I do it to piss people off is my number 1 reason, hence why I my jacket says cunt in big letters, and to support bands that I know (my MDC patch, and some other stuff I wear of people I have met and seen)
and sometimes I support bands i've never seen before because I greatly enjoy them.
I do it because some design idea gets in my brain that appeals and then I want to make it reality. I neither want to impress or offend others - for me, it's alll about living out the imagery I like. It raises my spirits to see something I've created too on clothes or sneakers that I like.
Of course, I don't always think I've done a good enough job, but that's perfectionism and laziness for ya. =)
I do it because all the shops were clothes are affordable are so bloody generic, and you end up having the same as everyone else which is a bit crap, so yeah I put studs on or chop things till they're unrecognisable just to make it different and more 'me'. There are some good websites where I would actually buy clothes and not customize them but being a student I have no money and so all I can afford is like, primark :D
Also a more practical reason is that I stopped growing when I was 13 and I was already small for my age, so I have the body of a 12 year old and I'm 18 haha, so to make my tops fit I tend to slash up the back and then tie it knots all the way down as baggy clothes make me look like a pregnant child being so small, which isn't a good look.
Ah, good old Primark, keeping the costs down - though like you I have a smaller frame and so I find I can't get jeans most times in my fit (29 inch waist). It's right on the edge of the low-end for men and most of their range start one level above and so sag on me round the front. Really not so good...heh
So, I'm stuck to a couple styles in the whole shop and I ain't gonna waste money on over-the-top prices in most other shops. I'd like to try out some more cutting up and that, but I just don't have the spare mulla to buy extra pairs that I could later cut bits off as they wear out.
If you lived in the states, I used to sell 29s, hahahaha. Oh how ironic. We always were trying to figure out who fit them. You always struck me as small, but not tiny!
I dont know why i started doing it.. i just started listening to some old punk bands a few years ago and i just started making all sorts of stuff.. pants, jackets, patches whatever i felt like. plus i fucking hate the rednecks out here in arkansas and i know it pisses them off to see me and my mohawk and individuality and what not. i love it when they say "your just trying to get attention" like suck on my left nut dude sorry for looking different go back to your trailer and smoke some more meth.
I have a very creative mind and I need to keep it busy sometimes or I will loose it
I like to stick out in a crowd I want people to know who I am
its a great way to make friends too
its also a way to show my support for bands and shit