How to make do and mend
Here we take a look with Steve Cain at how to tackle current cost of living crisis using an old wartime trick or two.
The Cost of Living Crisis is forcing many people to resort to wartime thriftiness to stretch their household budgets further.
As more of us adopt the ‘make do and mend’ mantra, there’s timely advice on how to maximise the lifespan of garments in your wardrobe.
A survey undertaken in 2018 revealed that prior to life under lockdown and the subsequent cost of living crisis, £12.5 billion-worth of wearable clothes were being thrown out every year.
On average, each of us was throwing away eight items a year worth £24 each – that’s £192 over a twelve month per i od.
An astonishing 350,000 tonnes of wearable (not worn out or damaged) clothes were going to landfill every year!
Now, though, as money is tighter and more of us are struggling to make ends meet, 20 per cent of us buy more second-hand clothes than we did two years ago – with an average of 16 per cent of our wardrobes comprising pre-owned clothing.
Furthermore, many of us are now repairing the clothes that we would once have binned – whether that be sewing a loose button back on, turning hems up or darning a small hole.
And, those of us whose needlework skills are not quite up to scratch are turning to pro f ess i onal repair and alteration services for help.
Company director of Zig Zags Alterations Service in Washington, Tyne and Wear, Sharon Barrett, has seen demand increase by a massive 50 per cent, resulting in her needing to employ four extra staff and increase the hours of existing staff to keep up with demand.
“We have always had customers who admit they can’t sew,” said Sharon.
“They have no idea where to start, even with simple things like sewing a button on a shirt. People just aren’t taught to sew anymore.”
In addition to clothing, Sharon and her team repair a diverse range of items including shoes, boots, belts, bags, tents, awnings, gazebos and garden furniture.
“We can repair anything that can be physically sewn on our machines or by hand,” said Sharon, “ranging from replacing a button on a shirt to repairing zips on riding boots.”
So, given that many High Street stores are selling ‘fastfashion’ so cheaply, why are people repairing rather than replacing?
“Cheaply made clothing is not always a good fit,” explained Sharon.
“We can take that item and tailor it for them perfectly, giving them a bespoke fit.
“Sometimes lower cost coats are actually very good quality but their zips aren’t that good, so this is also a common repair for us.”
According to Sharon, in addition to having new clothes repaired, many of
her customers are also having their favourite clothing items given a new lease of life, too.
However, there are limits to what her team can achieve.
“People’s expectations of us are quite high,” she said.
“They presume it’s possible to repair anything but some items don’t repair very well. We make sure this is explained.”
Such is the success of Sharon’s service that the range of items her team are being asked to repair or alter now encompasses a whole variety of sporting goods, including boat sails, saddles, fishing equipment, hunting clothing, gun bags, ski clothing, golf bags and motorcycle leathers.
Her team have also even repaired a golf buggy hood and a skydiving suit!
From humble beginnings as a local business, Zig Zags now has customers from all over the UK, Jersey, the Isle of Man and even as far afield as Belgium.
“Many items are sent by post and, just through instruction and by being sent pictures, we repair and alter with great success – even offering a free return post for most customers.”
Sharon is absolutely convinced that the ‘make do and mend’ mantra is here to stay.
“The services we provide help alter people’s perceptions about how important it is to mend items rather than just throwing them away and buying new.
“Most people are grasping the idea that we must stop and think before disregarding items just because of a minor fault. It’s definitely the way of the future.”