Fashion should be a form of escapism, not a form of imprisonment.
Alexander McQueen
”
”
SGB is that shop you walk into and find yourself taking a deep breath. As you exhale, this sense of…. “Finally” rises to the top of your thoughts. We get what you’re here for, we don’t dabble in what you’re not. You’re here because you want a suit made proper. Fabrics. The texture of a surprisingly soft tweed between your fingers, the feel of your arms slipping into a coat and into the embrace of a garment that’s got your back wherever you’ll be wearing it. You’ve likely walked into our shop because you’re tired of being pushed to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to buy suits that don’t tell your story, don’t make you shine, and simply don’t last.
Why are we here? At the heart of us we are lovers of a well made garment. We are creators and innovators. We are traditionalists and fashion-forwards and don’t see any reason those two can’t play nice. We’re here because of a centuries old craft that has been processed and watered down into the framework of fast fashion, and we don’t think it has to be that way.
We’re here because suits should be canvassed and sewn. Not glued. And whether you know what that technically means, you see and feel the difference when you see it, just like us. We’re here because in creating a garment, you get to define a frame of yourself, what you do, who you are, where you’re going. And that is transformative. Once you see that, you can’t go back. So come along for the journey with us, won’t you?
You’ll find our shop in Pioneer Square, Seattle, a neighborhood that walks the line of new and historic, just like us. Our neighborhood is full of realness, heart and grit, just like us. We’re proud to be here alongside others that have been fortunate to make it through the pandemic just like us. The Square is a colorful space, but also always has been a safe haven for our little community.
We’ll see you here soon.
Our Shop
in the heart of Seattle
Oftentimes the most direct route to your destination is not the best, and never has this been more true than in David Pew’s rise to Master Tailor. Pacific Northwest born, David was an unlikely a choice to fall in love with the well tailored suits of old. But, the heart wants what the heart wants.
The best way to describe David is a craftsman at heart. Garments deserve to be made proper, and if you need to remove and redo those stitches four times to achieve that, then you best do it that way or not at all. He’s an innovator, a historian and an investigator. His knowledge base today represents a lifelong obsession with rediscovering the art of the suit and comparing what is to what was. He’s a teacher, a humanitarian and just about the funniest human you’ll ever meet to boot. In today’s garment industry, David swims up-current against the pull of mass production, often in opposition to slick sales and cheaply produced clothing. What is achieved in the struggle against the current are suits made well, made by people who are seen and made to leave everyone better off for the transaction between maker and wearer.
His personal style? David is as comfortable in trainers and a garage mechanic jumpsuit as he is a wool/silk tuxedo. You’ll often find him in traditional double breasted tweed, but watch out. Every once in a while he’ll surprise you with a white seer sucker tuxedo hemmed into shorts, just to bend your mind and keep you on your toes.
When you come in, he’ll greet you with a smile, a handshake and bring his vast wealth of skill to your service and creative leanings.
David Pew
Master Tailor
Aidan
head of sales & Gallery curator
Aidan is endlessly inspired by the style of the Romantic period and the fluid vibrancy of Impressionist paintings. He combines this with contemporary fashion to inform his approach to self expression through style. His avant garde leanings encourage clients to challenge themselves to see what more emotion they can capture. An artist himself and gifted communicator, Aidan shines at bringing that spark of an idea into a garment that is something entirely new.
Our Tailors
Magicians
The work done within the SGB workshop is truly stunning and a representation of a young generation falling in love with old world skills and knowledge. Each of our tailors came to us with their own skill set and gifts and has wholeheartedly applied them to tailoring. Each tailor has mastered not only the skills, but the grit and determination to do things correctly. We’re exceedingly proud of each stitch and the hands that create each garment leaving the shop.
At Sew Generously we strive to work in 100% transparency on how our suits are made, by whom, and how those craftspersons are compensated. To the best of our extensive research, almost every current day tailor uses a Made to Measure process, whether they inform you of this or not. When you come to our shop we are specific about who will be making what portions of your suit. And because we have done our utmost to ensure fair wages and healthy working environments in our partner factory, we don’t feel there’s any reason to hide this.
When we began working with a factory overseas, Sew Generously went through a rigorous quality inspection- ordering examples of their work and deconstructing the garments down to the last stitch to ensure the finest workmanship. We also have ensured as much as possible that all workers are paid fairly, work in safe conditions and have adequate time off for personal time and travel. We have worked with factories in, Qingdao China, Czech Republic, and Romania. Want to know more about them? Just ask when you come in!
Here in Seattle, our team of tailors and salespeople provide the utmost quality to our customers on every facet of the experience. Sew Generously believes that we should provide the same level of quality and commitment to our team as they do for our customers. We guarantee thriving wages, not the usual surviving wages that dominate much of the modern industry practices in America. We also provide benefits, flexible hours and ample vacation time. Each person on our team offers unique skills and gifts and we encourage everyone to express themselves and grow so they can live into their best self.
We’re not quite done yet, though! We also see ourselves as a business in the larger context of our community. We are proud to be centered in the Pioneer Square neighborhood of Seattle with all its vibrancy and diversity of people of all walks of life. Sew Generously actively seeks out partnerships with organizations meeting the needs of our houseless neighbors to improve the overall needs of the city. Stay tuned for more updates and news as we progress in our partnerships to give back to the community we’re so thankful to.
A Note on Transparency & Generosity
“MONEY IS LIKE MANURE. IT DOESN’T DO ANY GOOD IF IT’S NOT SPREAD AROUND FOR YOUNG THINGS TO GROW”
DOLLY LEVI, HELLO DOLLY
SGB is that shop you walk into and find yourself taking a deep breath. As you exhale, this sense of…. “Finally” rises to the top of your thoughts. We get what you’re here for, we don’t dabble in what you’re not. You’re here because you want a suit made proper. Fabrics. The texture of a surprisingly soft tweed between your fingers, the feel of your arms slipping into a coat and into the embrace of a garment that’s got your back wherever you’ll be wearing it. You’ve likely walked into our shop because you’re tired of being pushed to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to buy suits that don’t tell your story, don’t make you shine, and simply don’t last.
Why are we here? At the heart of us we are lovers of a well made garment. We are creators and innovators. We are traditionalists and fashion-forwards and don’t see any reason those two can’t play nice. We’re here because of a centuries old craft that has been processed and watered down into the framework of fast fashion, and we don’t think it has to be that way.
We’re here because suits should be canvassed and sewn. Not glued. And whether you know what that technically means, you see and feel the difference when you see it, just like us. We’re here because in creating a garment, you get to define a frame of yourself, what you do, who you are, where you’re going. And that is transformative. Once you see that, you can’t go back. So come along for the journey with us, won’t you?
You’ll find our shop in Pioneer Square, Seattle, a neighborhood that walks the line of new and historic, just like us. Our neighborhood is full of realness, heart and grit, just like us. We’re proud to be here alongside others that have been fortunate to make it through the pandemic just like us. The Square is a colorful space, but also always has been a safe haven for our little community.
We’ll see you here soon.
Our Shop
in the heart of Seattle
David Pew
Oftentimes the most direct route to your destination is not the best, and never has this been more true than in David Pew’s rise to Master Tailor. Pacific Northwest born, David was an unlikely a choice to fall in love with the well tailored suits of old. But, the heart wants what the heart wants.
The best way to describe David is a craftsman at heart. Garments deserve to be made proper, and if you need to remove and redo those stitches four times to achieve that, then you best do it that way or not at all. He’s an innovator, a historian and an investigator. His knowledge base today represents a lifelong obsession with rediscovering the art of the suit and comparing what is to what was. He’s a teacher, a humanitarian and just about the funniest human you’ll ever meet to boot. In today’s garment industry, David swims up-current against the pull of mass production, often in opposition to slick sales and cheaply produced clothing. What is achieved in the struggle against the current are suits made well, made by people who are seen and made to leave everyone better off for the transaction between maker and wearer.
His personal style? David is as comfortable in trainers and a garage mechanic jumpsuit as he is a wool/silk tuxedo. You’ll often find him in traditional double breasted tweed, but watch out. Every once in a while he’ll surprise you with a white seer sucker tuxedo hemmed into shorts, just to bend your mind and keep you on your toes.
When you come in, he’ll greet you with a smile, a handshake and bring his vast wealth of skill to your service and creative leanings.
Master Tailor
Aidan is endlessly inspired by the style of the Romantic period and the fluid vibrancy of Impressionist paintings. He combines this with contemporary fashion to inform his approach to self expression through style. His avant garde leanings encourage clients to challenge themselves to see what more emotion they can capture. An artist himself and gifted communicator, Aidan shines at bringing that spark of an idea into a garment that is something entirely new.
Aidan
Our Tailors
head of sales & Gallery curator
magicians
The work done within the SGB workshop is truly stunning and a representation of a young generation falling in love with old world skills and knowledge. Each of our tailors came to us with their own skill set and gifts and has wholeheartedly applied them to tailoring. Each tailor has mastered not only the skills, but the grit and determination to do things correctly. We’re exceedingly proud of each stitch and the hands that create each garment leaving the shop.
A Note on Transparency & Generosity
“Money is like Manure. It doesn’t do any good if it’s not spread around for young things to grow”
Dolly Levi, Hello Dolly
At Sew Generously we strive to work in 100% transparency on how our suits are made, by whom, and how those craftspersons are compensated. To the best of our extensive research, almost every current day tailor uses a Made to Measure process, whether they inform you of this or not. When you come to our shop we are specific about who will be making what portions of your suit. And because we have done our utmost to ensure fair wages and healthy working environments in our partner factory, we don’t feel there’s any reason to hide this.
When we began working with a factory overseas, Sew Generously went through a rigorous quality inspection- ordering examples of their work and deconstructing the garments down to the last stitch to ensure the finest workmanship. We also have ensured as much as possible that all workers are paid fairly, work in safe conditions and have adequate time off for personal time and travel. We have worked with factories in, Qingdao China, Czech Republic, and Romania. Want to know more about them? Just ask when you come in!
Here in Seattle, our team of tailors and salespeople provide the utmost quality to our customers on every facet of the experience. Sew Generously believes that we should provide the same level of quality and commitment to our team as they do for our customers. We guarantee thriving wages, not the usual surviving wages that dominate much of the modern industry practices in America. We also provide benefits, flexible hours and ample vacation time. Each person on our team offers unique skills and gifts and we encourage everyone to express themselves and grow so they can live into their best self.
We’re not quite done yet, though! We also see ourselves as a business in the larger context of our community. We are proud to be centered in the Pioneer Square neighborhood of Seattle with all its vibrancy and diversity of people of all walks of life. Sew Generously actively seeks out partnerships with organizations meeting the needs of our houseless neighbors to improve the overall needs of the city. Stay tuned for more updates and news as we progress in our partnerships to give back to the community we’re so thankful to.
About Sew Generously Galleries
“Artists do not make the world go round. They move the world forward”
-Mary Oliver, Upstream: Collected Essays
Sew Generously is centered not only in our craft and profession, but in our community. As we are located in Pioneer Square, one of the thriving art centers of Seattle, and walk the line of fashion as worn art. Thus we are passionate to be involved in the art scene. Between the beautiful brick, clean white walls, and the mailay of tailoring equipment, we hang a rich variety of art.
Sew Generously Galleries is a passion project of our tailor shop and an additional connection point for community and generosity. Our Curator, Aidan Sakakini, along with our Business Manager, Kaitlyn Pew, hang three to four shows a year, each featuring at least two artists. We invite an eclectic array of creatives adding their own unique perspectives for consideration to all of our customers and guests. Each First Thursday Pioneer Square Art Walk we celebrate with opportunities for Artist Talks, workshops and performances by local musicians. So far we’ve featured artists creating in the style of modern abstract, impressionism, Zero-Waste fashion, fantastical realism and many more mediums.
• To Engage more fully in our community in the shared value of artful creation.
• To support Artists to be seen and heard and make exhibition space more accessible and at a lower commission rate than standard gallery cuts.
• To connect our customers and guests with thoughtfully curated exhibitions.
Our mission:
Want to engage with the gallery? here are a few ways:
• Come to a First Thursday Pioneer Art Walk. We participate in the First Thursday of every month from 5-9pm. We guarantee some amazing art to be seen, and usually have nibbles and sips to share, as well as live local music.
• Sign up for our email list! We occasionally have special events and opportunities to engage and will alert you through the email list as they arise.
• Stop by during business hours. We love to say hello and all are welcome to view our current installation.
If you are an artist interested in showing at Sew Generously Galleries, email our curator Aidan at aidan@sewgenerously.org
We love interacting with our customers & community. Stay up to date with the latest happenings at SGB such as Art Walk, Wedding Shows, Fashion Events, new fabrics & styles, new blog posts and more!
