‘Stitched it back’: Edmonton event where locals mend clothes promotes sustainability
Pearce Carpenter says fixing the holes in the black balloon bottoms they bought from an Edmonton thrift store is their way of tackling fast fashion.
Edmonton residents gathered at the University of Alberta's Human Ecology Clothing Repair Café to mend their old clothes and promote sustainability. The event, which has been occurring monthly for five years, saw attendees use needles, threads, fabrics, and ribbons to fix holes in their garments. Samantha Barrios Mendoza, the event coordinator, noted that the increasing number of participants is likely due to financial constraints and growing interest in repairing clothes.
Fast fashion, characterized by the rapid production of cheap, trendy clothing, has come under scrutiny for its environmental impact. By repairing existing items, consumers can reduce waste and contribute to sustainability efforts. Event attendees shared their personal connections to mending, with one person adding sentimental trinkets to a repaired wedding dress and another creating aprons from fabric kept since childhood.
Experts were also present to teach new repair techniques, with the majority of the mending focusing on hole repair and resizing.
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