Clothes aren’t made to just hang in the closet, but to be worn. Designers and craftspeople work hard to make these objects both beautiful and functional.
This is part of why we love resale! You find amazing pieces at prices only previously seen in fast fashion. That is, clothing brands who follow trends hyper-closely and churn out product at a speed so high that they couldn’t possibly be made with quality. When these lesser pieces start to break down, they often fall apart and become unusable. Higher quality items, on the other hand, will wear in– becoming softer, more comfortable, and telling every story that they’ve experienced along the way. So how do we extend the life of these clothes? Repair them!
Sometimes you need a repair to be a little more functional, in high stress areas. The jeans below have been darned at the failure point, giving a more seamless look and stronger fix. The fabric patch is placed underneath the hole, and a sewing machine is run back and forth in tight row, creating a new layer of thread and fabric. The following shirt has been repaired in a similar way, while choosing to keep the patch a little more visible.
Have fun with it, try it out yourself! If things go south, no harm no foul! You already had a hole in your shirt to begin with. Hit up your favorite tailor and have them fix it for you.
Shoes too! Well made leather shoes can often be resoled! A skilled cobbler will cut the stitching and affix a new leather soles. This marries the broken-in shoe you love with a new bottom, ready to conquer the world. Just don't let them get too far... This pair's probably just ready for the bin.
