By mending and repairing your clothing, you are making sure that you can wear it for longer, which means you are slowing down how much you consume and making sure that less goes to waste. There are two common types of mending: visible and invisible.
Visible mending is a repair technique that deliberately aims to make the mended area a statement in and of itself, using brightly coloured threads or added patches. If you take a look at the #visiblemending, it feels like you are browsing through an art gallery. There are many different ways of visibly mending and it adds a new layer of storytelling to the garment
By mending and repairing your clothing, you are making sure that you can wear it for longer
Invisible mending is a repair technique that is used when you don’t want the mended area to stand out – the less obvious, the better. The aim is for the garment to look as close to its original condition as possible. This often means choosing a thread colour that matches the garment, using small stitches, and trying to hide the stitches behind already existing hems and seams.
Beginning a mending journey can feel daunting. But, there are so many undaunting resources to remind us of why mending is so important, and sharing accessible ways to get started. We wanted to share just a few.
Basic items for a mending kit:
You don’t need much to start on your first mend, but there are a few essential items that will set you up for success.
- A small and a large needle. The small one is great for linens and cotton, whereas the large needle (or darning needle) can be for sturdier fabrics
- Sewing thread to match your garments
- Fabric scissors
- Safety pins and sewing pins
- Optional: A quick unpicker tool or seam ripper
Insightful resources:
Two comprehensive resources to orient you on your mending journey.
YouTube channels:
Browse through the videos on these channels for loads of mending and repairing tutorials.
Books:
If you want to go on a mending deep dive, add these books to your reading list.
- Loved Clothes Last: How the joy of rewearing and repairing your clothes can be a revolutionary act by Orsola de Castro
- Mend! A refashioning manual and manifesto by Kate Sekules
- Visible mending: A modern guide to darning, stitching and patching the clothes you love by Arounna Khounnoraj
- The Mending Directory by Erin Eggenburg
Inspiring accounts to follow:
A mending and repair project will feel all the more fun if you keep inspired. Check out the following Instagram accounts for mindful mends, creative re-purposing, and repair masterpieces.
- @lucieweaves
- @okbaddiek
- @cleo_droomer
- @laaniraani
- @selinaam05
- @mendlagos
- @bookhou
- @mindful_mending
- @sashikostory
- @martin_emily_mae
