Inspiration: French Rags

Someone saw her wearing one of her scarves and said, “What’s that rag around your neck?” Brenda snapped back, “That’s not a rag, it’s a FRENCH RAG” and the company name, French Rags, was born.

Brenda French sold mass customized knits. I like that idea but I have fantasies of making them in natural fabrics, like cotton or a cotton-silk blend and I don't really know if that's realistic.

Hers were rayon, which is durable and washable and likely doesn't shrink. But synthetics tend to not be as breathable and I tend to do poorly in synthetic fabrics.

I simply feel better in 100 percent natural fabrics or mostly natural fabrics. A cotton-poly blend is usually OK and wrinkles less.

Her company was founded in 1978. The above article indicates:

By 2005 it became increasingly difficult to maintain the business and compete with overseas garment manufacturers, who made 98 percent of all the clothing sold in America. In 2006, Brenda closed French Rags, sold her Palisades house and retired to Santa Fe.

I don't have ANY experience AT ALL in the garment industry and I don't have a political agenda of promoting "made in America" as some kind of abstract ideology or means to employ Americans per se. But I worry about things like quality control and the environment and I have this thought that one in theory should be able to buy a knitting machine, make some clothes, see how well the designs work and then make it available for order online.

I'm trying to solve MY PROBLEM of never really being happy with my clothes and it's kind of a "if I won the lottery" type fantasy that I would like to buy a knitting machine and create clothes I like. And I have this thought that if I was happy with the clothes, SOME other people would like them too and it could be a small clothing line that helps pay my bills or justify me owning a knitting machine or whatever.

It's not that I want ALL my clothes to be knits of that sort, but I tend to like skirts, dresses and cardigans of a certain knit gauge and I feel like it could provide some key pieces.

I also like T-shirts and look good in that shape of neckline and like the weight of men's cotton T-shirts but I would like something prettier and artsier than what I typically wear. You can get solid color men's T-shirts that are okay and you can get T-shirts with something printed in a limited area on the front and it's often some cutesy saying or popular image, but I would like something more like this large print shirt in this video:

I have no idea what the logistical and price difference is between "print something on the front" and "print the whole T-shirt." Maybe that's just crazy talk but I wish I could get something artsier than you typically see in T-shirts while still being exactly as comfortable as a T-shirt.

Though that shirt commits the cardinal sin most women's shirts commit: The neckline is way too open. I like a crew (or "Jewel") neckline that actually comes up to my neck and actually retains heat in fall weather.

A crew neckline will also ACTUALLY cover your bra straps which many women's shirt don't really do. I grew up in a conservative family where it's a huge no-no to show your bra straps and now I live in a world where it's nigh impossible to find women's clothes that ACTUALLY covers your bra straps.

I gave up on being judgy towards others about that detail a long time ago -- because it's such an impossible standard to meet in the world I live in -- but I still want to spit nails about how uncomfortable it makes ME to dress that way.

Is it really asking so MUCH for outer garments to ACTUALLY cover undergarments? Apparently it is, which is one of the many reasons I fantasize about starting my own clothing line: It shouldn't be.

I once was told someone thought I was braless because the straps of my tank top covered the straps of my sports bra, so they thought SURELY you must have NO bra on if you are in a tank top and I can't see your bra straps.

No, I just bought carefully, but that experience tells you the default norm for the entire world is: Good luck finding women's clothes that COVERS YOUR STRAPS.

"Can't be done!"

I also like leggings with an oversized or extra-long top or second layer. I like them in both ankle length and peddle-pusher length.

I find leggings comfortable. No, I don't want you staring at my derriere though. That's NOT why I wear them.

I like sports bras that actually support your bosom. When I was very busty, I wore what I thought of as "bra architecture" -- underwire bras to help provide support like a bridge gets, but they typically dig into you after a few hours.

Sports bras tend to flatten you out. Other bras tend to put the bosom on display.

I told some guys once "Imagine if your jockstrap was supposed to protect and also display your testicles. THAT is what most bras are like."

They facepalmed.

I like front closing bras that you slip on like a vest, not your standard back-closing bras that are in most cases ill-fitting torture devices that add additional torment in the aggravating, convoluted, physically uncomfortable and inconvenient process of getting them on and off. AND then they tend to not be comfy while you wear them either.

Sorry you hate women so much. Stop designing women's clothes. Thanks!

I know from long experience that men's clothes tends to be made better and upscale men's clothes comes with alterations included in the price. If women want alterations, that's EXTRA and even our T-shirts tend to be a thin material with poor coverage making your bra show THROUGH the thin cloth worse than your typical men's T-shirt.

Over the years, I've worn a lot of mens clothes and I know that ordinary, cheap men's clothes tend to be better quality than women's clothes.

But it's NOT designed for MY body and only kind of works for me when I'm very overweight. Otherwise, the fact that women have curves just doesn't work with the way men's clothes is cut.

Men's shirts tend to be too narrow in the hips. Men's pants will not fit a slender woman with hips. They aren't intended to do so. Duh.

Women complain endlessly about clothes not having usable pockets. Women shockingly commonly do things like wear high heels at work and have a separate pair of flats for walking to and from their car because high heeled shoes are torture devices that can be challenging to walk in.

Women are basically expected by society to try to look a certain way and endure physical torture to achieve it and to do so to the point they actively cause themselves health issues, like back problems.

I would like to make clothes that feel wonderful to wear, don't create a lot of energy-draining "make work" -- like constantly wondering if your bra straps fell out the armhole AGAIN -- and are PRETTY in their own right without that prettiness being overly dependent on you having a beautiful body while sending confusing signals about your social intentions.

A lot of clothes isn't REALLY pretty. It's the MODEL wearing it that is pretty. If you don't have The Bod, you won't look attractive in it. AT ALL.

I want something with the comfort and functionality of gym clothes that would largely meet business casual dress codes. And I want it to be fairly low maintenance -- to not require dry cleaning and tons of ironing if you hang it up promptly after the dryer stops or hang it to dry.