Mending, mending, mending
I have developed a love for mending the past three years. It can be so meditative and calm, and at the same time you are doing something for your clothes and wardrobe, as well as the planet. Extending the active use of your clothing by 9 months significantly reduces the environmental impact. This is even easier to do when you mend or customize your clothes.
I'm really fond of the blog Worn values, that has several posts about mending:
Levi's 501, thrifted in 2017
I moved the pockets on these Levi's 501, because it's more flattering and gives them something extra, I think. I have another pair of Levi's that I wear all the time, but they are almost white from wearing and washing and developing holes. So I wanted to start wearing this intact pair more. But then I realized the reason these didn't get as much wear was that the back pockets were placed differently than on the white pair, with a lot more distance between the two. So I measured my old pair and realigned the pockets on these. Now they are in my capsule!
Grey wool sweater, thrifted in 2015
If you have seen the post on my year of tracking my wears, you've already seen this sweater. When I got it, it had already been shrunk to a woman's size medium from a man's large, which meant that the wool fibers had been felted, almost. I'm not sure if this weakens the wool fibers or the contrary..? Either way, I'd worn this so much that the elbows were thinning. I didn't want to put patches on the sweater, mainly because I'm not sure it's my aesthetics (love it on academic types, though), but also because the surrounding fabric was also thinning. I think patches would put too much stress on the fabric. So I went for a visible mending solution, but chickened out on using a different color since it was my first time. I really love the result, which is the most important thing! I can't wear this to work anymore, but come winter, it's my go-to snuggle-at-home-or-in-the-woods sweater.
Levi's cut-offs, swap party find, 2013
Meet my most Frankenstein-esque item of clothing. I think this was my friend's ex-boyfriend's. It was already mended in the crotch when I got it. The last 6 years, I've put patch after patch on the back of the fabric. This summer, I also took in the waist, which made them less of a boyfriend fit. The result was that I lived in these shorts all summer. I will continue to use these and patch them as long as I can! Stopping just before this model's barely-there cut-offs (major tip: Jeanstories.com!).
Frankenstein shorts from the inside:
Viscose dress, taken over from my sister in 2005, she bought it new in '97(?)
This is an oldie and goodie. I'm afraid to wear this out each summer. There were holes surrounding the buttons, so I put a strengthening fabric beneath the holes and reattached the buttons. The picture on the right is the reverse side. Unfortunately, I didn't have red fabric, but it doesn't matter since you can't see the fabric from the outside. The dress is in my capsule now, since I'm trying to use favorites and prolong the summer. It will get swapped out when the weather gets too cold, and put in the box of summer clothes ready for next year.
Baseball longsleeved cotton tee, new in 2013
This is an uninspiring picture, but mending can be uninspiring when the item isn't that special (all the socks!). This is just to show that I also mend small holes on cotton tees, for the meditative purpose and that good frugal feeling, more than the uniqueness of the item. It's not for everyone, but I enjoy it.
I'm really fond of the blog Worn values, that has several posts about mending:
"Perhaps materialism is good. Feeling an attachment to your things means you value them and gives you a reason to to care for them. For, why else would you bother?"[When the money-saving aspect is gone.] Edit: Read this post about mending as a philosophy of life!
Levi's 501, thrifted in 2017
I moved the pockets on these Levi's 501, because it's more flattering and gives them something extra, I think. I have another pair of Levi's that I wear all the time, but they are almost white from wearing and washing and developing holes. So I wanted to start wearing this intact pair more. But then I realized the reason these didn't get as much wear was that the back pockets were placed differently than on the white pair, with a lot more distance between the two. So I measured my old pair and realigned the pockets on these. Now they are in my capsule!
Grey wool sweater, thrifted in 2015
If you have seen the post on my year of tracking my wears, you've already seen this sweater. When I got it, it had already been shrunk to a woman's size medium from a man's large, which meant that the wool fibers had been felted, almost. I'm not sure if this weakens the wool fibers or the contrary..? Either way, I'd worn this so much that the elbows were thinning. I didn't want to put patches on the sweater, mainly because I'm not sure it's my aesthetics (love it on academic types, though), but also because the surrounding fabric was also thinning. I think patches would put too much stress on the fabric. So I went for a visible mending solution, but chickened out on using a different color since it was my first time. I really love the result, which is the most important thing! I can't wear this to work anymore, but come winter, it's my go-to snuggle-at-home-or-in-the-woods sweater.
Levi's cut-offs, swap party find, 2013
Meet my most Frankenstein-esque item of clothing. I think this was my friend's ex-boyfriend's. It was already mended in the crotch when I got it. The last 6 years, I've put patch after patch on the back of the fabric. This summer, I also took in the waist, which made them less of a boyfriend fit. The result was that I lived in these shorts all summer. I will continue to use these and patch them as long as I can! Stopping just before this model's barely-there cut-offs (major tip: Jeanstories.com!).
Frankenstein shorts from the inside:
Viscose dress, taken over from my sister in 2005, she bought it new in '97(?)
This is an oldie and goodie. I'm afraid to wear this out each summer. There were holes surrounding the buttons, so I put a strengthening fabric beneath the holes and reattached the buttons. The picture on the right is the reverse side. Unfortunately, I didn't have red fabric, but it doesn't matter since you can't see the fabric from the outside. The dress is in my capsule now, since I'm trying to use favorites and prolong the summer. It will get swapped out when the weather gets too cold, and put in the box of summer clothes ready for next year.
Baseball longsleeved cotton tee, new in 2013
This is an uninspiring picture, but mending can be uninspiring when the item isn't that special (all the socks!). This is just to show that I also mend small holes on cotton tees, for the meditative purpose and that good frugal feeling, more than the uniqueness of the item. It's not for everyone, but I enjoy it.
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