For years now we’ve been watching the visible mending movement make inroads in the world of fashion: Inventive patching has become a celebrated part of everyday wardrobe care. It’s an antidote to throw-away consumerism of all sorts, but has been perplexingly slow to extend beyond the closet.
In decades past, people mended and darned all of their textiles, holey pillowcases, ragged towels, moth-eaten blankets, and puppy-chewed chair arms included. Now, worn goods get escorted out with the trash. But shoring up frazzled objects is often simple, as you’ll see in the ten examples below, and not only keeps them in use but adds charm: Who doesn’t love handmade detailing and Velveteen Rabbit-esque signs of care? In other words, tears should be seen as opportunities.
The good news is we’ve begun to notice personalized upgrades in favorite rooms we’ve featured of late. This is just the start, but we anticipate a patches-on-everything trend ahead—and we’re looking forward to it.
N.B.: A great resource on textiles, including the latest books and workshops on mending, is Tatter and its Brooklyn textile library, Blue.
