Cassie, I have pretty strong opinions on this that might help you come to terms with making these things for yourself. No one makes clothing because of the ease of it (as someone trying to learn it is incredibly hard lol) and as you mentioned in the video, you wanted to buy the item. But you decided to make it because you could not comfortably afford them. That I think is the most important consideration. you made the item because its price point was not accessible to you (although its price is definitely justified) If you were making enough money to comfortably buy clothing from these brands you clearly love, you wouldn't be making an exact replica aha. So long as you are not selling the items you make, you can make it for yourself and anyone else you want because YOU are putting in the labor to replicate and fit and make that garment and buying the materials. It is yours. I would even say if you make a pattern of the garment it's yours to do with as you see fit Because YOU made the pattern, you did not plagiarize it. that's still your labor. and anyone buying the pattern from you is going to make it with THEIR labor. They would just buy the item if they could already afford it. Remaking garments you cannot afford is something that has been done for centuries. An appropriate analogy is if you replicate a meal from a restaurant you admire because you cannot afford to eat there often. Nothing unethical about that : ) you are not taking away any of their customers, all of the work you put in is a labor of love. you're doing fine : ))
There's absolutely no reason for making them yourself to be unethical. Copying them for your own wardrobe has no limits whatsoever. If you were to profit off of it it's another story but to feel like you can't make a pair of those pants because they're a copy is honestly just very sad to me. You should be free to knit, sew, craft whatever you want for yourself. That popcorn pattern is very old and very common and that kind of sweater has been made for centuries as well as those workwear pants, they're in themselves inspired by vintage garments. The business of those slow fashion brands lies so much more in the crafting and making and sourcing of those items as well as in the whole 'brand' that they sell that it's much less about those garments being made elsewhere when they've been so directly influenced by vintage garments already. To copy that design and business model is a big no no but to make them yourself by all means DO IT. I'm sure they're happy to inspire a generation to find their way back to crafting and treasuring the amount of work that goes into these things, valuing how much they're worth. Let's hope that more people making their own things does a part in getting away from fast fashion as a society!
As a DIYer/ maker/sewist who is inspired by the work of others I’d say I totally agree with you. Renditions are a tribute to the original idea creator. There are few artists who can say they are not influenced by others. Commercial clothing, slow or not, is also influenced by others designs. Above all honesty in our making is an important part of the process.
OK 2 things I was taught at university... 1 if you buy a pattern you are paying the designer for home use of that pattern, 2 if you copy a design created by someone else always make 2 different changes in the design like altering the neckline or sleeve in a shirt and altering the pockets and the leg width in pants so that your design is close but not an exact copy of the original garment. For any use other than home use... as in you will sell the garment, then make 4 changes in the design.
I found your thoughts on this topic extremely timely as I am also knitting a 'Popcorn' sweater..... This stitch pattern has been in popular use since at least the 1940's, so if we wanted to be pedantic we could say that the Misha and Puff sweater is also a dupe. I feel that grey area you describe becomes one of black and white when you make money from selling the product or pattern and not crediting the designer. As you have paid for your pattern and credited the designer on several occasions and do not intend to sell the sweater you knit (assumption my part) I think you should wear it with joy in your accomplishment.
in my opinion,you have to ask yourself this "would i have bought this sweater if not for this pattern?" if the answer is no,because you can't afford it - then theres nothing immoral about it - it's not like they're losing buisness because you could have never afforded their sweater in the first place
that Puff popcorn sweater, I have seen it already 20 years ago already in south america , it is not that they have created something new, it was already there and they copied from the artisans or used their designs.
when I was a child my grandma (we are from Kazakhstan) knitted such a sweater for me. she use the pattern from the “Soviet encyclopaedia”, that were publish in soviet period 😅
I think dupes are okay if they are for personal use only. Vogue has Chanel and Gucci inspired patterns as well as other designers and you can even buy the exact fabrics high end designers use that are left over from old collections
I see no problem with "duping" small brands as long as it's for your own personal use. I recently made a version of the Classic Dress by Son de Flor ( slow fashion brand), the original is more than 200€ and mine cost me around 40€. I had been dreaming about that dress for years but would never spend that much on a dress no matter how gorgeous it is.
I agree with you. The son de flor dress you mentioned is beautiful. The dress I've been dreaming is the Alessandra Rich navy polka dot that Ivanka Trump wore with a white belt. Also Kate Middleton wore it And the other one that I already made and got inspired was the Bette dress from Gal Meet Glam, I changed the sleeves to 3/4 ith a button and the neck. They're very lovely dresses, my favorites 😍
I would say with a lot of these small biz items, the maker or home sewer is likely not the customer base of the several hundred dollar sweater. I mean I’m sure there are exceptions but I could not rationalize a purchase like that. I’d more likely buy second hand due to my thrifty nature.
I definitely think that it's wrong to copy a design and sell the pattern (though that's legal in my country, the UK). I don't know whether the knitting pattern that you are using is marketed as a dupe, but that style of pattern has been around for donkey's years, I remember something very similar as a knitting pattern in the 80s in the UK. If it's not marketed that way and it's just that people use it to create a similar artical I think that's absolutely fine. From what I could see (and it's not terribly clear on my phone, your knit is a raglan, the Puff sweater is a drop shoulder, so if I'm seeing that correctly they're not the same.
It's an important conversation! As a maker who primarily makes things for my personal wardrobe and tries to thrift materials/get them from local stores as much as possible, I don't feel too bad copying. If I were buying bulk material and making in order to sell, even in small quantities locally, that would be another discussion entirely. As long as it's for my wardrobe, and occasionally gifts to my loved ones, I make and copy guilt-free :)
Love these talks! :-) My stance, when it comes to copying/making your own version, is pretty clear: Go for it. As long as you only make stuff for yourself and give credit where credit's due.
Once you buy a pattern you can make the item for yourself or anyone else. The pattern is now yours to use. You cannot claim credit for designing the pattern. You can make and sell any items you made for whatever price you choose. If you take inspiration from an item of clothing and draft (not copy) your own pattern, this is now your pattern that you can take the credit for. There's 2 thoughts here, one for the actual paper pattern and one for inspiration to create your own paper pattern. You can make and sell for profit items from any pattern, your own drafted or a purchased pattern. This is for the United States, not sure about Canadian laws as I don't live there, so my final thought is a thorough search for the country you live in.
There are many indy pattern makers who state home use only and not reproduce the clothes for commercial use. Imagine a company bigger than these indy designers using that pattern to sell the clothing without credit to the designer.
My take on copying sustainable or slow fashion brands is: Is the item available in my size and preferred colour? Will it fit me? Can I afford to buy them? If yes, I will do that and gladly support their business. If not I can "copy" their item without harming their business. And I make deliberate alterations, in colour, in fabric, in fit, in details. I never made an exact copy of anything.
I would not waste even second feeling guilty copying any clothing for myself! If you have the mad skills to recreate garments, use it!! (of course selling designs that aren't yours is a different matter).
I don't know, I think copying is a way to make some of these items way more accessible, even the ethical and sustainable companies. I don't think the people who are making the items (for themselves, that is) are the same people purchasing them. And they will not likely ever be the same customers, so the company won't likely lose a ton of money (ripping off and selling is an entirely different story...). And let's be honest, these companies are NOT size inclusive at all. Also, the Rudy Jude jeans are not the first reinforced denim workwear. That is a vintage element and not original at all! In fact, that double knee is practically a Carhartt trademark. So copy away, lol. Just like Jesse Kamm directly ripped off the 1970s sailor pants, so all that criticism Anna Allen got was completely undeserved.
There was an episode of the Articles of Interest podcast that talked about the legal aspects of fashion design. Ep 8 I think. Really interesting stuff if you haven’t listened!
As a nearly 50 year old I can tell you nothing is new in this world! My mum made me a popcorn sweater in the 1980s. I think theres a huge difference between an individual making their own version of something and a fast fashion band doing so.
The grey area with that sweater seems to be that a pattern company copied the design and is selling patterns. If you had seen the sweater and copied it for your own personal use that’s different. The ethical question, as others said, is when it’s for personal use vs for sale. If I see a design by an indie pattern company that I like, but I don’t want to buy the pattern I just draft the pattern myself by copying the images of the finished garment. It’s for my personal wardrobe and I’m not selling my pattern or the finished garment, which in my opinion isn’t morally questionable in any way.
For context though, I don’t use social media. I do think it’s different if you’re posting tutorials for dupes of contemporary small designers. Tutorials for copycat vintage patterns or luxury designer or fast fashion dupes are morally ok to me. I think the power dynamics at play are what to take into consideration.
I do this too! (trying to draft patterns I see myself instead of buying the pattern) Most patterns are just minor alterations of my block patterns. I too see no moral problem with it- it's for my personal use as a private person, not to profit off of
I think, when making things for your own use, everything is fair game. There's so much grey area too. If companies are producing more items, can they say they're sustainable? Maybe "more" sustainable than others or "more" ethical, but they're still producing new things. They're still paying people less in other countries, rather than putting that money into the communities we live in. Even if it's a small shop owner, hand making and selling a duped item; I wouldn't feel bad buying local. The brands most likely took outside inspiration for these patterns anyway. Those jeans are a 90s design. And most 90s designs were taken from Japanese fashions.... I still do like the sustainable brands. It's just not my highest priorities: thrift, shop local, or make it myself are just higher on my list.
A lot of the examples you are showing aren’t super unique though, like the double knee feature has been on tons of pants and from big brands like dickies. I would feel worse making the famous strawberry dress because it’s so easily recognizable as a specific brand then a sweater with baubles on it.
I believe that as long as you are making it for yourself it is okay. It would not be okay if you were making these items and selling it to other people.
I think as long as you don't produce to sell, then it is not like you're stealing an idea. That bobble sweater isn't a break through. Those patterns are available. Underwear is an everyday item. It's when you start to sell those things, that's when it become unethical.
To be honest, the ark underwear does not look particularly unique. I have underwear very similar both bought and made like that, so would be happy to make
There is nothing wrong with copying anything from anybody for yourself or as a gift to someone. However if you plan to sell your wears or patterns that are copies then that is stealing in my opinion. If you look at many of the knit wear designers out there petite knit, myfavorite things knit wear and etc. they all have designs that replicate each other. If you look at something in a picture and make a pattern from it and don’t copy from another designer then that is your pattern.
I really enjoyed your video. I want to learn to make my own clothes because I have a hard time finding things that fit my body the way I want them to. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I feel like those that can create should be free to create for themselves. I would feel like it is unethical to make dupes if you intend to sell them and make a profit.
There will always be people who will and can, pay huge money and only want the originals. for the rest of humanity -Go ahead and copy! The majority of people can't touch these small business production items - it's not at all affordable by the average person, Come on the cost of a good bra is over $60.00 - it's insane! One pair of good socks 20+ - I don't buy anything new anymore if I can help it. I make it - I by second hand or repurpose something.
Agreed. But sometimes handmade dresses is more expensive and people think asking a dress is really cheap, they asked me to make them a dress and when I told them that I have spent $60 on my handmade dress they responded aw ok like never mind haha.
Fashion designers copy each other and things from the past all the time. You can copy a paintjng from a famous artist for instance, just don’t try to pass it off as an original.
If your soooo concerned about ethically copying fast fashion then I'm have to assume you must also think thrifting or purchasing second hand is unethical also. Where does this high mortal ground end? Country of original of your fabric, the buttons, where was the zipper produced. That one garment has many countries of original never mind all the bits & pieces of it or even the garment you copied. Where did you source all the notions of the me made piece? Where did the thread come from. How much slave labor or prison labor or human rights violations were involved in the manufacturing of any issues of the original or the copy? Where does it end? I don't buy anything online my high mural ground starts at shopping local. I live in a big city. I know many people that live in small communities and rely on online shopping. Should my mural ground infringe on what's avail to them? No obviously. I don't buy from certain retail stores or companies. But THATs MY boycott, my issues. I wouldn't expect or presume that anyone else has the same issues as me or even cares about them. Each to their own.
None of the designs you sshow is original, they existed long before those comoanies and they didn't invent them, as is the case of 99,9% clothing. You are not copying them as long as you don't pretend it's the exact thing, or copy very characteristic elements, like logos, signature drawings etc. If you are wiling to invest your own time and effort instead of money, how is it unethical?
People have been knitting for centuries and the sweater you are making, while beautiful, is NOT unique. Making any garment for your own use, is not unethical and I, for one will continue to make any garment that strikes my fancy.
Definitely a good thing to think about! My personal stance is pretty simple -- it's okay to copy anything, from anyone, for any reason, as long as it's for your own personal use and you credit the original. It's not okay to make money off the copy, by selling the items or pattern, or to pretend you came up with it yourself. Creating monetized internet content is a bit of a grey area by these rules... but I can't think of an example from the sewing/crafting community that I've felt crosses the line.
I agree! As far as I'm concerned if its just for you, do what you want. It's far simplier to think about and cuts out the mental gymnastics.
Thanks for your insight!
As a clothing brand designer! I can tell it’s all ethical while you are making it for yourself! I would be very proud that someone brings my brand name for inspiration! I belive I have unique design that can be someone’s inspiration:)
But If you start selling other designs. It’s not cool anymore!
Good to know, thank you!
Hey Cassie,
I have pretty strong opinions on this that might help you come to terms with making these things for yourself.
No one makes clothing because of the ease of it (as someone trying to learn it is incredibly hard lol) and as you mentioned in the video, you wanted to buy the item.
But you decided to make it because you could not comfortably afford them.
That I think is the most important consideration. you made the item because its price point was not accessible to you (although its price is definitely justified)
If you were making enough money to comfortably buy clothing from these brands you clearly love, you wouldn't be making an exact replica aha.
So long as you are not selling the items you make, you can make it for yourself and anyone else you want because YOU are putting in the labor to replicate and fit and make that garment and buying the materials. It is yours. I would even say if you make a pattern of the garment it's yours to do with as you see fit Because YOU made the pattern, you did not plagiarize it. that's still your labor. and anyone buying the pattern from you is going to make it with THEIR labor. They would just buy the item if they could already afford it.
Remaking garments you cannot afford is something that has been done for centuries. An appropriate analogy is if you replicate a meal from a restaurant you admire because you cannot afford to eat there often. Nothing unethical about that : )
you are not taking away any of their customers, all of the work you put in is a labor of love. you're doing fine : ))
Such good points, thank you!
@@MakingCassie no problem! This was a big question I asked myself too when I started learning 🌟
There's absolutely no reason for making them yourself to be unethical. Copying them for your own wardrobe has no limits whatsoever. If you were to profit off of it it's another story but to feel like you can't make a pair of those pants because they're a copy is honestly just very sad to me. You should be free to knit, sew, craft whatever you want for yourself. That popcorn pattern is very old and very common and that kind of sweater has been made for centuries as well as those workwear pants, they're in themselves inspired by vintage garments. The business of those slow fashion brands lies so much more in the crafting and making and sourcing of those items as well as in the whole 'brand' that they sell that it's much less about those garments being made elsewhere when they've been so directly influenced by vintage garments already. To copy that design and business model is a big no no but to make them yourself by all means DO IT. I'm sure they're happy to inspire a generation to find their way back to crafting and treasuring the amount of work that goes into these things, valuing how much they're worth. Let's hope that more people making their own things does a part in getting away from fast fashion as a society!
Thank you for your thoughts!
Was about to say the same thing. Copying for your own wardrobe shouldn’t have any limits.
As a DIYer/ maker/sewist who is inspired by the work of others I’d say I totally agree with you. Renditions are a tribute to the original idea creator. There are few artists who can say they are not influenced by others. Commercial clothing, slow or not, is also influenced by others designs. Above all honesty in our making is an important part of the process.
Thank you for this!
OK 2 things I was taught at university... 1 if you buy a pattern you are paying the designer for home use of that pattern, 2 if you copy a design created by someone else always make 2 different changes in the design like altering the neckline or sleeve in a shirt and altering the pockets and the leg width in pants so that your design is close but not an exact copy of the original garment. For any use other than home use... as in you will sell the garment, then make 4 changes in the design.
Interesting! I actually do try to make at least two changes so that's a good little rule of thumb.
I found your thoughts on this topic extremely timely as I am also knitting a 'Popcorn' sweater..... This stitch pattern has been in popular use since at least the 1940's, so if we wanted to be pedantic we could say that the Misha and Puff sweater is also a dupe. I feel that grey area you describe becomes one of black and white when you make money from selling the product or pattern and not crediting the designer. As you have paid for your pattern and credited the designer on several occasions and do not intend to sell the sweater you knit (assumption my part) I think you should wear it with joy in your accomplishment.
in my opinion,you have to ask yourself this "would i have bought this sweater if not for this pattern?" if the answer is no,because you can't afford it - then theres nothing immoral about it - it's not like they're losing buisness because you could have never afforded their sweater in the first place
Great take, thank you!
that Puff popcorn sweater, I have seen it already 20 years ago already in south america , it is not that they have created something new, it was already there and they copied from the artisans or used their designs.
when I was a child my grandma (we are from Kazakhstan) knitted such a sweater for me. she use the pattern from the “Soviet encyclopaedia”, that were publish in soviet period 😅
@@angelicbabexx must be sooo beautiful. And the sentimental value that it has. Not to be compared with anything.
I didn't know this was an old design, thank you for sharing!
I think dupes are okay if they are for personal use only. Vogue has Chanel and Gucci inspired patterns as well as other designers and you can even buy the exact fabrics high end designers use that are left over from old collections
I love how thoughtful you are. My thoughts are that if you are making for yourself and not selling what you make is fine.
I see no problem with "duping" small brands as long as it's for your own personal use. I recently made a version of the Classic Dress by Son de Flor ( slow fashion brand), the original is more than 200€ and mine cost me around 40€. I had been dreaming about that dress for years but would never spend that much on a dress no matter how gorgeous it is.
Happy you got your own version of the dress :)
I agree with you. The son de flor dress you mentioned is beautiful. The dress I've been dreaming is the Alessandra Rich navy polka dot that Ivanka Trump wore with a white belt. Also Kate Middleton wore it
And the other one that I already made and got inspired was the Bette dress from Gal Meet Glam, I changed the sleeves to 3/4 ith a button and the neck.
They're very lovely dresses, my favorites 😍
I would say with a lot of these small biz items, the maker or home sewer is likely not the customer base of the several hundred dollar sweater. I mean I’m sure there are exceptions but I could not rationalize a purchase like that. I’d more likely buy second hand due to my thrifty nature.
Great point!
I definitely think that it's wrong to copy a design and sell the pattern (though that's legal in my country, the UK). I don't know whether the knitting pattern that you are using is marketed as a dupe, but that style of pattern has been around for donkey's years, I remember something very similar as a knitting pattern in the 80s in the UK. If it's not marketed that way and it's just that people use it to create a similar artical I think that's absolutely fine. From what I could see (and it's not terribly clear on my phone, your knit is a raglan, the Puff sweater is a drop shoulder, so if I'm seeing that correctly they're not the same.
Thanks Theresa -- this is a great POV
Great topic. I appreciate your thoughtful review.
It's an important conversation! As a maker who primarily makes things for my personal wardrobe and tries to thrift materials/get them from local stores as much as possible, I don't feel too bad copying. If I were buying bulk material and making in order to sell, even in small quantities locally, that would be another discussion entirely. As long as it's for my wardrobe, and occasionally gifts to my loved ones, I make and copy guilt-free :)
Love these talks! :-) My stance, when it comes to copying/making your own version, is pretty clear: Go for it. As long as you only make stuff for yourself and give credit where credit's due.
Once you buy a pattern you can make the item for yourself or anyone else. The pattern is now yours to use. You cannot claim credit for designing the pattern. You can make and sell any items you made for whatever price you choose. If you take inspiration from an item of clothing and draft (not copy) your own pattern, this is now your pattern that you can take the credit for. There's 2 thoughts here, one for the actual paper pattern and one for inspiration to create your own paper pattern. You can make and sell for profit items from any pattern, your own drafted or a purchased pattern. This is for the United States, not sure about Canadian laws as I don't live there, so my final thought is a thorough search for the country you live in.
There are many indy pattern makers who state home use only and not reproduce the clothes for commercial use. Imagine a company bigger than these indy designers using that pattern to sell the clothing without credit to the designer.
My take on copying sustainable or slow fashion brands is: Is the item available in my size and preferred colour? Will it fit me? Can I afford to buy them? If yes, I will do that and gladly support their business. If not I can "copy" their item without harming their business. And I make deliberate alterations, in colour, in fabric, in fit, in details. I never made an exact copy of anything.
This is where I'm leaning with my process!
I would not waste even second feeling guilty copying any clothing for myself! If you have the mad skills to recreate garments, use it!! (of course selling designs that aren't yours is a different matter).
Thank you!
I don't know, I think copying is a way to make some of these items way more accessible, even the ethical and sustainable companies. I don't think the people who are making the items (for themselves, that is) are the same people purchasing them. And they will not likely ever be the same customers, so the company won't likely lose a ton of money (ripping off and selling is an entirely different story...). And let's be honest, these companies are NOT size inclusive at all. Also, the Rudy Jude jeans are not the first reinforced denim workwear. That is a vintage element and not original at all! In fact, that double knee is practically a Carhartt trademark. So copy away, lol. Just like Jesse Kamm directly ripped off the 1970s sailor pants, so all that criticism Anna Allen got was completely undeserved.
Great points about size inclusivity and customer base!
There was an episode of the Articles of Interest podcast that talked about the legal aspects of fashion design. Ep 8 I think. Really interesting stuff if you haven’t listened!
As a nearly 50 year old I can tell you nothing is new in this world! My mum made me a popcorn sweater in the 1980s. I think theres a huge difference between an individual making their own version of something and a fast fashion band doing so.
The grey area with that sweater seems to be that a pattern company copied the design and is selling patterns. If you had seen the sweater and copied it for your own personal use that’s different. The ethical question, as others said, is when it’s for personal use vs for sale. If I see a design by an indie pattern company that I like, but I don’t want to buy the pattern I just draft the pattern myself by copying the images of the finished garment. It’s for my personal wardrobe and I’m not selling my pattern or the finished garment, which in my opinion isn’t morally questionable in any way.
For context though, I don’t use social media. I do think it’s different if you’re posting tutorials for dupes of contemporary small designers. Tutorials for copycat vintage patterns or luxury designer or fast fashion dupes are morally ok to me. I think the power dynamics at play are what to take into consideration.
I do this too! (trying to draft patterns I see myself instead of buying the pattern) Most patterns are just minor alterations of my block patterns. I too see no moral problem with it- it's for my personal use as a private person, not to profit off of
I think, when making things for your own use, everything is fair game. There's so much grey area too. If companies are producing more items, can they say they're sustainable? Maybe "more" sustainable than others or "more" ethical, but they're still producing new things. They're still paying people less in other countries, rather than putting that money into the communities we live in. Even if it's a small shop owner, hand making and selling a duped item; I wouldn't feel bad buying local. The brands most likely took outside inspiration for these patterns anyway. Those jeans are a 90s design. And most 90s designs were taken from Japanese fashions.... I still do like the sustainable brands. It's just not my highest priorities: thrift, shop local, or make it myself are just higher on my list.
A lot of the examples you are showing aren’t super unique though, like the double knee feature has been on tons of pants and from big brands like dickies. I would feel worse making the famous strawberry dress because it’s so easily recognizable as a specific brand then a sweater with baubles on it.
I believe that as long as you are making it for yourself it is okay. It would not be okay if you were making these items and selling it to other people.
If you are making it for yourself or family/friends it's absolutely fine. To sell as a business, no.
I think as long as you don't produce to sell, then it is not like you're stealing an idea. That bobble sweater isn't a break through. Those patterns are available. Underwear is an everyday item. It's when you start to sell those things, that's when it become unethical.
To be honest, the ark underwear does not look particularly unique. I have underwear very similar both bought and made like that, so would be happy to make
There is nothing wrong with copying anything from anybody for yourself or as a gift to someone. However if you plan to sell your wears or patterns that are copies then that is stealing in my opinion. If you look at many of the knit wear designers out there petite knit, myfavorite things knit wear and etc. they all have designs that replicate each other. If you look at something in a picture and make a pattern from it and don’t copy from another designer then that is your pattern.
I really enjoyed your video. I want to learn to make my own clothes because I have a hard time finding things that fit my body the way I want them to. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I feel like those that can create should be free to create for themselves. I would feel like it is unethical to make dupes if you intend to sell them and make a profit.
Thank you Lana!
There will always be people who will and can, pay huge money and only want the originals. for the rest of humanity -Go ahead and copy! The majority of people can't touch these small business production items - it's not at all affordable by the average person,
Come on the cost of a good bra is over $60.00 - it's insane! One pair of good socks 20+ - I don't buy anything new anymore if I can help it. I make it - I by second hand or repurpose something.
Agreed.
But sometimes handmade dresses is more expensive and people think asking a dress is really cheap, they asked me to make them a dress and when I told them that I have spent $60 on my handmade dress they responded aw ok like never mind haha.
Fashion designers copy each other and things from the past all the time. You can copy a paintjng from a famous artist for instance, just don’t try to pass it off as an original.
If your soooo concerned about ethically copying fast fashion then I'm have to assume you must also think thrifting or purchasing second hand is unethical also. Where does this high mortal ground end?
Country of original of your fabric, the buttons, where was the zipper produced. That one garment has many countries of original never mind all the bits & pieces of it or even the garment you copied. Where did you source all the notions of the me made piece? Where did the thread come from. How much slave labor or prison labor or human rights violations were involved in the manufacturing of any issues of the original or the copy? Where does it end?
I don't buy anything online my high mural ground starts at shopping local. I live in a big city. I know many people that live in small communities and rely on online shopping. Should my mural ground infringe on what's avail to them? No obviously. I don't buy from certain retail stores or companies. But THATs MY boycott, my issues. I wouldn't expect or presume that anyone else has the same issues as me or even cares about them. Each to their own.
No moral highground here! It's a topic I've been thinking about and wanted to hear what other people think. Thank you for offering your POV!
None of the designs you sshow is original, they existed long before those comoanies and they didn't invent them, as is the case of 99,9% clothing. You are not copying them as long as you don't pretend it's the exact thing, or copy very characteristic elements, like logos, signature drawings etc. If you are wiling to invest your own time and effort instead of money, how is it unethical?
People have been knitting for centuries and the sweater you are making, while beautiful, is NOT unique. Making any garment for your own use, is not unethical and I, for one will continue to make any garment that strikes my fancy.