Today is International Repair Day, and what better time to dive into the importance of repairing clothes in our quest for a better and more sustainable fashion industry?
Here’s a number to think about: extending the life of a garment by just one year reduces its environmental footprint by over 25%. In Ireland alone, around 170,000 tons of textiles are thrown out annually (that’s 35kg per person!), making us the top clothing waste producers in Europe per capita.
Repairing clothes used to be a basic life skill. But fast fashion? It changed the game. With racks full of cheap clothing, we’ve been pushed into a cycle where we own twice as many clothes and spend half as much on them compared to a few decades ago. Brands have made it easy—and sadly more economical—for us to wear something a handful of times (seven, on average!) and toss it out.
This disposable mindset comes at a cost: the fashion industry is the third most polluting in the world. We simply can’t keep up the make-wear-throw cycle if we’re serious about tackling climate change.
Repairing clothes needs to make the come back of the century, and it’s already happening. It’s one of the key steps in building a circular economy (along with reducing, reusing, reselling, and recycling). But beyond the environmental benefits, it brings other wins too.
When we think repair and alteration we of course think about seamstresses and cobblers. But how many of us have actually taken our clothes or shoes to be fixed? Not many, especially younger generations (including mysefl). It simply isn’t something we’ve been accustomed to growing up
But picture this: having a local tailor who can make your clothes fit perfectly and last longer: making you look and feel amazing. Supporting these artisans is not just practical, it’s key to keeping circularity alive.
And we firmly believe that it would serve us all to incorporate a little more humanity and exchange in everything we do. Building connections and communities around a shared goal of sustainability can create a sense of purpose that goes beyond individual actions. By coming together to repair and reuse, we’re not only reducing waste but also fostering wellbeing as a society. Hopefully, sharing the journey toward a more sustainable lifestyle can create connections and provide long-lasting satisfaction, over fleeting dopamine hits of buying clothes every week. Or at least that’s how we picture it.
Repairing is also the part of the circular economy where you can get creative. Of course you decide to learn the basic skills to repair a button or a small tear and trust professionals for the rest.
But if you are crafty and love fashion, you can dive into the wonders of alterations, embellishments and upcycling. So many resources are now available for us to reinvent pieces of clothing completely when we can’t or won’t wear them the way they were originally designed as.
This new (or renewed) repair culture of mending, fixing and maintaining is a craft in itself and is meant to be at the heart of sustainable fashion. In a world where fast fashion is creating trends and making everyone look the same and wear clearly low quality clothing... Making your own clothes unique has become and is a lot cooler.
As someone working in sustainable fashion, I can feel the shift happening. Repairs and upcycling are becoming mainstream, and any old stigma attached to them is fading. Fashion has always been about expressing individuality. Values influence style and vice versa. With sustainability becoming a major concern in our lifestyle choices, consumers are keener to make that reflect on their own style, whether it be:
For fashion to be truly circular, repair needs to be at the heart of the industry, embraced by businesses and consumers alike. Brands that integrate repair into their business model are leading the way.
Take Patagonia, for instance. They’ve offered repair services for years and even sell patches for their outdoor gear. But an even more impressive example is Nudie Jeans. Their entire business is built around the idea of durability, ensuring every part of a jean’s life cycle is covered, including repairs:
Nudie not only uses organic and fair-trade materials and ensures factory workers are paid a living wage, but they also offer free lifetime repairs on any pair of jeans. You can drop into one of their stores or repair stations for a fix, or they’ll send you a repair kit if you’re more of a DIY type. When you’re done with your jeans, you can return them to Nudie, where they’ll be resold or reworked into new items, and you’ll get 20% off your next pair.
That’s what repair culture should look like: embedded into the core of a brand, not just tacked on as an afterthought.
On a smaller scale, even brands like Penneys have offered free repair workshops this year. Honestly, we never thought we’d be praising Penneys here, but seeing mainstream brands promote repair skills is refreshing. (Though we could say a few things about creating clothes worth repairing in the first place... but that’s for another day!)
To celebrate repairing this October, why not check out your local repair café, repair shop, or look up events on platforms like Eventbrite? You might also find great initiatives through your local repair café, community group or Tidy Towns group. There will be plenty of events and workshops popping up all over the country this weekend! Don’t miss out!
