#but planet of festivity has only “now” and doesn't care about it's past T-T

[laurastaticesideblog]

?????????

Sunday's outfit has eyes too!! At first, I thought it's a dev's joke about biblical accurate angels but now I doubt it!!!

[elizabethfraser-va]

Link: https://www.vam.ac.uk/blog/caring-for-our-collections/refashioned-recycling-in-the-vas-textiles-fashion-collection

Questioning how repair could also mean 'refashion' or 'repurposing' -> linking past, present and future?

How can 'repair' be extended? Can it? Does it simply mean an effort to restore something to its former condition or extending its lifespan, as its previous purpose isn't relevant anymore?

I want to question how things we wear from the past can be changed and modified to fit the current ideals of whatever time it happens to be in, which can cynically be seen as 'restoring' it to 'what it should be'. Therefore, how much leverage do we as humans really have over the natural changes that occur in the process of ageing and damage due to use or time? No matter how much we try to reverse the effects of change, does this really do whatever we are trying to restore justice? Or is it the 'moral' thing to do?

Garments and clothing can be considered a second skin. We are the only species on earth that use an external material to cover ourselves up everyday, and this is purposed for weather, practical use, aesthetics and self-expression. So, repair and restoration in clothing is a very important matter to many, however more so to civilisations without access to mass-manufactured and consumable garments, such as people in the 16th century. Skills of repairing garments has been lost slightly due to this, mainly in the western world, however it has gained some increase in people wanting to extend the life of their clothing due to environmental concerns.

What's crazy is that repairing clothing was a normality to most people in, for example, 19th century England, and even wealthy individuals did not have many clothes. Therefore, there was more of an emphasis on repairing your clothes wherever you can. There were also the values of society that influenced this. For example, during WW2 people were encouraged to salvage their clothing into anything practical and repair when necessary, and clothing rationing was a huge reason for this. Today, when buying new clothes is something that is persuaded and a normal part of 'modern' society, repair simply isn't exactly needed. The most I have done to prolong the life of a crappy, bad quality H&M t-shirt was cut it shorter and make it look more 'trendy'. I have also sewn quite a few shirt buttons, often with different coloured thread (so how much is it really repairing it when it just changes it more?)

There's also a weird element of elitism when it comes to this kind of stuff. It appears things have switched: from a time when almost every poor peasant in the country had to know how to repair their clothing (and it was embarrassing to see that you had repaired your clothes), to now when it's almost seen as a trendy, hip thing to do. People who actually have time to repair their tattered clothes, who by the way might already be good quality fabric enough that they are salvageable, usually have a slightly privileged attitude to this job. It can be seen as a pleasure, something that might not even be necessary. On the other hand, this is a very good thing. The more people trying to prolong their garments' lives is only helping decrease how much garments contribute to waste on the planet. Furthermore, why shouldn't repairing your favourite jumper be a pleasure? Doesn't this only contribute to producing less waste? Is this attitude also an elitist attitude?

But this also ignores how much we actually know about the way our clothes are made. It's a comfort to us to not know, really. We don't want to know what really happens in the factory. We can afford to turn a blind eye.