COURTESY/Creative Commons — Torsten Schulz(depentax)
I’ve been thinking about my clothes lately.
It’s not something I do often, but I recently moved into a new apartment and while packing up my massive wardrobe — how it got this way I don’t know — I realized I have too many clothes, and I want more.
COURTESY/Creative Commons — Stacie Stacie Stacie
The solution? Well, being the sustainability editor here at Calgary Is Awesome, I fondly recalled my first story for the site: “Don’t toss it, fix it at Repair Cafe.” Now, my clothes aren’t torn or worn out or anything, but they’re not exactly what I want anymore. I had a baggy phase, in which I purchased everything at least a size bigger. I had a comfy phase, and now I own way too many stretchy shirts. I had — or am still in — a business phase, where I tried to dress a little more grown up and work appropriate. And now I feel all over the place. It’s time to fix my clothes!
What does this have to do with Repair Cafe and spring preparation, you might ask?
The folks there are all about fixing what’s broken: instead of buying something new, reuse what you have and make it work. So that’s exactly what I plan to do with my wardrobe. It’s broken. It doesn’t work for me anymore, so I’m going to make it work.
COURTESY/Creative Commons — Wolfgang Lonien
I know how to sew. It might not seem like a relevant skill nowadays, but it’s really handy to be able to fix your pant hem or patch up a torn jean pocket at any time. If you’re not like me, and have no idea what to do behind a machine, don’t panic! There are many tailors and alteration shops around Calgary to have your clothes fixed up. Yelp.ca has a great list.
The fashion world lives by spring/summer wardrobes and fall/winter wardrobes. You’re supposed to keep them separate, pack one away and bring out the new when the season changes. I’ve never done that. It’s always appeared to be an expensive lifestyle to me, buying for summer and winter rather than amalgamating them into one. The whole “it’s so last season” means nothing to me.
But now it’s time to transform my winter wardrobe (pieces of it, anyways) into workable spring attire. There are many benefits to this: you don’t have to spend money buying new clothes, you don’t have to feel guilty tossing old stuff, it’s a way to experiment with your clothes and explore your creative side — maybe there’s a secret fashion designer hiding within you?!
So, before you decided to go out spring shopping, check your closet and see if you can’t work with what you’ve got.
Happy sewing!