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Reclaim the ripped and broken items from the back of your wardrobe, save money and save the planet. These DIY repair techniques and essential tools will help you start mending today.
In the world of throwaway fast fashion, the valuable skill of mending our clothing has been overshadowed by how convenient it is to replace them. What was the norm for our parents and grandparents’ generations has quickly become an inconvenience, and so many of us are opting to throw away perfectly good clothes instead of spending a little bit of time mending them.
You know us, we’re not the kind of people who ever want to see good clothes going to landfill, especially when we know how easy it is to fix them up and make them as good as new (or even better!) Our in-house repair team are professional fixer-uppers, they’re at it day in and day out, making sure anything we receive via our takeback scheme is looking as good as new when we put it online.
But we wanted to make sure you were well-equipped with the basics of mending clothes, so you can do your own repairs too. From fixing holes to sewing up your hems, we’ve put together our ultimate guide to mending your wardrobe, keeping clothes in circulation, and making the fashion industry a little bit more sustainable.
Are you ready to repair what you wear?
Benefits of Repairing Your Clothes
So why should you bother repairing your clothes? We get it, it can feel like too much effort with the throwaway culture we’re living in. But trust us, by looking after what you wear, and repairing things that get damaged or worn, you’ll start to see a lot of benefits. Here are a few of the highlights of learning some basic sewing skills.
You’ll Save Money
Repairing clothes is good for the planet and your bank balance (that’s what we call a win-win). Learning basic repairs can save you hundreds of quid, saving clothes you would have previously had to replace. Parents especially will know how frequently rips and tears happen, but they’re a problem for all of us.
Reduce Your Environmental Impact
If you’re already buying from slow fashion brands or shopping pre-loved then learning to repair the things you own is another string to your eco-bow. You’ll be reducing textile waste and your carbon footprint with every stitch.
Repair to Keep Sentimental Things For Longer
The things we love the most can often be the ones most prone to damage over the years, so by learning how to repair them, we can keep them in our lives for decades, even generations. With every repair comes a story, time and effort, making the things we hold dear even more special.
Learn New Skills
Learning how to repair clothes is a skill in itself, and learning a new skill can feel really rewarding. Surprisingly it can be a great way to add some creativity into your life. Check out our blog post on visible mending if you don’t believe us!
Unique Personalisation
Fashion trends come and go, but celebrating your unique style? Absolutely timeless. By customising your clothes, you get to own things that are truly unique to you, and let your personality shine through.
Types of Clothing Repairs
It’s time to get to know some of the most popular repairs so that you can test them out on your wardrobe.
Patching Holes: Fixing holes in your clothes with patches or using invisible mending techniques. This can be the most creative repair and one you can have a lot of fun with if you fancy.
Seam Repairs: Re-stitching seams that have come undone. This is probably one of the easiest repairs you can do and can breathe new life into things you thought were gone forever.
Rehemming: Reattaching a hem that’s come loose. It can be so frustrating when you find yourself with your favourite pair of trousers dragging along the floor all of a sudden. A secret tip: you can actually get tape that you iron on and it reattaches your hem in a matter of seconds.
Button Replacement: Replace lost buttons to restore the functionality of shirts and jackets. A classic issue that happens to everyone at some point or another. We’ve started collecting fun buttons, so we can add them to our favourite clothes and give them a bit of personality. Now losing a button feels like a treat.
Zip Fix: Repair or replace zips that have broken or jammed. This can be tricky, but is a common problem, especially for jeans and trousers. But hey, there’s nothing a YouTube tutorial can’t talk us through, right?
Darn Knitwear: Mend knitted garments by darning holes and snags. We love to darn because it’s such a meditative process. Perfect for when you have an evening in front of the TV, you can sit with a jumper and restore it back to life.
Tools and Materials Needed for Repairing Clothes
There are so many different tools and gadgets out there for mending clothes, that it can feel a little bit overwhelming at times. This is what we think you should have in a basic toolkit, if you want to start repairing your own clothes.
Your basic clothing repair toolkit should include:
- Needles and Thread Start with black and white, and pick good quality threads. There’s nothing worse than your thread snapping when you try to sew, which will happen with the cheap stuff.
- Scissors At a pinch, your kitchen scissors will probably do the trick, but if you’re cutting fabric, you might want to invest in some specialist scissors.
- Pins These will keep rips together, or straps in place while you reattach them.
- Patches We love to save scraps of old fabric so we can use them as patches, but you can pick up some fun designs from places like Etsy to jazz up your repair jobs.
- Buttons and Zips Keep buttons that fall off your clothes, spare buttons, or fun ones you collect, and you’ll always have something to use when you lose one. Check local charity shops, who often have jars of vintage buttons on sale in the home section.
- Sewing Machine (optional, but good for fast and big repairs).
- Fabric Glue When you’re time-poor, fabric glue can be a life saver.
- Thimble Your thumb will thank you.
- Iron and Ironing Board Hopefully one you already have lying around, but this will make it easy to iron on patches or make your fabric behave the way you want it to.
Steps for Repairing Common Types of Damage
Patch a Hole
- Trim any frayed edges
- Apply a patch and either iron it on if it has a glue backing, or pin it in place.
- Sew securely around all the edges of the patch - even for the ones with a glue backing, this will keep your patch firmly on.
Repair a Seam
- Put the fabric back together and pin it in place along the open seam.
- Sew carefully along the original seam inside the garment, in a similar colour, using small stitches to make sure there aren’t any gaps.
- Iron your seam and it’ll be just like new.
Replace a Button
- Choose a button that’s roughly the same size as the one that’s missing - try it out with the buttonhole if you’re not sure if it’ll fit.
- Sew in a criss-cross pattern through the holes in the button, and repeat a few times until it feels strong.
- Knot your thread to make sure your button is secure.
Fix a Zip
(This one can be a little bit tricky, so might be worth consulting an expert if you’re worried, but can definitely be done at home if you have the patience).
- Remove the old broken zip.
- Insert the new zip, and pin in place.
- Secure it with even stitches. Use a sewing machine with a zipper foot if you feel confident.
Darn Knitwear
(We’d definitely recommend watching a few YouTube tutorials on this one, as it’s easier to see it being done).
- Weave a matching thread through the hole in your knitted fabric.
- Weave it in one direction, and then the other, until you’ve created a patch that fits the hole perfectly.
Reskinned Top Tips for Hacking Your Repairs
Repairing your clothes does not need to be a difficult task, but sometimes it can be tricky, so these tips will help you work your magic on your wardrobe.
- Take your time and work in good lighting. Trying to rush is often a recipe for disaster, and low lighting can make it difficult to see what you’re doing.
- Watch tutorials. The great thing about the internet is that whatever you’re doing, someone has probably already done it, and made YouTube videos to teach you how to do it. Learn from their mistakes, and you’ll be armed with all the information you need.
- Practice on scrap fabric before repairing your clothes. If you’re feeling nervous, take the stress out of the experience by practising, and you’ll feel much better about it when it comes to the real thing.
- Keep a variety of thread colours on hand for quick matching. You often don’t need an exact colour match, but having a few colours in your sewing kit means you’ll be able to make a speedy fix.
- Use quality tools for better results. A bad workman only blames his tools… need we to say more.
Why We Repair Clothes at Reskinned
Did you know we have an in-house repair team? That’s right, our specialist repairers have a wealth of knowledge of how to sew up rips, insert new zips and make clothes that were once worse for wear, completely wearable again.
We’re the only resale platform that repairs the clothes we receive, and even though it can be tricky and time-consuming at times, we believe it’s the right way to do things. If a simple repair can keep something perfectly good out of landfill, and worn for years to come, then it’s worth the effort. That way we make sure valuable fabrics don’t get wasted, and more clothes stay in circulation.
Meet Claire, our in-house repair specialist in this interview, to find out more about why it’s so important, and why she loves what she does. (That’s her in the photo!)
How to Find a Professional Clothing Repair Service
If you’ve not been convinced by now of how easy it is to repair things at home, or you just simply don’t fancy it, the good news is that you have options that don’t involve you doing the repairs yourself.
If you’d rather entrust the job onto a professional, these are our tips for finding a professional repair service in your area.
Start by asking for recommendations from friends or family, or in local groups.
Make sure you read reviews of any local tailors or repair specialists, and you can gauge if they’re likely to do a good job.
Visit the shop, or give them a call, and discuss your needs. Some repair specialists will be able to do things that others won’t and prices may vary, so you might have to shop around for the right fit.
The cost of professional clothing repairs will vary depending on the type of repair and the materials involved. It's best to get a quote from your chosen repair service.
If all that feels like a bit too much hassle, then why not give SOJO or The Seam a try. They offer tailoring, alterations and repairs, and will pick your clothes up from your house and drop them right back off when they’re finished. Perfect for people who have no time to waste. We’re not sponsored by them by the way, we just think they’re pretty cool.
While professional repair services are great, so many repairs can be done at home with just a few simple tools, and easy skills to learn. Learning to mend your clothes is a money saver, reduces your impact on the environment, and means that you can keep and wear sentimental clothes for as long as possible. We won’t judge you if you don’t D.I.Y. it, but why not pick up a needle and thread, and see if you surprise yourself.
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