Member-only story
MADE IN INDIA
How one second-hand dress made me rethink everything.
Read for free here.
He came home with a second-hand dress, excitedly holding it up like a fresh caught fish. “I thought you might like it!” I thanked him and inspected the dress.
The dress’s AI-generated SEO item listing title from Hell would read: “Aztec Southwest Dress Linen Knee Length Sundress Summer Tribal XL”.
Daunted by the thought of cutting down an XL to an M, I thought it would be easier to make the dress into something else entirely.
I plopped down on my couch and began unpicking the stitches to disassemble the dress. The straight stitches, the overlocking, the gathers, the hems, the lining.
Each thread popped gently as it was cut.
I stopped when I came to the garment tag.
MADE IN INDIA
I sat for a minute with the new knowledge that had just emerged from the depths of my consciousness.
Every stitch that I had just unpicked was put into the fabric by a person.
Who are they?
I imagine she’s a young woman, long braid down her back, sari wrapped around her, feeding Aztec-print fabric through the sewing machine she’s hunched over.
