Learning the Skills of Repair and Mending Helps Extend Textile Use

The Skill of Repair and Mending

Repairing clothes is a valuable skill that offers numerous benefits including extending the garment’s lifespan. Additionally, it can help you save money and have a deeper appreciation for your belongings. After all, your shirt is not worthless if buttons are missing, and your dress pants aren’t done if the zipper is broken. These are fixable issues that when repaired can keep you sporting your clothes longer and more sustainably.

This blog explores the many advantages of repairing clothes and highlights various programs around the world that encourage fix-it solutions.

Repairing clothes has multiple benefits for the environment, reducing textile waste in landfills and pollution produced by textile manufacturing. The old adage is true, “Waste not, want not.” Taking care of what we have responsibly helps us to have what we need.

Overconsumption

What’s causing the strain?  For one thing, the fashion industry is one of the largest contributors to waste and pollution, with millions of tons of textiles ending up in landfills each year. However, the fashion industry couldn’t be empowered to make all the clothes if consumers weren’t fulfilling the demand.

[Let's add a sentence about the rise of fast fashion and how we don't need to manufacture new clothes if we just use  and reuse the ones we already have. We already have more than enough.]

Overconsumption is one of the biggest problems of our time.  According to an independent report from global wholesale reseller Garson & Shaw, Americans have an average of seven unused articles of clothing in their closets. This is a reason to self-examine when purchasing new items. It might be useful to ask yourself three questions.

• Do I need it?
• Do I have it?
• How likely am I to use it?

Shifting mindsets

Just because you are a repeater, doesn’t make you an offender. Good riddance to the illogical castigation meted out for daring to wear an outfit more than once. Even the high echelons of royalty are sending a powerful sustainable message by re-wearing clothes under the scrutinous eyes of the media. In December 2023, a Town & Country article reported that England’s Princess of Wales, Catherine Middleton, wore a combination of her favorite outfits 89 times. 

So, why does it matter? It matters because in a sea of media and social media encouraging a non-repeater ideology, Princess Kate’s actions are a highly visible pronouncement that every occasion does not require a new outfit regardless of financial sustainability.

Rockville, Maryland store, G Street Fabrics, provides sewing and other upcycling classes at their location. The store has an enthusiastic and dedicated customer base for the classes. Saba T., the Creative Director for Education and Outreach at G Street Fabrics, teaches the classes and shares some personal style tips with Planet Aid Thrift Store for refreshing outfits.

The logic of repair

Repairing clothes is a cost-effective alternative to buying new clothes. For the average person, new clothing can be expensive so learning basic sewing skills and investing in repair kits can save a considerable amount of money in the long run. This practice also encourages a mindset of frugality, resourcefulness, and a big-picture outlook of environmental consciousness.

Landfilled clothes have toxic chemicals and dyes that pollute land, air, and water. Another reason it’s beneficial to keep textiles out of the waste stream. The slow fashion movement advocates for thoughtful consumption and the ethical production of garments. By choosing to repair rather than replace, you support this movement and contribute to a more sustainable fashion industry.

Global repair programs

On a global scale, several programs and initiatives are encouraging fix-it solutions.  In the United States, many organizations offer Repair Cafés, which provide free meeting spaces where people can bring their broken items, including clothes, shoes, furniture and more to be repaired by volunteers. These community-driven events facilitate repairs and foster a sense of shared learning. Community Ecology Institute, a multiple Planet Aid PACE grant awardee, hosts repair cafés covering everything from furniture to textiles. Additionally, the Department of Energy of Environment's program Fix-It DC.,  hosts events purposed to change the “throw-it-away” mentality to one of enabling event-goers to repair their items. The events utilize volunteer Fix-it coaches to help attendees learn how to fix, mend, and gain confidence to do it all themselves. 

Europe

In Europe, the Make Do and Mend movement, which originated during World War II, has seen a resurgence. With 700,000 tons of textiles landing in its landfills, in November of 2023, France resolved to contribute €154m (nearly 170 million U.S. dollars) to fund a bonus program to persuade consumers to repair their clothes and worn-out shoes rather than throw them away or purchase new ones. According to a 2023 BBC article, “The bonus will come in the form of a discount worth between €6 (£5) and €25 (£21) per repair.”

The goal is to increase the number of textiles and shoes repaired in France by 35% by 2028. 

Sweden has also taken a legislative approach by offering tax incentives for repairs. The Swedish government provides tax breaks for citizens who repair their clothes, shoes, and bicycles. This policy encourages people to choose repairs over replacements and supports local repair businesses, ultimately reducing waste and promoting sustainability.

Asia

Asian countries have also come on board incorporating an old tradition for a new method of clothing repair. In Japan, the traditional practice of Kintsugi, which involves repairing broken pottery with gold, has inspired a similar approach to clothing. The concept of "visible mending" embraces the beauty of imperfection by highlighting repairs with decorative stitching. This practice not only restores functionality but also transforms the garment into a unique piece of art.

Australia

Australia’s initiative, The Clothing Exchange, encourages people to swap clothes instead of discarding them. This program hosts events where participants can exchange their gently used garments, promoting a circular economy, reducing the demand for new clothing production, and creating a community of like-minded people interested in lowering their carbon footprint. It’s an excellent way to refresh one's wardrobe.

Prudent Consumption

Global initiatives and programs are paving the way for a future hearkening back to the past, which honored wise spending and the values of timeless DIY fix-it solutions. Repairing clothes offers numerous benefits, from reducing waste and saving money to preserving sentimental items, and supporting the circular economy.

A slower-moving fashion approach also sustains small businesses like tailors, seamstresses, and shoe repair shops, reducing the need to create more products.  And by embracing the artful skills of mending and repairing for ourselves, we can foster a culture of prudent consumption.