Mend it May - Stop Spending try Mending
LOVE YOUR CLOTHES, CHERISH THEM, REFRESH THEM, REPAIR THEM AND REWEAR THEM! CLOTHING REPAIR IS SUCH A BIG PART OF SUSTAINABLE FASHION - BY KEEPING YOUR MOST LOVED ITEMS IN GOOD CONDITION YOU CAN REPEATEDLY USE THEM YEAR AFTER YEAR. MEND IT MAY IS AN INITIATIVE THAT INSPIRES TAKING CARE OF WHAT IS ALREADY IN YOUR CLOSET!
words by HOLLY KELSEY
photographs by ANDREW DAY
creative direction SARAH MARIE DAY
Our grandparents generation had the mindset of make do and mend which can still be very much appreciated today! As Orsola de Castro says ‘The most sustainable garment is the one already in your wardrobe’. If you love an item thats in your wardrobe why not mend it to preserve its life and be able to enjoy it over and over again.
CONSIDER MENDING BEFORE SPENDING
Mending is better than spending! It’s good for your wallet as well as for the planet. You can save a bit of money on fixing what you already have rather than buying something new and gain more wear out of items you’ve already got. Waste charity Wrap’s guide states that by extending clothing’s life will reduce the carbon, water and waste footprint by 20% to 30%. Mending the clothes in your wardrobe will stop them from ending up in landfill. According to Wrap’s research, in the UK it’s estimated that 300,000 tonnes of clothing get thrown away each year, which is an estimated £140 million worth of garments.
Mend it May Initiative
#MendItMay was created for the entire month of May as a call to action to get people to repair before they replace their clothes. Fashion Revolution hosted their first Mend in Public Day globally to encourage as many people as possible to get involved.
It can be all too easy to get rid of our clothes and just replace it with something new in only a few clicks. Whether the hem on a dress has come undone or buttons have fallen off or even the sole of your boots has worn down, there are so many places that can have these fixed and looking brand new again! If you’re feeling quite creative why not pop down to your local sewing shop! There are so many options for fixing your clothes - no matter if you want to fix them yourself or get to someone else to fix them for you! Find some of our favourite ones below.
4 ways to repair your clothes
01 — DO IT YOURSELF
Sewing can be a really fun and practical hobby, which you can even do as an activity with friends. There’s no better feeling than having repaired clothes yourself and giving your garments a second life! Fashion Revolution has some useful resources including how to repair your jeans or sew on a button. Re/make give advice on how to fix a hem or reattach a strap. Fashion Revolution has some useful resources including how to repair your jeans or sew on a button. Remake also gives handy advice on how to fix a hem or reattach a strap.
02 — FIND A LOCAL SEAMSTRESS OR RETOUCHERIE
If your lost for time or a bit daunted by the idea of trying to fix clothes yourself why not try out a local seamstress! Taking your clothes to a local tailor or shoes to a cobbler is always a good idea. If you have a tailor you like, you can also try upcycling some of your clothes with them you might not wear for one reason or another. You can exchange the buttons, shorten a hem or take in your waist to change up the designs! This is also a great way to support local artisans and their craft.
03 — REPAIR SERVICES AND GUIDES BY BRANDS
A lot of brands themselves will even have repair services for their products. Asket offers free repairs in their stores and sends spare parts to their customers upon request. Mara Hoffman has a great guide with advice on how to take care of your garments. Nudie Jeans have a free repair service in their store and through their repair partners. If there is not a store near you, you can always try to catch their mobile repair station travelling around the worrld, see the schedule here. Even at Selfridges you can repair your garments (in both the London and Manchester stores).
04 — USE MENDING APPS AND COMPANIES
There are several great mending apps and companies around the world that make repairing clothes easier. Below are some of our favourites.
United Kingdom
The Seam
Sojo
The Clothes Doctor
The Handbag Clinic
United States
Mend It
Leather Spa
Spain
Tailor and Co.
Mending and upcycling our clothes is truly such a fun way to make our closets more sustainable. We hope this article inspired you to go to your local tailor, get behind your sewing machine or try out one of the mending apps to give your closet a make over this Spring season!
FURTHER READING
