A Year Without Clothes: Old Tricks
…darning a sock using a rubber ball as a helpmeet…
I’m about three months into A Year Without Clothes (we all started at different times), and I’m embracing the concept of mending.
When I lived near Target there was no real need to mend a hole in a sock, or fix the unraveling edge of a tank top. When things cost so little, is just seemed more expedient to buy new.
Now that I live in Denmark, where the cost of living is about 35% higher than it was in Seattle, I’m learning to economize. So I’ve recently taken up the old-fashioned art of mending. So far I’ve (finally) hemmed the Joe Boxer cords I found last Summer at the thrift shop, replaced the buttons on my favorite hoodie, and darned my striped socks.
Not spending money on clothes has freed up some cash, and at the loppenmarked (flea market) last weekend I bought something I’ve wanted for a long time — a vintage sewing box like grandma had. Now I have all my mending tools next to the couch, at the ready.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: What would you need to gather to save something you love from the garbage heap? (needles and thread? sand paper and paint? hammer and nail?) Tell us your plans the comments below. Or join in in A Year Without Clothes. Tak!
12 comments
totally inspiring. i haven’t mended anything yet, but am starting to feel a bit raggedy so that clearly may be in the horizon!
So far in my year without clothes, I haven’t had to mend anything, but I am a little nervous about that. I was never very good with mending. I will sew a button or a small hole if I have to, but anything bigger seems overwhelming to me. I might have to take some lessons from my mother-in-law.
By the way, I LOVE those socks. They are definitely worth mending!
I did something similar most of the year before last, didn’t buy anything new. It felt SO GOOD. I did allow myself to buy used clothes, but nothing new. And the longer I went the more I didn’t want to buy anything new. It seemed such a waste on so many levels. It all came to an end when I got healthy and lost a bunch of clothing sizes – then I went on a bit of a shopping splurge but still, it was almost all about finding new-to-me vintage or thrifted with a few new basics. Now that I’m leveled out in my new shape, I’ve decided to go back to the “no new” for the most part. It just feels better.
Very impressive! And the year without clothes idea is such a great concept.
I really enjoyed your blog and recent postings, and I find it fascinating about the year without clothes. I will be rooting for you and following to see how you do. well done!
rachelle,
i feel like I’ve been mending and reusing all my life and in fact, am trying to let myself let go of clothes (it’s a weight thing — saving the skinny clothes?) and purchase things that I finally feel really good about…even when new. I love the concept, and have been a second hand goodwill shopper forever–many years where i never bought new based on income issues. But that worked better when kids were small and perusing thrift stores was my guilty getaway. However, this week I did take in a ripped piece of luggage to get it repaired (right on stoneway!) and found a guy at ace hardware to put a new handle on my 20 year old (favorite) garden spade, and my drycleaner offered to put new pockets in my thriftstore coat for half price– so maybe that counts!
Weird co-incidence … I’m wearing those exact same socks right now, and I was just thinking about how they need darning !!!
Obviously we were meant to be together! Stripey sock lovers, unite!
Nice shot with the crossed legs, socks and boots!
I’ve recently mended a collar of a hand-me-over shirt that Alberto can wear for school. Next I need to mend a loop on a curtain. Remember the blue curtains you gave us? The ones with the little shiny mirror circles (I guess you were magpie-y back then too!). Well, those curtains lost a tug-of-war with a visitor we had about 1 1/2 years ago. I have the loop ready to sew back on…just procrastinating because it seems I would either need to stand on a ladder during repair or take the curtain and rod down, etc… Amazing how long it takes me to get around to things like this!!
By the way, I’ve often thought about what our shopping experience would be like if we walked into a store like Target or Nordstroms and saw a scene play out of what life is like for the people who actually make our clothes, those clothes that have a certain dollar amount appearing on the price tag. Would we be seeing a sweat shop in the middle of Target? What is the actual “cost” of our cheap clothes. I know people have done a lot of research on this kind of thing, so I could educate myself further…but I have a hunch that our “cheap” culture comes at a pretty high price. These kinds of thoughts make it more motivating to darn a sock and so forth.
Those socks are cute as heck, but I must say, love, those are some bad ass boots you’re rawkin’. xoxoxo! I hope you’re as well as you sound. We’ll have to chat soon.
I love your mermaid skirt! And I think of my mom, who mended things pretty regularly when we were kids. She always had a bag of things she worked on when we took long car drives.
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