7 awesome reasons to mend your clothing
1) IT saves you money
2) It reduces waste and saves the environment
3) It's good for your community and friend group
4) IT creates change
5) It's empowering!
Mending elongates the life of your clothing reducing the need to purchase new clothing. By mending the clothing your own instead of purchasing new, you are saving money by skipping the buying process by investing in the clothing you already own.
Fast fashion is designed to last about 6 months before the garment falls apart and a consumer needs to purchase a new garment. By designing clothing that falls apart consumers have to keep returning to stores to buy more and more clothing on a regular basis, creating a dependence on fast fashion. By mending your clothing you break this cycle and reduce your dependence on a system by using your own skills and creativity.
Mending changes the way you think and changes clothing culture. Mending has not always been socially acceptable, and we are changing that! By embracing and valuing the art of maintaining your clothing you are supporting a new fashion world where uniqueness and skills are valued and used. Be a part of the change that creates acceptance and celebration.
132 billion pounds of textiles and footwear are burned or landfilled every year in the world (Fletcher, 2016). Mending your clothing keeps your clothing in use and reduces the amount of clothing in the landfill. Keeping your clothing in use also reduces your need to purchase new clothing, reducing the demand for using natural resources that need to go into making a new garment
At times deciding to mend your clothing can be scary, we need to support fellow menders in their process and encourage their journey and skill! Take the time to learn how to mend, share what you have learned, and don't hesitate to compliment another mender on their awesome work!
6) express yourself, like no one else can!
When a garment is made there are countless decisions made about what material, color, weight, cut, and design, each of these decisions is made by brands use a general idea of a person for what they might want. When you mend your clothing every decision that you make, from the color of thread, mending fabric, the style and technique are all decided by you and there will never be another mend exactly like it in the world. You have the decision-making power when you mend and every decision you make represents your values and style.
7) EMotional Durability
Emotional durability is when you feel an attachment to a belonging because of the memories and stories tied to it. Emotional durability is like a personal value that you place on the piece because of what it means to you, it also means that you are more likely to take care of the piece because of its importance. When you mend you build the emotional durability of your clothes, meaning that whenever you put on that garments, see that mend, or get a compliment you will be reminded of the people you were with, the positive environmental impacts of mending and your empowerment as a wearer that mends their own clothes!
8) it's actually really fun!
I'm not kidding... Mending is actually a lot of fun and once you start you may become addicted! Mending is a process, enjoy every minute of it. Enjoy every crooked stitch, every color choice, and enjoy the time that you are spending taking care of the clothing that accompanies and witnesses you every day of your life. Clothing is fun, mending is too!
Want to learn more about using clothing in an impactful and cool way?
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