I started sewing to make my own clothes and quickly found that I could not really visualise what would suit me -- fabric and style and so often I was disappointed in the result. Now I have put on weight it is difficult to find some things that fit (eg nice loose pure cotton summer dresses just to wear around the house when it is very hot), but in general I am happy to buy clothes on sale -- even when I try on 30 items to find one worth buying!
I realise that when I started sewing I really was in love with fabric and wanted to be creative -- and patchwork is, for me, much more satisfying that any clothes sewing would be.