- Green Lifestyle
Bye bye fast fashion.
Hello needle and thread.
Barbara Beiertz
Moth hole! Torn seams! Missing buttons, broken hem, a rip in your favorite pair of jeans… - help!
In these moments, remembering what was taught in the handicrafts courses from (what feels like) 100 years ago would come in handy… Although, it probably would not help me much, since I refrained from sewing, patching, and knitting, after I finished the course with a very well-meant D. But: Mending clothes helps. Not only your favorite pieces but also to reduce CO2.
About 10% auf the global CO2 emissions* are caused by the textile industry – more than the aviation and shopping industry emit combined. Meaning: Every piece of clothes that we save counts. And all it requires is a needle and a thread.
If darning socks and sewing is completely new territory for you, we recommend the book „Verflickt & zugenäht“ (Hauptverlag 2018) by Kerstin Neumöller**. She doesn’t only give instructions for the “little ailments” but also shows how you can decoratively “repair” your clothes.
photo:
alexandra fuller on unsplash
photo: alexandra fuller on unsplash
A concept, that has been a tradition in Japan for centuries: Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with golden or silver lacquer, to center the imperfection in an esthetic and esteeming way. The method is based on the philosophy of wabi-sabi, which means something like “embracing the imperfect”. The Briton Celia Pym*** has developed this concept into a form of art and her colorful “patches” are exhibited in well-known museums and galleries.
Your mended sweater does not need to become a piece of art – and if you have the courage to admit, that you can’t be an expert in everything, you can also find yourself a good tailor, like I did. Or you look for a repair cafe. Or something like the Konfekt-Kunststopferei**** in Hamburg. They make an online diagnosis of the damage and make you a repair offer. Afterwards, you just send them the piece of clothing. Apart from all the online tutorials – there are more then enough options to make sure that your clothes have a long life. Just have some courage!
No sooner said than done: I made myself a delicious latte, pulled out the sweater of my significant other and took the courage to repair the hole in the front (why do holes always appear on the belly?) with a duplicate stich. In red! There you go, it worked!
Sources: *www.europarl.europa.eu/news/de/headlines/society/20201208STO93327/umweltauswirkungen-von-textilproduktion-undabfallen-infografik
** www.haupt.ch/buecher/gestalten-design/verflickt-zugenaeht.html
*** celiapym.com
**** www.knfkt.de/
