What do you like consuming that you might like to have a go at producing?

This is the 5th post of an 8 part series, answering questions from "Eight Bucket List Questions to Ask Yourself"posted by Psychology Today.

Question five...

What do you like consuming that you might like to have a go at producing?

As a professor of Apparel Merchandising and with three degrees in Fashion and Apparel, I'd say I like "consuming" clothing. I often have an image in my head with the "perfect" outfit for a particular occasion. For example, I was invited to a 1920s themed 30th birthday party last month. Since I had studied costume history in graduate school, I knew exactly what I wanted my dress to look like. However, when I started shopping for that perfect 1920s dress, I found that I was pretty particular about what would be acceptable.

Ready for the 1920s themed 30th Birthday Party

First, the silhouette absolutely had to be 1920s, that is really what makes the decade. It either had to be straight or with a drop waist. Second, it had to be appropriate for the occasion. I couldn't wear a garden-party 1920s dress to an after-hours speakeasy type party! I began lamenting that I couldn't just produce my own dress. Why couldn't I produce the dress that I so perfectly imagined in my head? Because despite a Bachelor of Science degree in Fashion Marketing and Management a Masters degree in Textile and Apparel Management and a PhD in Textile and Apparel Management, I never once took a sewing class or a pattern-making class. Tragic, right?

This pearl necklace I received for my Masters graduation was the perfect accessory!

Luckily, in a last-minute desperate attempt at finding a dress, I went shopping at TJ Maxx of all places and found a suitable dress. But if I could have produced my own outfit, it would have saved me hours of agonizing over what to wear. So maybe, just maybe, I might find the time and the energy to have a go at producing my own clothing.