Clothing Should Last Longer / What Grandma Still Knew

22707 Posts Recent Started

Sunday, October 16, 2022 at 5:01 PM

Dear users, dear authors,
You know how it goes: money is a bit tight for many people at the moment, and sustainability is extremely important. That also means that the existing clothing needs to last longer and stay nice longer.

I’d like to discuss this topic in detail and not just bring it up here in the forum. How could we approach this? Do you have any ideas? Is there anything you’d like to share on this topic?

Schnuckelina

5928 Posts Recent Started

Sunday, October 16, 2022 at 5:43 PM

Hi Josefa,
you’re right—these topics are very relevant right now. Anyone who used to quickly throw something away because of some defect now thinks twice about it.

I recently saw an interesting TV segment on the topic and would like to share a bit about it:

A few years ago, two young women founded a startup (ForSchur) in Berlin. They’ve taken on old woolen items and are tailoring new clothes from them on-site. For hygiene reasons, Caritas and other collection points for used textiles aren’t allowed to accept or handle woolen items. So the woolen items are sorted out and purchased by this company.

There, the items are cleaned, sometimes intentionally felted, dried, and inspected. Anything that’s still in good condition is cut out and sorted by color and quality. Using sewing patterns designed specifically by the founders, the wool pieces are then sewn into new clothing. Real wool is simply a wonderful and valuable raw material that deserves to be reused.

So if you know how to sew, why not try creating something new from old, worn-out woolen garments yourself?

Best regards, Ina

CreatOwl

4464 Posts Recent Started

Sunday, October 16, 2022 at 6:07 PM

Proper care is key to getting more use out of your clothes.

My mother used to darn socks and mend clothes—as best she could.
Some items can be spruced up, lengthened, or adjusted to fit your new body shape—
either by using a sewing machine yourself or by taking them to a tailor.
Even that is ultimately cheaper than buying a new garment.

Knitted and crocheted items can also be altered.

I usually check to see if I can find something at the charity clothing shops run by the DRK.
Some of the sweaters and pants from there are definitely over 10 years old.

veronika-t15

3917 Posts Recent Started

Sunday, October 16, 2022 at 10:14 PM

The big problem these days is that, especially among younger people, it’s recently become trendy to buy new clothes as often as possible and as cheaply as possible. With these items, the quality won’t hold up well to alterations or continued use—just take a look at some of these tags.

Akela

5074 Posts Recent Started

Sunday, October 16, 2022 at 11:14 PM

I have clothes in my closet that are quite a few years old—jackets, trousers, tops, and a coat, for example, that I sewed back in the ’90s and still wear today. I prefer timeless, sporty, slightly elegant fashion, because it’s sustainable and can be worn for a long time. Since I sew everything myself, I make sure everything can be mixed and matched. Of course, every now and then one piece or another has to be replaced because it has become unsightly or worn out. Since my weight has been going up and down for years, I have quite a few things hanging in my closet in sizes 44 to 54 that I can wear again and again, depending on how slim—or not so slim—I am at the time. Experience has taught me that just because I’ve “grown out of” something, I shouldn’t always give everything away or clear it out right away, because a lot of it is still very wearable today. :-) I really don’t think it gets any more sustainable than that.
And whatever I no longer wear gets reworked into other things, like children’s clothes and the like.

Best, Inge

Moderator

22707 Posts Recent Started

Monday, October 17, 2022 at 2:53 PM

I’m glad this topic resonates with you.
I’d love it if we could gather ideas and experiences here in this thread.

Akela

5074 Posts Recent Started

Tuesday, October 18, 2022 at 12:10 PM

What makes wool high-quality—and how well it holds up when cared for properly—is evident in two cardigans my husband still wears today. His mother knitted these two cardigans when my husband was about 13 or 14 years old; today he’s 66, and he loves both of them and wears them all the time. I did have to replace the zipper on one of them and darn a cuff a bit, but he didn’t mind at all—on the contrary, he was happy to be able to wear his cardigan again.

Best regards, Inge

Moderator

22707 Posts Recent Started

Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at 5:07 PM

So wool and felt apparently last a long time, but zippers and cuffs might need to be replaced?

What about cotton fabric? It probably doesn’t last forever, does it?

AngiDesign

566 Posts Recent Started

Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at 5:17 PM

I think cotton fabric made the old-fashioned way lasts a very long time.
I recently pulled some work clothes that are at least 30 years old out of the attic and was actually planning to throw them away.
But they were still in great shape, so I didn’t throw them out—I kept them to use again.

Moderator

22707 Posts Recent Started

Monday, November 7, 2022 at 1:09 PM

Oh wow, that sounds great.

Bastelfan

3499 Posts Recent Started

Monday, November 7, 2022 at 6:08 PM

I also still have three pretty, colorful cotton work smocks lying around that have become too tight for me.
I’d like to sew three nice fabric bags out of them someday.
I’ve already watched some videos on how to do it, and it doesn’t look too hard for me as a beginner sewer.

Everything that’s still in good condition gets put to use somehow.