With mending still on my mind, I have encountered a wealth of (mostly free) resources via the Substack community, which have completely brightened my outlook. The tastefully charming Emilia Petrarca of Shop Rat has declared January a ‘month of mending’ – with a shout out to the prodigious and versatile NYC repair shop Eva Joan Repair (Eva Joan just announced their first quarterly workshop events for 2025 in NYC – how dreamy!) Petrarca also recently cross posted with the fabulously talented Ella Emhoff (Soft Crafts) a “Mending AMA” of sorts, answering subscriber questions about the craft of clothing repair. Both Petrarca and Avery Trufelman (of the elegantly researched “Articles of Interest” series) also highlight the merits of Wardrobe Therapy; a upcycling service offered by brilliant zero waste designer JRAT.
The enduringly stylish and Brooklyn-based trend expert Mandy Lee, has revived her “Cyclical” newsletter just in time for the next round of the low/no-buy “75 Hard Style Challenge,” and shared her sustainable fashion resolutions for the year; of which #2 and #3 are to prioritize mending and laundry! I even found this cute and helpful free piece on darning from Front Porch Threads – an excellent static ‘step-by-step’ post for those of us trying to scroll less and watch less phone tv (which I applaud you for).
TL;DR mending is the solution to your fashion woes. A simple truth with a complex answer. I’m writing about my own earnest attempts to repair amidst all the artistry and professional guidance, because limited time, money, and access to quality crafts-’man’-ship, are big barriers to mending for most, especially those of us who live outside major metropolises or fashion hubs. Furthermore, I am striving to promote free advice and resources as much as possible, as I want mending to feel more casual and fun.
Unfortunately, mending or repair is often brought on by “mistakes,” like food stains, wear and tear, or laundry mishaps. In the past, I’ve felt guilty or anxious over such personal errors – mending felt like a penalty for blunder! Now, I want to reframe my perspective and apply some creative problem solving – how can I reimagine my clothing in new and beautiful ways with the tools that I have? Mending is a means (repairing) to an end (wearing) – not something that should take over your life, or stress you out!
This installment of “Mending for ‘Dummies’” is about redressing my wrongs and creative upcycling. In my attempts to ‘make it work,’ here are the remedies I found to common clothing mishaps:
I turned a bleach accident into a cool denim skirt: It happened again – I should not be allowed near bleach. I meant to spray a fabric treatment on some black jeans and sprayed them with clorox instead. The damage was immediately done and my heart sank – this was good vintage black denim I just ruined! However I was determined to turn my mistake into a positive. I decided to double down and tie-dye the jeans with bleach. I watched this youtube video for reference and got to work. I even took it a step further and upcycled the jeans into a denim maxi skirt, inspired by one of Shop Journals designs (the bleach/grommet combo is so good). I was able to successfully open up the interior of each pant leg with a seam ripper, but as I went to sew the front and back down to form the skirt, my denim needle broke! Luckily my friend and expert sewist Jaime was able to lend me a hand with her machine. I honestly feel like this upcycle was a major upgrade from the basic black jeans I had before.
(Total spent: $0 - I had bleach, rubber bands, thread, a seam ripper, and sewing machine on hand. Most of those items aside from the machine are relatively inexpensive and available at local convenience stores).
Don’t give up on your shoes so easily: Remember the silver metallic leather booties I restored in part I? I was feeling really confident about that repair until I wore them for the first time after – I watched in horror as the paint began to peel off at the toe box crease. In an effort to completely conceal shoe scratches, I had painted the paint on too thick! My only option at this point (to paraphrase every terrible girlboss) was to lean in. I started peeling off flakes of paint, and discovered a delightful ‘craquelin’ effect. I grabbed a dry dish sponge and began carefully scouring off the rest of the paint. Lo and behold, these shoes look EVEN BETTER than what I originally started with; subtly evocative of the cracked ‘broken mirror’ margiela tabis even. I got compliments right away post shoe op – I cannot wait to keep wearing these.
(Total spent: $0 - I used a dish sponge I had already. And for anyone wondering, the gold metallic shoes I painted are fine! They needed a much lighter touch and have responded well to the leather paint so far…)
Hem and crop stuff so you *actually* wear it: This is simple but worth stating – hem and crop the clothes that need it! As a person of petite stature, I crop nearly every top and hem most of my pants, just so I’m not drowning in my clothes. Pro tip – you can get away with a raw chop (all scissors no sewing) for most denim, which means there’s no excuse for wearing too long jeans (a Y2K trend that should have stayed in the past in my humble opinion). Clothes that fit feel good and get worn, period.
(What I spent: $0 – I used scissors, thread, and the sewing machine I already have :)
Safety pins can make a statement: I was recently gifted a vintage flannel lined denim jacket from my dear friend Laura. The jacket is perfectly worn in with some charming patches, but I wanted to put my own stamp on it somehow. I decided to add my own vintage patch, a colorful horseshoe, with safety pins. Yes, I could have sewn it on, or even used ‘stitch-witchery’ to fuse it to the jacket (another really great no-sew hack for patches), but the safety pins make it extra. The humble safety pin is not only a hallmark of punk and haute couture, it is a fast and foolproof patching remedy for any mending newbie. More safety pins in 2025!
(What I spent: $5 on a small container of safety pins with plenty left over for future projects).
My biggest takeaway from this round of “Mending for ‘Dummies,’” is that mending is extremely personal. It’s about aesthetics, almost as much as skill! This is why it's important to be intentional about how our clothes are mended. Because ultimately, you have to want to wear it. And even beyond your closet, mending can impact whether items are successfully rehomed or resold (not everyone wants a ‘not-ready-to-wear’ project or to adopt someone else’s custom-fit garment).
The more I mend, the more I am learning about my personal style as a creative; I’m discovering new ways to upcycle and conceptualize my wardrobe, piece by piece. The other major mending message which bears repeating, is to “buy quality” whenever you can (my mom’s sage style advice from a few posts ago). Clothing quality may be defined primarily by fiber, fabric and construction. Natural fibers and well constructed garments are more likely to be repairable and last for a long time.
Thanks for sticking with me as I continue learning how to mend! While some of my clothing mods were easy, others I would rate as ‘difficult’ for beginners. Nonetheless I am proud and quite honestly, thrilled with the results! I spent even less $$ this round on repairs too (I utilized household objects and supplies on hand), which goes to show how far creativity can take you. The next installment (yes part III!) will focus on the more common clothing care practices that you can do at home. Subscribe and find out what I recommend to keep your clothes looking CUTE ;).
The booties are amazing! Way to make lemonade of that.