The environment and the impact that people have on it is one of the most important topics in today’s world. So it’s no surprise for a lot of people that the fashion industry is known as one of the most polluting industries. Having this in mind, a lot of brands, companies, and organizations have started initiatives and programs to make a positive change towards a better tomorrow.

It is said that big changes start from a single try. What, then, can people do to minimize the amount of trash that fills landfills? One of the smart and sustainable ways is fixing your clothes. And if you need some inspiration or a gentle nudge to try it, users of Reddit share the outcomes of them giving their clothing a second chance.

More Info: Reddit

#1 I Don’t Know What I Am Doing At All But I Fixed My Sweater, Someone Be Proud Of Me

Image credits: So_That

The group has 63.5k users who share how they mend their clothes using various techniques. Some of these people tried it for the very first time, encouraging others who might think that they don’t know how to do it or don’t have the means for it to re-think this option.

During the quarantine, a lot of people started looking for new interesting activities and hobbies, and repairing your clothes (and other stuff too) was one of those discovered hobbies. At first, it might seem that it takes a lot of time, as you have to know and master a lot of different techniques such as sewing, crocheting, embroidery, etc., but people who started doing this have shared a few tips and tricks that prove how fun it is to do something by yourself.

#2 I Accidentally Got Bleach Stains On A Brand New Hoodie. This Is My First Time Attempting Embroidery, Too!

Image credits: BeeftheDwarf

#3 Almost Exactly One Year Ago Today I Tried To Take My Own Life. The Emts Had To Cut Off My Pants But I Decided To Keep Them And Repaired Them With Bias Tape. I Call Them My Kintsugi Jeans

Image credits: Grandpa_Cat92

#4 My First Few Attempts At Semi-Invisible Swiss Darning!

Image credits: StudioSixT

In one of her interviews, Orsola de Castro, who is the co-founder of Fashion Revolution and the author of the book Loved Clothes Last: How the Joy of Rewearing and Repairing Your Clothes Can Be a Revolutionary Act, shared why it’s important to fix your clothes instead of throwing them away and also gives insights on how and where to start. We've gotten used to being able to buy a lot of clothes for a small price, wear them for a little while and then throw them away. Why should we put effort into repairing something when we can get the same thing new?

To make and produce clothing takes a lot of environmental resources. And the product that we get soon goes in the trash, which pollutes the environment even more. What de Castro suggests is that we should at least try to extend the “life” of these clothes. It’s totally okay if you’re not into arts and crafts. Finding the technique that is close to your heart and mastering it can take time, but surely pays off later.

#5 My Child Requested "Flames In Space" For His Knee Mend..

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#6 My Jeans Always Rip On The Left Knee. These Are My Favourite, So Thought They Deserved A Nice Mending

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#7 When Life Gives You A Hole On The Left Elbow, Make A Panda

Image credits: TheQuilterQueen

Bored Panda also contacted de Castro to get a few insights on the matter. She agreed that more people now try to fix their clothes and added that in some places of the world, such as India and Africa, doing so is a normal practice that allows wearing the item as long as possible. The sustainable fashion activist noted that “we’ve been somehow bombarded with cheap clothing and with the narrative that says cheap clothing shouldn’t be repaired, that we may as well throw them away, which is a very very dangerous narrative considering how much cheap clothing are in stores.” She also added that what we really need is “cheap repairs in cheap fashion stores.”

#8 Does This Count? Spilt Pink Nail Polish On My Yellow Jumper, So I Covered It Up With Embroidery

Image credits: OrigamiPineapple

#9 Every Time This Dress Gets A Stain, I Fill It In With Fabric Markers

Image credits: SybarIsPersonal

#10 I Patched A Sock Into A Rip! (Saw It On Here And Tried It For A Cousin’s Knee Patch)

Image credits: two-tons-of-awesome

These days, sustainability is one of the most accentuated aspects in the fashion industry. However, such important topics can soon become a trend that later goes away. We asked the activist what motivates people to fix their clothes: understanding the consequences of our own actions or this thing being another trend? She agreed that people could be encouraged for both reasons, but the most important thing to take into account is that “it’s integrated back into our culture.”

#11 Stupid Things I Like To Sew On My BF’s Clothes When He Asks Me To Med Them

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#12 First Time Mending, Hope It Holds Up!

Image credits: Dieneh

#13 Fixed My Husband’s Jacket. Used Colors Of The Kenyan Flag.

Image credits: ApeCityGirl

Changing one’s habits for the better is crucial as well as hard. Having this in mind, de Castro shared her advice on where to start to feel less overwhelmed: “Follow your instincts first and then look inside your wardrobe and make a start from there. Everything we wear should have a purpose and everything we buy should be bought because we really engage with it, not just because it’s there.”

We could say that clothes are only there for our comfort, but for some, it is a great way to express oneself. This is why the activist suggests digging deeper and trying to understand what is important for you as an individual: “It could be social issues and topics, it could be more environmental issues and topics, but without the knowledge to know what questions to ask, it’s going to get difficult to get the right answers.”

#14 A Little Before/After Of My First Time Using A Weaving Technique To Mend A Hole! I Need Practice But I Do Like The Way It Turned Out

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#15 A While Back I Covered Bitter Stains With Embroidered Bumble Bees. It Saved My Dress And Made Me Love It More

Image credits: dirtloving_treehuggr

#16 Busted My Zippers Out, Decided A Little Mending Was In Order!

Image credits: maelstrorn

To fix things means that you have to have some additional supplies to do it with. People who have already taken a shot at mending clothes share that the best thing is to start with small “projects” and use what you have at home. Once you have more experience, you’ll be able to hop on bigger and more intricate pieces.

#17 Saved A Shirt That Had Gotten Bleach Stained. Added Bleach 'Bubbles' And A Tie Dye Ombre. I Love It

Image credits: Justinterestingenouf

#18 Did You Know, That Y-/T-Oucan Fix Small Tears In Your Jeans?

Image credits: PETrubberduck

#19 My Sons Out In The Forest In Their Mended Clothes

Image credits: MyVisibleMend

#20 Upcycled Mended Patagonia Jacket! What Do You Think?

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#21 Finally Finished The Knees Of My Jeans Yesterday! I'm So Pleased With Them

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#22 When You Want To Try Darning But Don't Have A Fancy Speedweve

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#23 Fixed The Fraying Cuffs Of My Very Worn Jacket

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#24 Visible Mending: Humor Edition

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#25 Covered A Pen Stain On Maternity Pants Gifted To Me By A Neighbor! First Time Visible Mending And I Think I’m Addicted

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#26 Getting The Hang Of Darning. Luckily My Work Pants Are Riddled With New Opportunities For Practice

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#27 Posted The Wip The Other Day. Here's The Finished Thing!

Image credits: FulmarusGlacialis

#28 Really Pleased With How This Repair Turned Out! I Feel Like It Adds Some Character To A Plain T-Shirt

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#29 Patched And Mended My 4 Year Olds Batman Sweatpants With A Night Sky With Bats

Image credits: MyVisibleMend

#30 You Guys Inspired Me To Tackle This Stain!

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#31 Covered A Stain With Flowers

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#32 An Incredibly Moth Eaten Jumper I Needle Felted The Face Of The Forest Spirit From Princess Mononoke Over. Also, If You Look Closely, You Can See I Did Lots Of Smaller, Less Ambitious Repairs Using Felt And Thread To The Rest

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#33 I Had Lots Of Old Jeans That Either Didn't Fit Or Were Worn Out, So I Made Them Into A New Pair!

Image credits: Bydanielpearce

#34 My S/O Needed A Knee Hole Patched In Some Jeans So I Threw In A Cheeky Little Love Note As A Surprise — Thought You Guys Might Like The Idea

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#35 Finished Darning The Knee Of My Jeans. First Time Darning, So I’m Pretty Happy With It

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#36 My Favorite Jeans Were Wearing Thin In The Thighs So I Added A Denim Patch Inside And Used Sashiko To Make It Pretty

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#37 Hello! It's My Jacket That Had Big Black Stains On Left Elbow. I Didn't Want To Throw It Away So I Embroidered Some Sunflowers

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#38 Used Some Vintage Fabric To Fix A Hole In My Jeans. I Couldn’t Stitch Over The Buddhas!

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#39 My Bra Needed Some Mending!

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#40 Made My Own Patch For The Spot Where My Backpack Rubbed Through My Jacket

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#41 Rescued Husband's Sweater From A Hole By Embroidering A Leaf Of Lorien Over It

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#42 My Pet Rat Chewed A Hole In My New Tank Top So I Got Creative To Try To Salvage It. First Attempt At Visible Mending

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#43 Rainbow Darning On Thrifted Jeans

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#44 My Best Attempt At Sashiko So Far

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#45 First Visible Mending! Fixed My BF's Hoodie

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#46 When You Don’t Know How To Sew, All Of Your Mends Are Visible :)

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#47 My Much Loved Pj’s Saved!! The Gayest In The Land!

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#48 Snagged My Scarf So I'm In The Process Of Fixing It With A Roe Deer. Scarf Was £2 (I Think) Second Hand And I've Already Spent A Few Hours On The Deer But Idc Cause I Love It Even More Now