Mending is a practice with powerful personal and social implications. By forcing us to re-examine the physical wear on our garments as a record of past experiences, mending allows us to reflect on our personal histories. Mending denies perfection and embraces change. A mended garment will never look exactly as it did new, but by building on the past, it strengthens the garment for future use. In this way, mending is an accurate metaphor for the ways that people change and grow over time.

Recognizing the connection between ourselves and our clothes allows us to develop a relationship with our clothing that is more personal, and, I believe, more valuable. Extending the life cycle of the clothing that we already own through visible mending and upcycling has the dual benefit of preventing further environmental damage while inspiring valuable conversations about our existing culture that embraces unsustainable consumption for self-improvement and self-expression.