Released October 29, 2009
by Debbie Vechter
Now this is a question that you may be wondering about, but Real Men know the true answer and women truly appreciate the answer, once they know what it is. Some men take the cavalier attitude that expresses the idea that just because they are a man, they can do anything they wish and therefore, if they want to sew, they will sew. However, this is not the attitude expressed by most men. So, what is the true answer to this question?
The answer is a resounding ‘YES’. Now, let me explain. Real Men are totally capable of looking out for themselves and are independent. Real men sew because they know how to take care of themselves and their possessions; they are proficient in getting their clothes clean and having shoes and clothing in good repair. Real Men rely on their own skills to sew on a button or fix a seam and they do not need to run to a department store for a quick replacement. Real Men sew with an eye on being ‘green’ - to reduce, reuse and recycle. Real Men can cook, iron and sew.
Certainly men serving in the military can be considered Real Men. Men in the armed forces must learn to sew and they are issued a sewing kit so that they can take care of their sewing needs. No one could ever say that a grenade pouch wasn’t manly. A Real Man has no problem doing anything and they try their best at whatever they are doing, including sewing! Real men never worry about what other people think or say.
So many professional men sew. Some of the best fashion designers are real men: Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Oscar De La Renta, and P.Diddy. Most of the best tailors are men with a long heritage of bespoke fitting on Saville Row. Custom shirt and suit tailors are very popular in Asia. Think back to the days of the sailing ship galleons. Sailors had to know how to mend and take care of the sails. Today’s sailmakers are still men.
Now this brings us to the idea that men love making things and what they particularly love about it is their power tools. Many men think that their power tools define them; the more powerful their power tools are, the more masculine the owner is. Well, as a closing note, just let me say that the ultimate power tool is a sewing machine. Depending on the particular machine, it can accomplish many different tasks: utility sewing, decorative sewing, monogramming, and embroidery. In fact, jigsaws were invented because the German carpenter named Bosch decided that he could get a lot more done if he attached a saw blade to a sewing machine. Hence, the birth of the jigsaw.
Do Real Men Sew? The answer is “Absolutely Yes”!
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Real Men Do sew my HUSBAND COOKS, CLEAN,AND SEWS. i HAD CANCER AND MY hUSBAND TOOK CARE OF ME ( OH BY THE WAY IT,S ALL GONE )he cooked,cleaned,sewed,feed the dogs,feed the horses,moped the kitchen,he done everything and he still cooked i don,t LOL.
Comment by LINDAB — October 30, 2009 @ 7:01 am
Thanks for this article!
As a guy who sews (& has sewn since i was a child in late 1979) & works in the fashion industry in NYC— i love ready articles that acknowledge this!
I only wish there were more groups of guys that admitted to sewing & were “out” about it!
Americans are VERY closed minded, & have the opinion that guys who sew are gay.
However when you travel outside of this country, it’s amazing to see how many guys who sew, have shops, & support their families!
Thanks for making people more AWARE of the world beyond their backyard!
Comment by Mike — October 30, 2009 @ 11:19 am
This is so funny because my brother has sewed for years. And what got him intrested was how sewing machines worked. Now when my sister-in-law and him go to the fabric store the clerk always ask her if they can help her & what she’s making. She always laughs & tells them they need to talk to my brother because she knows nothing about sewing. And oh, by the way he taught my niece and nephew both to sew. I’m so very proud of HIM.
Comment by buffaminnie — October 30, 2009 @ 11:33 am
I agree !!! Real men do sew … and cook and clean and do laundry and whatever else needs to be done, including taking care of the children. I think men who can’t and don’t do all of these things may not be real men. Before he passed away my husband did ALL.
Comment by Lee — October 30, 2009 @ 1:04 pm
I agree !!! Real men do sew … and cook and clean and do laundry and whatever else needs to be done, including taking care of the children. I think men who can’t and don’t do all of these things may not be real men. Before he passed away my husband did ALL.
Comment by Lee — October 30, 2009 @ 1:04 pm
I started sewing at 10, got my first machine at 17, and have been making men’s/women’s/children’s clothing, home decorating items, crafts and embroidery (as well as mending and repairing)for many, many years as my grandchildren will attest! My biggest roadblock has been female clerks in fabric stores. Until they get to know me, they assume I am the village idiot or simply ignore me because I am invading a woman’s domain. No matter, though, because I will go right on using the amazing sewing technologies available and loving the finished projects! Now, back to the Halloween costumes!
Comment by Michael B — October 30, 2009 @ 1:46 pm
Definitely! My brother was a comissioned officer in the Navy, worked in the Merchant Marine for years and was an excellent seamster. He thought a dress pattern was just ship’s blueprints. He made all my formals, my wedding dress and down parkas. His handwork was so fine, I cold wear a garmet inside-out.
Comment by Michaela — October 30, 2009 @ 2:19 pm
i have lupus and much more. my husband cooks thats enough for me. i have todo some things or i will not be able to do anyhing. all my sewing goes to donations thanks sandy
Comment by sandy klaus — October 30, 2009 @ 2:48 pm
Beautifully written, well thought out! My grandfather sewed in a factory when he came to this country in the 1920’s. Yes I agree with you!Only in this country men are not allowed to sew, dance, or even take cooking or painting classes. Not to mention, knitting or crochet. If they do they get label for being gay!
Comment by sandra — October 30, 2009 @ 5:02 pm
Absolutley, I taught my wift to sew and now we are starting an embroidery business… Embroidery ( sewing and quiling ) comes natural for me for my mother could make anything just by seeing it….Kinda unusual that I have followed in her foot steps, now that she is gone….
Comment by Dewayne — October 30, 2009 @ 10:18 pm
When a blood clot forced my husband into early retirement, he began sewing. He is a large man so we couldn’t find any camouflage clothing in his size and we took apart a pair of jeans and a comfortable shirt to use for patterns.
He is an excellent tailor. Several men have asked him where he bought the outfits and he proudly told them that he sewed them himself.
He also cooks and cleans when the notion strikes him.
Comment by Bridgett — October 30, 2009 @ 10:45 pm
Do real men sew?? Absolutely, abd some men sew really complicated things- Like Rennaissance Court Costume.He tells me that his sewing machine and serger rival anything in his wood and metal shops for POWER.
Comment by Colleen Mills — October 31, 2009 @ 12:33 am
hi my hubby love to shop for food and do cooking for me i clean up and he sometimes helps with floors cause of my arithics in my back and everwhere he geat man in my life he wont, sew but my son-law sew all the time uses my embordery machine to i thinks its great ty from shielabryant
Comment by redhead — November 2, 2009 @ 4:06 pm
Absolutely real men sew. My husband has his own sewing machine and has made all kinds of clothes for Mountain Man Roundevezous in cotton to leather and also made clothes for me and we made our daughters high school prom dress together! He has a business card that he created for himself that says Jack of most trades (and I sew too!)
Comment by Mary Lonnevik — November 3, 2009 @ 12:14 am
My hubby is a house husband since loosing his job 7 months ago! He cooks, cleans, irons, vacuums and takes care of our 12 and 14 year old girls. He does NOT sew as a rule but has been known to sew on a button or two, esp when he was in the Air Force for 24 years. but helps cut out fabric on my accuquilt machine. I will keep my REAL MAN
Oh, and he makes better fried chicken than most ladies that I know, myself included!!
Comment by Deborah — November 5, 2009 @ 2:01 am