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BANG FOR THE BITE
If 10,000 Biters repair the torn seam on their snazzy houndstooth jacket instead of buying a new coat, we'll save a collective $1,470,000.
COCKTAIL FACT
Marcos Fonzarelli, a virtual-reality tailor in the online game Second Life, earns about $250 real-life dollars a month designing garb for gameplayers' characters.
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home › tip library › Repairing Clothing
If a worn-down shoe fits, can you still wear it?
The Bite
You betcha. Just shoehorn a local cobbler into fixing or refurbishing 'em (yep, cobblers still exist outside of fairy tales). Same goes for clothes: Take them to a tailor, since repair is way cheaper than buying new and doesn't require the extraction of raw materials from the earth.The Benefits
- Your fave pieces, good-as-new. You don't have to write off that designer dress you ripped getting frisky (and some cobblers do handbags and luggage too).
- Saving a pretty penny (loafer). New heels for your shoes or a skirt-hem stitch-up usually costs around $12 - much less than any new shoes or skirt.
- Eco-savvy soles and slacks. Slapping a new sole on those 'loafers (or mending a torn pants' seam) uses a whole lot less material than manufacturing a new pair.
Personally Speaking
Jen believes so strongly in following this tip that she even has the tailor refasten her buttons instead of sewing them herself. Oh, wait. Maybe that's because she can't sew to save her life.Wanna Try?
- Yelp - search for a cobbler or tailor here, or ask your ask your eco-dry cleaner for recommendations.
Nov 06,2007
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The Butcher, The Baker, The Candlestick Maker
When I moved to London in 2000, I loved some things about the pace of life there. While I hated the fact that it seemed like most shops and stores closed well before I could get home from work (in spite of the fact that you needed to go to the market nearly every night to pick up dinner because refrigerators are TINY there), I loved the whole process of shopping.
Mainly, I loved it because it all seemed so genteel. Well, and because it made me feel like I was living in a fairy tale. Instead of heading to a mega-conglomerate-sanitized-to-high-hell supermarket, my meals all originated in small shops aptly named for the people who ran them... the butcher, fishmonger, the greengrocer, the cheesemonger, the wine shop...
There was something dreamily old-fashioned about that single-minded commitment to expertise and quality.
Today, in San Francisco, I find it harder to live that way. Even the most holistic lifestyle gives way to the convenience of a local green-focused supermarket. It's times like these, craving those shops that have names from childhood storybooks, that I give thanks that here in the US, we still have our cobblers and tailors.
Even if I find it hard to wander into a local fishmonger on foot, I can always make sure that foot is wearing a re-heeled boot.
-Heather...off to get my jeans hemmed...
Mainly, I loved it because it all seemed so genteel. Well, and because it made me feel like I was living in a fairy tale. Instead of heading to a mega-conglomerate-sanitized-to-high-hell supermarket, my meals all originated in small shops aptly named for the people who ran them... the butcher, fishmonger, the greengrocer, the cheesemonger, the wine shop...
There was something dreamily old-fashioned about that single-minded commitment to expertise and quality.
Today, in San Francisco, I find it harder to live that way. Even the most holistic lifestyle gives way to the convenience of a local green-focused supermarket. It's times like these, craving those shops that have names from childhood storybooks, that I give thanks that here in the US, we still have our cobblers and tailors.
Even if I find it hard to wander into a local fishmonger on foot, I can always make sure that foot is wearing a re-heeled boot.
-Heather...off to get my jeans hemmed...
Biter Comments...
Another point along the same lines - sometimes things that say "Dry Clean" really are perfectly washable in cold, gentle, etc. So it's worthwhile to learn a little about what fabrics really require. A local fabric store or home-ec teacher can help. But on the flip side, sometimes a piece of clothes that seems "ruined" can be saved by ordinary washing. I had a creamy dress that had somehow acquired a yellow tinge that the dry-cleaner just couldn't get out. I figured it was a loss anyway, so I tried washing it and it lost the yellow! Some careful pressing and the dress was lovely again. So I guess the lesson is that it's always worth it to at least TRY an alternative way of repairing, washing, refurbishing before adding to the landfill and buying more stuff.
On the worn out inner thighs of jeans (oh sigh, been there!) they are an easy repair, but it depends on how you want to go on wearing the jeans and how extensive the damage is. If it's a small patch or you just want to extend the life of the jeans for wearing around home and places where nobody will really see your inner thighs (!), just cut appropriate sized strips of denim from some other scrap. Sew them inside the legs of the jeans with a regular stitch. Then go back and forth several times over the thin/worn area with a zigzag stitch. Easy! Even a person who doesn't sew could do it on a friend's machine, or bribe said friend with a small treat. A tailor could probably do it even neater. With the price of jeans, and the way most of us love 'em after we've just gotten 'em softened up, it may be worth it to extend their use! And you really don't have to be Becky HomeEcky to do this kind of stuff!
i second Karen's suggestion: most things that say "dry clean only" can be either machine washed cold, delicate cycle, or you can hand-wash or sponge the spots. I detest dry-cleaning.
my other tips:
1. wash your clothes inside out... they won't get faded, ripped, or pilly as quickly (because the chafing mostly occurs outside).
2. air dry! not only do dryers use hella energy, they also fry your clothes. get a folding clothes drying rack and use it... it's so easy. and your clothes dry flat, no ironing required (and no forgetting them in the dryer and having them full of wrinkles).
I want to say that I love this tip & have been using it for a number of years. I have this wonderful pair of Via Spiga microfiber knee-high boots that I bought back in 2000. They still look like new today. How? Well, once a year (or less, depending on wear & tear), I take the shoes to the cobbler for refurbishing... retipped, new soles, buffed heels, etc. The microfiber is so durable that it doesn't have or show wear & tear like leather would. I get so many compliments & it thrills me that I've had these shoes for so long.
I do the same thing with my beloved stilettos, even if they're patent leather, they will come back looking like new... so long as you have a good cobbler. People do not notice the difference, I always get "nice new shoes" on my newly refurbished pairs.
As for drycleaning, I tend to use Dryel sparingly. My dryer rack is constantly being used, because I fear the dryer will ruin, shrink, wear, etc. my nice clothes that cost a lot or can not be easily replaced. The drying rack adds years of use to good clothing... in fact, I still have a couple of tops I bought around the same time as my Via Spiga boots!
In addition to doing my part, I have always advocated my local cobbler to anyone I meet who is having shoe, purse, or luggage issues!
If your jeans are beyond the repair that Karen suggested, you could make them into a shoulder bag or a sturdy reuseable grocery bag. Not too hard, recycling, & it keeps them out of the landfill :-).
This is one of those tips that seems aimed at people who spend a lot more than I do to begin with. I have shoes that cost less than $12 new. Plus there are thrift shops. That is recycling, thank you.
As for clothes, I wear them until they are threadbare, then use them for cleaning rags. If they have stains, I just don't wear them anywhere "fancy".
Kat kat, I totally disagree with you. This tip is for everyone. Have you never bought a pair of second hand shoes and reheeled them? (I have)
It makes better economic and environmental sense to have a few good pairs of shoes than a lot of crappy, made-in-China-by-slave-labour shoes.
Furthermore, especially for high heels (cheap or expensive), the heel wears out much faster than the rest of the shoe. So it makes sense to reheel them and prolong the life of the shoe.
I had this pair of rather cheap clogs that I had repaired several times for next to nothing. Total cost of shoes and repairs barely topped $20. When I finally got tired of them I passed them along to my sister who has been wearing them almost every time I see her for years now. As far as recycled jeans go, another option is donating them to become insulation for housing, http://accesscotton.com/Cotton-Blue-To-Green/
Thanks Ali for the link about recycling old jeans into insulation. We had just been talking about that after seeing the insulation on "Living With Ed" on HGTV.
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: Kelly | November 06, 2007 at 08:46 AM