Loved Clothes Last: A Guide To Mending and Repair Services You Should Use For Your Clothes
To ensure you are being sustainable, make your clothes and accessories last longer, with our guide to the convenient mending and repair services you should be using.
Why throw something away when you can fix it?
We’re becoming more educated on the importance of responsible shopping, but what do we do when our clothes show inevitable signs of wear? Mending is one of the most ancient activities, and is experiencing a renaissance thanks to sustainable fashion. Thanks to influencers like Orsola de Castro, who’s recent book ‘Loved Clothes Last’, includes clothes care tips, mending is becoming more common. Throwing away clothes with missing buttons, stuck zips or because they are ill fitting is simply not an option anymore.
The word mending alludes to all the ways you can repair clothes that present some damage. For instance; stains, moth holes, or other signs of wear that you’d wish to fix or cover. Try to think of mending as a mindset, famouslay described as ‘mendfulness’ by Katrina Rodabaugh. It’s all about durability, embracing imperfections and fixing what’s broken but still beautiful. It’s about stepping away from the so called rules of overconsumption that are outdated and unsustainable. Most mending, but not all, involves sewing. If you want to take care of it personally, it means keeping your hands – and your mind – occupied while creating something you’ll be proud of. It can be a meditative practice for some, hence ‘mendfulness’. Plus, you’ll avoid needing to continually purchase new clothes to replace broken or stained ones. You can also get creative. Why not use sashiko stitching to a patch a rip in your jeans? Or add embroidery on top of a stain you can’t get out?
But if you are unfamiliar with sewing, there’s no reason to declare defeat. In fact, not everyone has the manual skills, ability, time or even passion to take care of mending their clothes. If so, don’t pressure yourself to learn a new skill, there are many ways to repair your clothes in a way that is as practical as it is convenient. As the movement around sustainable fashion has grown, so has the repair and alterations industry.
The Convenience of Repair Services
We recently interviewed the brilliant entrepreneur and Founder of Sojo App Josephine Philips. She began her mending business as a way to not only repair, but also to resize clothes bought while second-hand shopping at charity shops, vintage markets and on Depop. Sojo App has been dubbed the “Deliveroo for clothing alterations”. Simply book a bicycle collection for your items, and they will be mended (or altered) and delivered back to you. Sojo offers customers a hassle free way to get their repairs and alterations sorted by professionals.
Mending on demand is an entirely new way to imagine ethical consumption. Many of us incorrectly believe that having our clothes fitted or tailored to our body shape means paying a fortune. However, companies like Sojo have democratised the service for consumers, without questioning a fair wage for the professionals involved. According to Josephine, “the convenience economy is growing rapidly. A brand won’t do well if we don’t do a good job of making people’s lives easier. It’s our job to take away the effort involved in repairing and altering your clothes. If you can get everything else through your phone, we have to be able to provide the same convenient service.”
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Sojo isn’t the only service offering on demand clothing repair. Clothes Doctor can repair, alter and restore your clothes. They also offer laundry and cleaning services too. All with the handy convenience of a courier, so you won’t have to leave your home. Their prices are absolutely reasonable, and you’ll be able to at least double the lifespan of the items in your wardrobe. Not to mention save time. Simply request a quote from their team, pop your garments in a jiffy bag and self ship it, or choose to get a CollectPlus label from them. Your revived clothes will be delivered back to you 7-10 days later.
Don’t Forget Your Accessories
The excitement doesn’t end with clothes. Services also exist to preserve your accessories too. A scuffed heel or a missing strap loop no longer means the end of those leather items you love. The Restory is an on-demand service providing modern after-care for luxury fashion. Starting with shoes, bags and leather goods, they are dedicated to combining the art of the craft and the convenience of technology. All provided, again, by a dedicated courier service so you never have to leave your home. They actively invest in the next generation of artisans and develop new techniques to find solutions for those seemingly impossible problems. Does your designer bag need a refresh, has the catch failed on your clutch, or has the dog chewed your beloved mules? They all of this and more covered by their unique services. Often accessories are where we spend the most money, so why not make the investment worth it by trusting The Restory to breath new life into your accessories.
We love imperfections, we love stories behind things, and we love items with personality. However having the option to repair and revive your garments and accessories means you’ll love and wear them for longer. Thats definitely good news for the planet, as well as being better for our bank balances. We think sustainable fashion should be convenient too, and these exciting new enterprises prove we aren’t alone.
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Disclaimer: The people and models in the images featured are not associated with The Vendeur and do not endorse it or the products shown. This post may contain affiliate links. Prices correct at time of publishing
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