I bought this hat a long time ago, I think I was 16 years old and I was on a holiday in Italy with my parents and sister. We visited a small city and went to a traditional hat shop. The lady who worked there didn’t speak English, but she understood that I was looking for a hat. She started looking for the right hat and made me try everything on. She could tell by my face if I liked it or not and that’s how she kept looking till we found the right one. Once she told me: “Bellissimo!” I knew that was the right hat for me.
Best friend on rainy days
12 years later I’m still wearing that hat. Every time I’m having a bad hair day I put it on. On rainy days it keeps me dry. I really love walking in the rain with my hat on. If you have never tried that before, you should wear a hat next time it’s raining. You don’t need a hood or a cap if you can wear a hat. It’s so comfortable and it gives you the feeling like you’re on an undercover mission.
Repair what you love
For a few years the leather band was broken. I still wore it, now it was just a black hat. I always had in mind that I wanted to repair my hat, but for some reason, it never happened.
Till last week, when I stopped by at a lovely hat shop in the center of Utrecht: Jos van Dijck. It’s a family store that was founded in 1929. They have a beautiful collection of hats and I asked if they could fix mine. They were very friendly and I could choose a new band myself.
One day later my hat was fixed and cleaned and it only cost me €12,50! It looked like a brand new hat. But at the same time, it was my old hat. The one I’m very attached to. The one I wore so many times before.
When I told the owner of the shop I was so happy that they could fix it, he told me that this is exactly where they stand for: sell durable products and make sure people would wear them for a long long time. I really love this way of doing business.
Why you should repair your clothes
1. It saves money. Easy as it is: Instead of buying a new hat, this only cost me € 12,50.
2. It generates less waste. Nowadays lots of clothes are designed to last for a very short time. When we start to repair our items, we don’t have to throw them away.
3. It makes the item more valuable. To me, when I put effort in it, it means this piece of clothing has a certain value, so I handle it with care.
4. It’s a nice way to say: I don’t need you, Fast Fashion Industry!
So next time your favourite item is broken, you don’t have to feel sad! Go to a tailor or shoemaker and get it fixed.
Do you have some nice stories about clothes you repaired? Or do you have any tips and tricks on how to make your clothes last longer? Share them with us!
All the clothes in this picture are hanging in my closet for a long time. Wearing items for more than 10 years is also sustainable right?
Skirt, Inwear – I own this skirt for a long time, I can’t remember where I bought it.
Blouse, H&M – it’s an old one, I bought it more than 10 years ago.
Hat – Bought it 12 years ago in an Italian hat shop
Shoes, Blundstones
