And Why I Miss Them So Much

There was a time when almost every town had a little fabric or haberdashery shop. You could walk in "just to have a look"... and walk out an hour later with three meters of fabric, six buttons you didn't need, a zipper "just in case," and somehow a lace trim that had magically jumped into your shopping bag.

Those days are slowly disappearing. And honestly? I miss them.

Haberdashery Runs in My Family

Maybe it is in my DNA.

My mother loved haberdashery, and she always told me that my grandmother loved it too. Lace, ribbons, buttons, bias tape... she collected everything. Apparently, buying notions was already a family hobby long before I came along.

When my mother passed away, I inherited her collection.

Boxes and boxes of buttons. Enough to replace every missing button in an entire city. Zippers in every colour. Ribbons, elastics, trims... you name it.

The funny thing is... I already had a huge collection myself.

So naturally, I combined both collections.

You would think, "Well, she'll never have to buy haberdashery again."

You'd be wrong.

You Always Need One More Thing

There is always something missing.

A bit of interfacing.

Shoulder pads.

Matching thread.

One invisible zipper in exactly that shade of blue.

Or a button that somehow looks completely different from the thousand buttons already waiting patiently at home.

Sewing people understand this perfectly.

Non-sewing people... not so much.

The Joy of Browsing

One of my favourite memories is visiting haberdashery shops with my mother.

Later, I continued going on my own.

I loved opening little drawers full of buttons, comparing dozens of zipper colours, feeling ribbons, discovering trims I never knew existed, and leaving with far more than I had planned to buy.

Those small independent shops were magical.

Every owner seemed to know everything.

Need advice?

Need matching thread?

Need a replacement for a 40-year-old zipper?

They would somehow find it.

Google can't quite do that.

Why Are They Disappearing?

Sadly, many fabric and haberdashery shops have disappeared in the Netherlands.

Even online fabric stores seem to be closing one after another, which is just as disappointing.

There are several reasons.

1. Online Shopping

Buying online is easy.

You can shop in your pyjamas with a cup of tea.

No parking.

No queues.

No carrying heavy shopping bags.

But there is one big disadvantage.

You cannot touch the fabric.

You cannot see whether "dark navy" is actually dark navy or suspiciously purple.

And you definitely cannot stroke a beautiful piece of linen while convincing yourself that buying it is a sensible financial decision.

2. Competition

Large online retailers offer huge selections and competitive prices.

Small family businesses simply cannot compete with that.

3. High Costs

Running a physical shop has become expensive.

Rent, energy, insurance and wages continue to rise.

For many small businesses, it has become impossible to stay profitable.

4. Parking Doesn't Help

Shopping should be fun.

Paying a fortune to park your car is not.

I still remember a fabric shop in Stadskanaal that people travelled to from all over the country. The fabric selection was incredible. There was even a coffee corner because customers could happily spend hours browsing.

One day I saw a woman leave the shop, smiling with bags full of beautiful fabrics.

A few minutes later she discovered a €90 parking ticket on her car.

She burst into tears.

I completely understood.

That parking ticket probably cost more than part of her fabric haul.

Experiences like that don't exactly encourage people to visit small city shops.

Is Online Shopping Better?

Sometimes yes.

Sometimes no.

The Advantages

• Huge choice.

• Easy price comparison.

• Shop whenever you like.

• No travelling.

The Disadvantages

• You cannot feel the fabric.

• Colours often look different on screen.

• Shipping costs can add up.

• You have to wait for delivery.

• More packaging means more waste.

Although I do appreciate online shops that reuse cardboard boxes instead of sending everything wrapped in layers of plastic.