"How do you decide if something is worth repairing?" "How many times can you mend something?" "Is this worth mending?"
These are questions that people bring to me all the time, paired with a piece of clothing from their wardrobe. They are also questions that I ask myself all the time! Deciding whether to move forward with a repair or move on and replace it is an ongoing conversation and there are a few key factors I like to consider.
How extensive is the damage?
My toxic trait is focusing on pragmatic first before digging into feelings, so let's start by looking at the physical state of your garment. Assessing the source of the issue is one key to deciding whether something is "worth mending". Damage to clothes happens in three main ways:
1) Broken seams
Sometimes a sign of hasty or poor quality manufacturing, popped seams can easily be fixed especially if the fabric is not worn around the seam.
2) Snags and rips
A fluke snag or accidental tear on a garment that is otherwise in good condition can also be stitched up and live a long, happy life. Moth damage can also fall under this category, just make sure to also promptly deal with your moth troubles!
3) Abrasion or wear and tear
This is the kind of damage that shows up later on in that "long, happy life" and usually requires more extensive repair work. The investment of time to fix is still worth it if this is a piece you love and want to showcase your mender pride!
These socks turned into a fun little art project. Yes, they're way beyond what most people would probably fix, but to me, they were good quality socks and a darning experimenD. To me, they were worth mending.
It helped that they also yielded some lovely inspirational photos :)
How often do I wear this garment?
Opportunity knocks when something needs a mend. Opportunity, of course, to practice your mending skills, experiment with a new technique, or try out some new designs or colour combinations, but also an opportunity to decide how this piece fits into your wardrobe. Is this something I reach for a lot? Do I like the fit? Does it make me feel good to wear this? If yes, definitely take the time to repair.
These jeans were fully blown out, but thoroughly beloved by a friend, so I was happy to spend a few hours rebuilding them. The "before" is down at the bottom if you're interested!)
But if the opportunity that arises is one for you to rethink your wardrobe choices, that's a valid and important part of the journey too! Do you have something that fills that need better before rushing out to the shop to pick up something new? Can you repurpose the garment somehow, pass it on to a friend or community member, or resell it?
But this pair of shorts, I mended this far and then decided I did not want to commit. They were Scott's, and he said he didn't love them anyway. And I felt like with this kind of blowout on a 100% cotton garment, the rest of it was about to thin and crumble too.
In this process, it's also worth looking at trends within your wardrobe. Knowing what you like and what works for your lifestyle is key to informed decision making on what you need. Rather than going all in on a 10+ piece haul (whether secondhand or brand new), only to be disappointed by 9.5 items, you can actually save money by buying quality pieces you know you'll cherish. This works best once you kinda know what you're looking for, though, so it takes time and admittedly, probably a couple rounds of buyers remorse to figure it out.
And hey, on the flip side, maybe this isn't a piece you wear all the time, but you used to wear it all the time, or it has other special memories associated with it. Mending those pieces matters too!
This sweater has a long family history tied to it, and I was honoured to help restore it!
How is the fabric holding up?
Examine the garment as a whole, beyond just the obvious damage. Is it thinning and fragile? Pilling or stretched out? These big picture issues could be a sign that your repairs won't hold up, or that the job scope will expand in order to reinforce those thinning areas. This doesn't have to be a deal-breaker if it's a favourite pair of jeans or sweater that you're dreaming will become a mosaic of visible mending, but if it's a pattern throughout your wardrobe, consider taking a closer look at the fibre composition tag.
Blends of multiple fibres in one fabric can sometimes be a way of cutting corners in the manufacturing process, leading to a garment that isn't designed to stand the test of time. For example, if you've fallen victim to a pilly collection of t-shirts, it's quite likely they are a cotton-polyester blend. Same with stretchy jeans, they're comfy but can be a nightmare to mend more than once or twice.
Mended once, quick 'n dirty as requested, though I never saw these for a follow-up appointment so I'm sure they were retired once they wore out again. For jeggings, they were treated to a long and cherished life!
On the other end of the scale, though, maybe there are certain monofibres you'll want to think twice about too. For example, cashmere is a luxury fibre that is notorious for pilling - especially when the fibres in the yarn are short (e.g. the cheap stuff), and requires delicate care.
If (like me), caring for delicates isn't your priority, be informed - or just go with the flow (also like me, with my thrifted fast fashion/cheap cashmere leggings I consider a staple when it's super cold out! pills be damned, we're staying warm). (But then again, lots of cheap blended garments might surprise you with their "dry clean only" labels as a CYA for companies shamelessly not designing with longevity in mind. All these brackets! boy do I digress!)
And at some point, a garment is just at the end of its life. These cotton pyjamas were like one step away from just falling apart from age, but for my brother, I mended them up for a few more cozy nights' wear. But only because they were his favourite. Honestly, these ones should have just been retired. PS: wow, elysha, another blown-out seat?
Has it been repaired before?
This question heads two ways. One, if you've repaired something before, you're likely already a little attached to it & willing to add another mend. Even one repair, extending the life of a garment by eight months or longer and therefore slowing down your cycle of consumption, is important.
But on the other hand, if you find it needs to be repaired in the same place or the same problem has come up again, paired with other telltale signs like fabric issues or bad fit, this might be a sign that it's just not going to hold up.
Every garment finds the end of its life cycle eventually. I had this favourite pair of linen pants that I wore absolutely all of the time until, at some point, they needed a new mend every second wear. At that point, it feels hard to give up on them, but cut the patches out, reuse it as rags, or start collecting for your rag rug perhaps?
(or, get your mending bag stolen off your bike, mourn the loss. but ultimately feel kind of relieved that you don't have to keep reinforcing that disintegrating linen anymore lol.)
It's all about the journey, so thank you for being on it with me. Happy mending ;)