Make Do and Mend

A lot of environmentally friendly advice these days stokes the flames of American consumerism. Replace your old drier with a new one; trade in your polyester clothes for bamboo. While the results can make ecological sense in terms of energy use, we still end up with more things to toss into land fills.

The concept of “made do and mend” proposes another alternative. It originated in war-time Britain, when everything including clothes was rationed. (The US had its own less radical version.) Booklets urged women to reduce, reuse, and recycle just about everything. One of these manuals, recently reprinted, is packed with tips on how to lengthen stockings, create stylish patches, and recut old garments into new designs. At an exhibit at the Imperial War Museum in London, I even saw an elegant dress made out of a silk map!

As the name implies, make do and mend is particularly well suited for clothing. It takes only a few darts and a hem to convert a long boxy jacket, popular years ago, into a shorter more form fitting version. This is yet another reason to learn how to sew!