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Clothes shopping has become a chore. These days, clothes are made from cheap material that will inevitably wear out or tear within a few months of you buying the clothes – or sooner if it’s something you wear on a regular basis. You can spend an entire weekend browsing store after store looking for the perfect, yet budget-friendly, pair of jeans, only to repeat the exercise all over again in a few months. It doesn’t have to be this way. Fifty years ago, women just repaired any holes in their clothes and had the same wardrobe for years. True, their clothes were made from better materials, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative with a needle and prolong the life of your favorite clothes before you throw them away.
Teach yourself some basics
Unfortunately, most of the skills that our grandmother knew when she was our age aren’t as mainstream as they used to be, so you’ll probably have to start by teaching yourself the basics. Fortunately, the internet is full of How To guides to learn how to sew, and you can read the best sewing machine reviews here so you know which machine will best suit your budget and your purposes. The cost might seem a little steep up front, but just think about how much you’ll save in clothes shopping. Reach out to your grandmother, or another family member who knows how to sew, and ask them to show you how to repair the holes in your favorite outfits to get you started.
Crotch holes in jeans
One of the biggest problems with jeans is that eventually the crotch starts to get worn out, and it starts to come apart. Unlike a smooth tear, frayed crotches aren’t as easy to repair, but it’s still possible. If you have a sewing machine, then clear the stray fabrics from the jeans and seal them closed with a zigzag stitch to prevent further fraying. Next, you close the hole by pushing the two edges together and sewing it shut. It is possible to do this by hand with a needle and thread, but a sewing machine provides more even stitching, so the final product looks a little more professional. There are other easy ways to fix a crotch hole in your jeans so look around to see which ones you might be able to do by yourself.
Get creative
Now is the time to release your inner fashion designer. If you have items of clothing that you still love, but are a bit worn out, simply repair the holes with your sewing machine and wear them again with pride. If the clothes you found at the back of your wardrobe don’t quite match your tastes anymore, give them a fresh look before you consider donating them to Goodwill; you can give them a makeover by simply removing sleeves, or they can have new life as pyjamas, skirts, or handbags. No one else will have your fabulous new wardrobe.
Cover up
Older clothes inevitably get stained from age, or because the coffee you spilled on it years ago still won’t come out. Despite your best efforts, there are some stains that just won’t come out. Sometimes the repeated attempts to remove that dried coffee stain damages the fabric too much in the process. But before you throw away the item in question, have you thought about covering it up? Patch T-shirts give a ratty shirt a delightful vintage look, or they can add a new pattern to an otherwise plain cardigan. Rummage through your wardrobe again for items with a stylish pattern, then cut it up to use it as a patch to hide the stain. If you don’t have anything you can use, then find some iron-on patches and use those instead.
Adjust size
If your dresses are a little shorter than you would like, or your shirts pinch a little too much around the waist, you can lengthen them using lace. You can also use fabric inserts instead of lace to add some length to shirts and sweaters. On the other hand, if some clothes are now too large, then you can give them a different kind of makeover. If a belt isn’t enough to keep and old pair of jeans from sliding off, turn them into a cool pair of shorts. Oversized dresses can be hemmed slightly, or turned into a comfortable, baggy shirt. An oversized shirt can be given new life as a pair of yoga pants.
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