A rebirth has many faces. This garment may still have hope of staying in your closet; there's the repair phase and the transformation phase (when jeans become shorts). And if breaking up is the only way out, then there are several options. Know that not all breakups are painful. You can remain friends. You may have fallen in love with this piece at first sight. Perhaps the mayonnaise died down immediately. No matter, this garment can be happy without you, worn by someone else, or even recycled. How can you ensure the best second life for your clothes?
FIX IT
This is one of the best options for giving a second life to a piece of clothing you still like, but which is no longer fit for wear for some reason. Because yes, many of our clothes can be repaired or improved.
Here are some good gestures , which seem like a mountain to the uninitiated and which turn out to be very accessible. The hardest part is getting started , but we understand that you have a little time at the moment.
Repair a pimple
Sometimes the smallest thing can trigger a new purchase, and that small thing doesn't have to be a loose button. It's simple, and it can give your beloved pants an extra 10 years of life. Here's a quick overview of the steps involved :
Using a needle , thread a doubled thread and finish with a knot tying the two ends.
Stitch on the reverse side , on the other side where the button is to be attached, pull the thread until the knot comes up against the fabric.
Pass the needle through the first hole in the button and back into a second hole.
Then stitch on the right side, trying to bring the needle out at the knot on the other side.
In the same way, stitch again and again. Make sure to go through all the holes of the button and always maintain the right space between the button and the fabric. After about ten stitches (may vary depending on the material and weight), the button will be firmly attached enough to have a good lifespan.
Pass one last time through a hole and, rather than going back through the fabric again, wrap your thread around the previous passages, squeezing as tightly as possible to form a compact whole. Once you have made 4 or 5 turns around the threads, stitch on the right side and bring the needle out at the initial knot.
Finish with a backstitch on the wrong side. Cut the excess thread close to the knot.
All in video , by Minute facile.
Repair a snag
For a snag it's even simpler. It is repaired by bringing in the pulled thread using a needle .
To begin , in good light, locate exactly where the thread has been pulled . In the weft of the fabric and with the greatest precision, use the tip of the needle to pull the thread of the chevron next to it.
Using your fingertips, tighten to reduce the loop formed by the pulled thread. Repeat this action as you move forward until the pulled thread returns to its original position in the weft.
There is also the “patch” option
To give a second life to a garment torn by wear or accident, you can also use an iron-on fabric patch to prevent your garment from fraying further. Also, prepare a pair of scissors and an iron:
Plug in the iron and set the temperature to cotton.
Cut a patch one size larger than the area of the tear.
Using scissors , round off the corners of the patch.
On the reverse side of the fabric , place the patch with the shiny side against the fabric.
Iron the patch on the reverse side of the garment and let it cool before removing the protective film.
Make an invisible hem
In the age of ready-to-wear , it's obvious that a pair of trousers needs a tailor-made alteration to fit your legs perfectly, if you have an eye for detail. This way, they'll be better suited to your size. The second thing to consider is obviously the trends and codes in terms of length, which have continued to evolve.
You could very well reconnect with one of your styles and give it a new look by opting for an invisible hem. Here are some tips to get you started:
Wash your pants once before hemming them.
Prepare the hem : measure it and press it in place. Use pins to ensure it holds well.
Start in the hem area by making a knot (without crossing the 2 layers of fabric, because the thread should never cross the fabric that will be seen on the right side).
Then stitch in the part just below your hem without going through the fabric with the needle. The goal is to succeed in passing the needle through a very small “stitch” of the fabric without going through the fabric.
At this stage you really have to do it very carefully and above all not go completely through the fabric.
Once the thread is passed through this small “mesh”, all that remains is to stitch into the hem fabric.
Repeat until you have finished the entire hem.
© Easy Couture blog
Trust a retoucher
We each have very specific body shapes , and we have to admit, no ready-to-wear piece is tailored for us. There will always be a small flaw , or certain details that could be improved. So if a piece is particularly important to you, if it has monetary or sentimental value, it may be wise to have it altered so that its appearance lives up to the cult you have for it. Using a professional can then prove judicious and depending on the extent of your request, it will not necessarily cost an arm or a leg. Because we will inevitably focus more particularly on the case of pants .
This is obviously the most commonly altered piece because the cuts are multiple , the materials too and the colors as well. Depending on the sensitivity and priorities of each one our choice will take into account one of these criteria more than the other. The legs are also one of the parts of our body that differ the most. Thighs and/or hips more or less voluminous, legs more or less long, in short alterations are sometimes essential. Many operations are possible to perfect your favorite model, as well on suit pants as on jeans: length, waistband, crotch, enlargement , etc.
Prices generally range from €5 for a standard hem to €30 for a waist extension . It's not worth depriving yourself, but this solution will have to wait until the end of the lockdown.
GIVE IT
The first solution for sorting without stupidly throwing away clothes that are far from having said their last word: give them to someone you know or to someone who knows someone who would need them.
So, it is always less difficult to make the decision to part with an item of clothing when you know that you are giving it a second life on someone else.
Your little brother, your little cousin or even your grandfather. With a bit of luck you can bargain with him and trade your piece for a 100% vintage jacket , which everyone will envy. Yes, know that grandpa's closet is the new trendy thrift store . In short, giving is an excellent solution, and tell yourself that your old jeans will always be happier on someone else's legs than stuck in the depths of your closet.
To help you sort things out, Marie Kondo's famous method is extremely inspiring; it even goes beyond sorting clothes. It has a much broader scope. If you haven't read her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up , published in 2011, or watched the 8 episodes of her series The Art of Tidying Up on Netflix, here are the main points of her theory:
1. Commit to tidying up and do it seriously
2. Imagine your ideal lifestyle
3. Sort by category, not by location
4. follow the correct order mentioned above
5. Ask yourself if it brings you joy
6. Take the time to thank each item before continuing your decluttering.
SELL IT
Several digital second-hand platforms have emerged in recent years.
You can cast your net wide and list all your clothes on the same platform, but each platform has its own specificities. For example, entry-level branded clothing is not of interest on Vestiaire Collective , since the minimum commission per transaction is €15.
Vinted and Leboncoin are among the platforms where sales easily find buyers for entry-level items . For mid-range items, it is indeed more interesting to go to Vide dressing and Vestiaire collective . This does not mean, however, that the opposite theory is unfeasible. To be qualified .
There is also the option of thrift stores, these second-hand clothing stores. Depending on how each one operates, they may pay you directly based on the value they have estimated your basket at. Some will only pay you once each of your items has found a buyer. All generally require that the clothes and accessories presented be in good condition and obviously appreciate valuable brands. You can sometimes hope to sell the clothes for 50% of their original value. Depending on the style adopted by each, the selection will be more or less drastic .
You will certainly earn less than on a digital platform, but in return, the process requires less investment.
What can you sell?
To figure out what you need to sell in your closet, identify the “dead weight.” These are the pieces you keep “just in case” and that prevent you from buying beautiful pieces because you think you already have what you need.
Perhaps you already have a pair of bleached jeans but find the fabric and cut a bit rough?
For those pieces that you are not really happy with but are preventing you from buying a “similar but better” one , now is the time to sell them.
There are also pieces that you already have in duplicate (or almost) in your wardrobe, no more questions to ask: sell the one that suits you the least .
What can't you sell?
On the contrary, there are some items you can't afford to sell. Clothes that are too worn or damaged , unless the wear is a nice natural patina (on jeans, for example). Some items from big brands, without much value, accumulate on sales platforms: they don't deserve to be sold. Sleep in them, exercise in them.
RECYCLE
There are several ways to give your clothes a new lease on life . Recycling is obviously an additional option that we'll focus on now. In fact, you can now drop off your old trousers at three of the Le Relais collection points in each of our stores. By dropping off your trousers, regardless of the brand, you can receive a €5 LePantalon voucher, valid for one month.
If this article were a song
