More men are making their own clothes The pandemic has accelerated the trend. By Hannah Steinkopf-Frank New York Times December 31, 2020 — 3:32pm Text size Copy shortlink: Norris Dánta Ford is at the forefront of a new and growing movement of men embracing home sewing. Sewists (the increasingly popular gender-neutral term) are shaking the old-fashioned housewife imagery often associated with their hobby. The pandemic's quarantine has accelerated this trend, with what CNN reports is a significant rise in sewing machine sales (and not just to make face masks). In lieu of traditional crafting circles, makers are connecting on social media to build community and promote diversity and inclusiveness: #vintagestylenotvintagevalues is a popular hashtag, with retro-style sewists disavowing regressive gender politics and racism.