About Us
Topstitch Label is a small Australian business based in Ipswich, Queensland, that provides alteration and mending services alongside high quality custom made garments.
We are all about ‘slow fashion’ and sustainability so the clothes we have last longer and don’t end up in landfill.
Topstitch Label is a small business run and operated by me: Mikayla. I started sewing when I was twelve, doing it off and on for a while. I got back into sewing when I married a historical reenactor and learnt about historical sewing techniques.
When I had my first baby I wanted to make him some clothes, so I learned how to make little things and started making things for him. I loved it so much I started sewing our whole wardrobe, and I’ve been addicted ever since.
The more I learnt about slow fashion, the more I knew I wanted to be a part of positive change in our world, so I started Topstitch Label to provide a service that helps clothes last longer and creates new clothes customers will not only love and feel good in, but also use environmentally friendly and ethically sourced fabrics from other Australian businesses.
Read through our list of services to learn more about what we have to offer.
At Topstitch Label, we want to make clothes that are designed to last, designed for your unique individual body, are made well using ethically produced sustainable materials, and to fix our existing clothes so they fit us better and last longer.
What is ‘slow fashion'?
Slow fashion is a direct conscious response to ‘fast fashion’, and seeks to change the way in which the fashion industry operates to better benefit our planet and the people living in it.
For too long now the fashion industry has been negatively impacting our world with fast fashion that fills up landfill, made by exploited workers across the globe. It encourages us to replace clothes when they rip or tear and to regularly update our wardrobe with the latest styles and trends.
Slow fashion is all about changing that.
Before the fast fashion industry came into the world and really took off, people used to spend lots of time and money on clothing specially made to fit them. Clothes were a thing of pride that were maintained and passed down the generations. The tailors and seamstresses who made them were paid for their work and respected, because people had a greater understanding and appreciation about the work involved in producing and mending clothes. Learning how to stitch a button back on or hem pants was a skill that was much more common than it is today.
However, with new technology and travel allowing companies to operate across the world at a huge scale, the fast fashion industry was born. Fast fashion mass produces garments for profit. They use cheap materials that don’t break down and pollute our landscape, filling up landfills all over the planet. Workers are exploited in sweatshops and paid a pittance for their work.
The problem is that because these garments are so cheap, they are a very popular choice. Compared to slow fashion garments using quality materials, the cost makes them very appealing, especially if people don’t understand the work involved or the difference in fabric and materials.
But well-made clothes made to your specifications are worth it.
Fast fashion makes garments at generic sizes, and aren’t made for specific people, but a generic shape. If you’ve ever felt bad when trying out clothes off the shelves at a store because you feel like nothing fits or looks good on you, it’s not a problem with you.
It’s so common to feel bad about our bodies when we don’t fit into clothes that we want to love.
Having custom made clothes tailored to your specific measurements and size can do wonders for how we feel about our body, because they fit, look good on us and celebrate our uniqueness. We should acknowledge our bodies are all different and wonderful, and while no clothing can change that, the right outfit can help us feel even better.
To achieve our mission, we at Topstitch Label alter and repair clothes so they last longer and compliment your figure and personality. We craft and create custom pieces using ethically and sustainably produced materials that supports other Australian businesses and likeminded companies operating in Australia.
This means we source fabrics from ethical sources, searching for high quality materials that can be turned into beautiful garments.We also hem, alter, resize, shorten and repair existing clothing so that your clothes last longer and suit you better. This way, you can feel good about the clothes you wear as they will suit you and they will last longer.
Whatever outfits and styles you like to wear, be a part of changing the world for the better, one garment at a time.