How to Repair Your Clothes to Make Them Last Longer

One of the secrets to having clothes with longevity is understanding how to repair them when they begin to fall apart from general wear and tear. The obvious knee jerk reaction when a button falls off or when your jeans rip at the crotch is to write them off and look for a suitable replacement. 

 

While the allure of new clothes will always be tempting, there is something fulfilling when you can rescue your clothes from the brink of destruction.

 

To help repair your clothes, you want first to seek out the most local or reputable tailor or dry cleaners in your area. Once they are on your radar, start building a relationship and ask what repairs they can offer. If you are not sure of what can be repaired, you have come to the right place.

 

Here are just some of the ways you can repair your clothes to make them last longer.

BROKEN ZIP

Nothing prepares you quite like when a zip breaks. It feels like the end of the world, especially when that zip is how you close your jacket. I usually keep the zip, if I notice where it has fallen and immediately take it to be replaced. 

LOST BUTTONS

The great thing about buying clothes with buttons is that they always come with replacements. This ensures that the button that is replaced matches is consistent with the rest. I make it a habit of saving all the plastic pouches with buttons just in a box for safekeeping.

DENIM PATCHES

For the longest time, I never knew denim patches was something a tailor could do. I use to make it a habit of ripping my jeans at the crotch and would spend a fortune replacing them until I found out that I could give it to my tailor and they would patch it up with the best matching denim patch possible.

SUIT ALTERATIONS

If you are fortunate enough to own a bespoke suit, you know that that suit is made for every measurement of your body. However, buying a suit off the shelf means that it is made for sample size. More often then not needs to be altered to fit your silhouette perfectly, that’s where your tailor comes in. 

ALTERING THE LENGTH OF YOUR TROUSER / JEANS

Not all trousers are made for your leg length, which is the reason why you should take them to get shortened if you have a build-up of excess fabric at the base of your ankles. Unless you are making a fashion statement, no one wants to see unintentional bootcut trousers.

What are some of the things you do to repair your clothes?