Intergenerational Mending: Restoring Our Relationship with Clothes
Written by: Rebekah Stokes, Communications Assistant @Threading Change
22 August 2024
[5-minute read]
The sun is out, a scorching 30 degrees and the cooling tent up the street from our booth is by far one of the most popular stops for the 150,000 people milling up and down West 4th St, enjoying the sights and sounds of the festival. In this heat, it only makes sense that our booth activity is… a blanket?
In early July, Patagonia generously gave the Threading Change team the opportunity to have a booth at the annual Khatsahlano Street Festival in Vancouver. To engage with passersby, we set up an activity, a community quilt. Each participant wrote their answer to “What can we change about the fashion industry” on a piece of tape on a patch of donated fabric (thank you, Kendor!) which they then sewed onto the blanket.
By the end of the day, we had engaged with 1160 community members, and had a blanket of 145 patches!
We had a blast connecting with community members and hearing their inspiring and creative solutions for the fashion industry. Something we were struck by was the number of participants who, despite overflowing with ideas in response to our question, were very uncomfortable with the idea of sewing their patch on, saying things like “I don’t know how” or “I’ve never sewn before”.
Encouraging them to try anyway, these hesitations sparked conversations about the shift that has occurred from when sewing was almost a necessity to today, where it is a skill practiced by a select few as a hobby or for work.
It seems that the practice of sewing, and all it entails - not just threading a needle and stitching, but understanding how fabric moves and behaves, taking a concept from a drawing to a mannequin to a real body - has been lost somewhere along the line. Along with it, we’ve lost the ability to envision possibilities for our clothes that extend beyond what is presented to us on the rack. We can’t imagine putting time or effort into re-hemming a dress or refitting pants, when we could just go out and buy a whole new outfit for less.
My Sewing Journey
I learned to sew at a young age, taught by my grandmother. Whenever we started a sewing project, my imagination was always captured by a superhero cape or pioneer’s pinafore. I never understood sewing to have a place in my regular everyday wardrobe. As time went on and afternoons of playing the superhero became fewer and farther between, I slowly stopped sewing. It wasn’t a conscious decision; buying new clothes and discarding those that no longer met my needs was just normal, everyone around me was doing the same.
As I became more aware of the effects of fast fashion, I began questioning where my clothes were coming from. Like many young people trying to make ethical fashion choices while saving our all-too-slim wallets, I turned to thrifting.
As any seasoned thrifter knows, you sometimes find a treasure, but it’s just not quite right - a little too long, too tight, or missing a button. Most recently, while thrifting for an outfit for a party, I fell in love with a top. I was so in love that I bought it despite the fact it didn’t go all the way up in the back. I brought it home, intending to break out the needle and thread and go to work, but found myself stumped on where to begin. When I mentioned it to my mom later that week, she suggested taking the top to a seamstress she had connected with earlier in the year, who’d helped her with some alterations.
I took the top in, and before I knew it, the seamstress had taken measurements and designed a whole new back for it, elevating this thrifted find into exactly what I’d envisioned. A few weeks later, I walked out with a beautiful top that fitted perfectly to me that I’ll enjoy for years to come.
While it’s not always financially or practically feasible to go to a professional, what struck me from this experience was how empowering it is to have the tools to invest in my clothing and to make it truly mine.
Why is Repair Important?
Fashion Takes Action, one of Canada’s leading sustainable fashion non-profits, has built a waste hierarchy into their “7Rs of sustainable fashion”. In the number two spot, under “Reduce”, is “Repair”.
Why is Repair such an important part of making our consumption more sustainable? When we choose to repair, we extend our garment’s life, keeping it out of landfills and warding off the overconsumption frenzy of fast fashion. Repair’s scope can also include upcycling and tailoring, transforming a garment with minor alterations into something perfect. But if repair is such a priority in the waste hierarchy, why this seeming disconnect with sewing?
Mindset Shift
Dr. Rachel McQueen of University ofAlberta attributes this disconnect to a mindset shift from previous generations, trying to get “as much value out of your clothing for as long as possible”, to today, where it is often easier easier to simply toss items and buy new. McQueen reiterates, “Instead of paying money to get it repaired, some people say, ‘I might as well just buy something new.’ ”
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation reports that every second, one truckload of clothing is landfilled or burned. Over half of fast fashion produced globally is disposed of in under a year. While fast fashion marketing tries to convince us that it is cheaper to buy into the over-consumption lifestyle, the Foundation also has found that by throwing out clothes that were still wearable, globally customers miss out on USD 460 billion dollars worth of value each year. This is not just an environmental issue, but a missed economic opportunity.
Real People, Real Answers
While writing this article, I had the opportunity to sit down and ask individuals of multiple age groups and genders about their perspective on sewing and repair, as well as their comfort level with these skills. Among young adults in their early 20s, most had learned to sew at some point, taught by a mother or grandmother, but now had little use for it. Those who still sew often do so either to save money by repairing their clothes or as a way to express creativity and individuality in their personal style.
For older demographics, sewing was once a social norm and a source of pride. As one woman (age 82), stated, “Every girl sewed!” Many learned the skill in school, reflecting its broader value at the time. Through sewing, individuals gained a more meaningful connection with their garments.
Understanding the time and effort required for sewing can enhance one’s appreciation for clothing. Individuals who relied on sewing in the past often have a heightened sense of quality and longevity in garments. As the same woman noted, “By learning to sew and valuing a well-made product, I gained a lasting understanding and appreciation of quality,” This sentiment was echoed by another woman (age 52) who explained,
“If people know how to sew then it is easier to identify quality made garments. When I understand the time and cost necessary to make a garment, then I’m more inclined to pay more than for an inferior garment from a fast fashion store.”
Higher Cost
Even among those who sewed and mended garments in their youth, most now no longer engage in the practice. It appears that the take-make-waste norm has affected even older generations. Part of this shift, whether a cause or consequence, is the visible scarcity of affordable material sources. Multiple respondents across various age groups noted the dwindling number of fabric stores and the high cost of available fabrics. Coupled with the additional time required for mending or making garments, fast fashion becomes a more practical choice.
How Do We Shift Back?
It seems past generations had it figured out, start with quality and care for it as long as possible. However, as we’ve shifted away from this mindset, how do we return to it?It may not be as hard as we think. Even TikTok is beginning to come around. The so-called underconsumption core trend encourages followers to extend the life of their belongings as much as possible and avoid new unnecessary purchases. This contradicts the former prevalent narrative of overconsumption pushed by popular culture.
Inherent in this movement is a value for belongings, including garments, and a consequent importance placed on activities which preserve and maintain those items. Next step? Ensure that this is not just another TikTok trend that goes the way of “de-influencing” and “no spend years”. Indeed, we must not just think of this as a shift back but an innovative fusion of forgotten skills and new applications, evolving something from our past into our modern context. We need to provide resources to support this revival, such as affordable fabrics and sewing knowledge. If we succeed, we will encourage the next generation to take up a needle and thread some change!
Edited by: Luiza Giocondo Teixeira, Communications & Engagement Director @Threading Change
References
Betkowski, B. (2022, October 4). Why mending it, not ending it, should become the latest fashion trend for consumers. University of Alberta. https://www.ualberta.ca/folio/2022/10/why-mending-it-not-ending-it-should-become-the-latest-fashion-trend.html
Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (n.d.). Fashion and the circular economy. Ellen MacArthur Foundation. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/fashion-and-the-circular-economy-deep-dive
Fashion Takes Action. (2024). 7R: Repair. Fashion Takes Action. https://fashiontakesaction.com/7rs-of-fashion/7r-repair/
Kato, B. (2024, July 24). Inflation inspires “underconsumption-core” on social media: “bragging that you’re not influenced.” New York Post. https://nypost.com/2024/07/24/lifestyle/inflation-inspires-underconsumption-core-online-bragging-that-youre-not-influenced/
About the author:
Rebekah Stokes
Rebekah is a Global Development student, passionate about creating real-world solutions to complex issues. She advocates for pivoting current systems towards a more just and sustainable future. She’s applied her knowledge and skills in various projects, such as in urban planning on Granville Island, circular economy, and local outreach initiatives. Her passion for fashion was born out of a love for its storytelling capability and through her work in the sustainable fashion sphere, she seeks to advocate for more stories of justice and equity in the clothes we wear.
