Knitting talents have not been passed on through generations in our family and I have zero patience for a hobby as intricate as embroidery, so the process here is entirely my mom’s + some tips I spotted from other ethical bloggers.

The first step is always inspiration: browse your favorite brands’ websites, bloggers socials, luxury runway compilations, etc. My go-to for inspiration is Pinterest where I have quarterly fashion boards per season and with the help of their AI suggestions, quickly compile collections of photos to draw inspiration for shopping, styling or the next handmade piece.

The next step is creating a budget and an action plan: see how much you’d be willing to spend to have the item made (obviously expecting to pay more for more elaborate creations and less for tailoring or re-creation) and think through logistics. If you don’t have someone in your family or circle of friends with a hobby or business to develop handmade clothing, UpWork is an excellent resource to hire a professional designer or artisan. Quickly searching through options, I can see US-based creators charge anywhere between $18-$100/hr, depending on your project. It’s easy to create an UpWork profile and publish a job request with your inspiration photo to get an accurate quote and a few proposals. Another option is working with a small local business in your area – I know we have a few alterations or tailoring studios in our neighborhood alone (Google maps is you go-to here).

Finally, you would need to source materials. My mom uses Etsy, where a ton of sellers offer an amazing selection of knits, fabrics and embroidery threads. The sweater I’m wearing is done with 9 rolls of cotton yarn at about $6/roll and 1 roll of sequin thread at $7/roll.

Of course, your process will look different than 3 generalized steps – depending on who you choose to work with or how your dream item looks. The end result is always worth it.