visible mending

Visible mending in it´s best way

by Neele Wette

Imagine your favorite pair of jeans gets torn – would you just throw them out?

For many people, the answer is yes. For a long time, it was not common to wear visibly repaired clothes. People tried to fix their clothes in a way that the damage couldn’t be seen. But that often required good sewing or stitching skills, and not everyone has that knowledge. Clothing was supposed to look new and untouched as if it had never been worn. Signs of wear were seen as flaws, not features.

Today, there’s a new way to fix clothes that’s becoming more and more popular – it’s called visible mending. Instead of hiding the repair, this technique shows it off. It gives damaged clothing a second chance. Visible mending adds character to every piece. A simple hole becomes a colourful patch or a creative stitch. It turns something broken into something beautiful. Each mend becomes a story, a small act of care stitched directly into the fabric.

In many clothing stores, you can see that the so called "used look" is becoming more and more popular. Brands try to recreate this style and apply it to new clothes. But wouldn’t it be much cooler to create this look yourself? That way, you end up with a piece that no one else has, something truly unique and personal.

It’s also a great way to upgrade secondhand clothes. You can make it your own and turn it into a special piece. And you don’t need to buy expensive materials. Most of the time, you can just use what you already have at home. Some thread, fabric scraps and a needle, that’s all. Old curtains, leftover denim, even a piece from another worn-out shirt can become the perfect patch. Sometimes, the best ideas come from limitations.

Of course you can also use more complex techniques, but that´s all up to you! There’s no right or wrong way to do it. You don’t have to be perfect. It’s not just about fixing something, it’s about making something better.

Visible mending isn’t just useful, it can also be a lot of fun. You can try it alone or together with friends. In many cities, there are now workshops where people learn different techniques and spend time together. It’s a nice way to be creative, learn something new, and care more about the clothes you wear. Sharing tips, laughing over crooked stitches, swapping fabric scraps … Visible mending can also be about connection and connectiong to people who have the same interests.

It also has a lot to do with appreciation for what we have. Especially when it comes to high-quality pieces, it often feels like such a waste when something gets damaged. There are people who put a lot of work and effort into making that item, and just throwing it away means that we don’t really value their effort.
But if we try to repair it and continue to wear it with joy, then we start to understand what it really means to create a piece of clothing.

So next time your clothes get a hole or tear, don’t throw them away. There is a way to create something unique out of “trash”.

Sometimes, the imperfect things become the most loved ones!