A good rule of thumb for knowing whether an investment piece is a certified investment piece is to consider how long it will last. So many garments we buy rarely last a couple of washes before they begin to deteriorate and with the world’s eyes firmly fixed on the environmental impact of fashion, it’s worth considering how you can make your clothes last longer.
As well as a visit to a tailor or seamstress, many companies now offer in-house repair services for their products. For less than the price of buying a new garment and without the environmental impact, you can mend and refresh your clothes, doing your part.
ASKET
- ASKET The Overshirt
- ASKET The Chino
ASKET is on a mission to streamline the male wardrobe, offering up a permanent collection of versatile, timeless garments that will never go out of style. You know, the type of clothing you would build an entire capsule wardrobe with.
The Scandinavian brand doesn’t believe in trends and looks to promote sustainability and conscious consumerism, with repairing and recycling playing a big part in the circular economy.
Therefore, on its website you’ll find in-depth repair guides that’ll help you fix many common issues at home (think loose buttons, small holes, broken seams, etc), while you can also order spare parts as and when you need them, including buttons, labels, zippers and drawstrings.
Neem London
- Neem London Recycled Italian Navy Flannel Over-Shirt
- Neem London ZQ Merino Light Grey Long Sleeve Polo
Neem takes sustainability seriously. All of the brand’s clothes are made from recycled, regenerative and renewable fibres and produced in solar-powered mills, with the aim of providing comfortable, stylish apparel with as little impact on the planet as possible.
So, it makes sense that the company would want you to repair rather than replace. The independent label doesn’t offer an in-house service, but has partnered with the Clothes Doctor, which offers sleeve alterations, body length shortening and repairing.
You’ll need to send some pictures of your garment to the Clothes Doctor to get a quote for the repairs, but should it be acceptable the process is plain sailing after that, delivering your repaired items back to you in just 10 days.
Barbour
- Barbour Beaufort Wax Jacket
- Barbour Beacon Sports Jacket
The iconic Barbour jacket will always be a garment worth holding on to. Older waxed jackets seem to carry that extra bit of charm and character once they’ve moulded to their respective owner, taken a bit of a battering from the elements and faded a little.
That being said, you don’t want one where your keys fall out of the pockets and water seeps through the shoulder. What’s great about a Barbour jacket – aside from it being a certified icon – is you can send it back to the British brand to be mended. Not only that, Barbour also sell tins of specialist wax so that you can easily re-wax your jacket at home, maintaining its weatherproofing.
Berghaus
- Berghaus Deluge Pro 2.0 Jacket – Dark Blue
- Berghaus MTN Guide MW Technical Pant – Black
Outdoors brands know which side their bread is buttered. Companies like Berghaus produce clothing designed for the great outdoors, so it makes sense they would want to protect the environment at all costs.
Not only is this good for Mother Nature but it’s also good for our wardrobes, with the British brand repairing any of its items for free (all you cover is the shipping costs), as many times as you need, until the garment in question can no longer be saved. At that point, Berghaus will provide a replacement if the product is within guarantee. If it’s not, it will upcycle it (with your permission) and give you 30% off something new to boot.
Levi’s
- Levi’s 501® ’54 Jeans
- Levi’s Trucker Jacket
Considering it’s the world’s bestselling denim brand, Levi’s Tailor Shop is surprisingly under the radar. But it’s well worth a visit if you’re near one of the locations.
The expert tailors and seamstresses working there can not only help you achieve the perfect fitting jeans – by shortening hems, adjusting the waist or tapering the legs – they’re also able to repair your denim, personalise it using patches or embellishments and even upcycle your jeans into something new entirely.
Crockett & Jones
- Crockett & Jones Boston Burgundy Cavalry Calf
- Crockett & Jones Audley Black Calf
Aside from the significant jump in quality that Goodyear-welted shoes provide over cheaper glued-on-sole versions, the ability to have them resoled over and over again is a clear advantage.
Many of the world-famous Northamptonshire shoemakers offer refurbishment services for their shoes, but we’ve got a soft spot for Crockett & Jones. Repairs take place in the same historic factory in which the brand has been producing footwear for over a century and, needless to say, the craftsmanship is second to none.
Find out more at Crockett & Jones
Patagonia
- Patagonia Torrentshell 3L Jacket
- Patagonia Classic Retro-X Jacket
With environmentalism so ingrained in the culture of the brand, it’s no surprise that Patagonia has taken it upon itself to provide an expansive repairs service for its impressive range of outdoor attire.
Already home to a wide variety of clothing made from recycled materials, Patagonia offer a reasonably-priced repairs service and encourage recycling used or unusable garments wherever possible.
Filson
- Filson Alaskan Guide Shirt
- Filson Medium Dry Duffle Bag
The people behind heritage American brand Filson know their garments are often worn in the rugged outdoors and thus might need repairing now and again.
Even though Filson stands by its clothing – offering a lifetime guarantee against the failure of material, failure of craftsmanship and any defects – it still offers repairs where possible.
Nudie Jeans
- Nudie Grim Tim Jean
- Nudie Sven Heavy Blues Denim Shirt
Great jeans should be hardwearing. You should also avoid washing them too much – inside out if possible to avoid fading – and spot clean where necessary to increase their lifespan.
The good news is if you’ve invested in a pair of Nudie Jeans, you’ve got multiple options to repair them. Take them into repair shops and pop-ups, call in their mobile repair station, take them into a certified repair partner or, if you’re in an especially remote location, order a free repair kit.
Nudie even use old jeans sent in by customers for repair patches.
Finisterre
- Finisterre The Rainbird Waterproof Jacket
- Finisterre Kitty T-Shirt
Primarily known as a surf brand, Finisterre is very much of the Patagonia ilk when it comes to protecting the environment. The last thing Finisterre wants is unwanted material turning up in the sea.
The brand’s Lived & Loved Repairs Service has been a fundamental part of its identity from the beginning, and the online form is simple to fill out with the garment usually repaired and returned within three-to-six weeks.
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