The Art of Mending

What do you do if the knees on your favourite jeans have worn through or that hole in your jumper just keeps growing? For many people, the answer has been ‘throw it away’. Clothes are so cheap, why would you bother doing otherwise?

Posters from World War II encouraging people to make do and mend (source1) (source2)

But mending clothes has had a long history. Cheap, throwaway items of clothing have only been a part of our lives for a few decades.

Prior to that, we had to mend or go without.

There are environmental, ethical and even economic reasons to revive the art of mending. Fortunately, people are mending more, with groups on social media to encourage one another and workshops appearing to teach darning, mending and altering.

(source)

Perhaps it’s time to rethink those worn through woollen socks?

You can read more about the revival of mending HERE.