ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses personalisation in the context of amateur fashion making – the domestic knitting and sewing of clothes – and considers the motivations and experiences of those making and wearing personalised homemade garments. It defines personalisation in terms of clothing, and set the scene by outlining the history and recent resurgence of domestic textile crafts. The chapter describes the methodology used for the research, which involved a combination of making-based participatory activities and semi-structured interviews. It discusses the skills that an amateur maker must exercise in order to personalise an item, and the ways in which professional designers can support making-based participatory activities. The chapter explores the mixed meanings associated with the homemade and considers the appeal, and danger, of uniqueness in dress; these factors affect the experience of wearing personalised clothes. It concludes by briefly discussing the implications of personalisation for longevity and re-use.
