Making Financial Headlines · Page 9
Fashion Chains Put the Repair on Display and Sell the Look
· New York time
Visible mending is attracting a new generation, with fashion chains including Levi's and Primark selling clothes that feature the look of repairs. Eye-catching patches and mends turn a detail once hidden into part of the design. The appeal is a reversal of the usual retail promise: instead of making wear disappear, the garment draws attention to it. For shoppers, the style can offer individuality and a connection to a practice associated with extending the life of clothes. For retailers, it offers a design that can be sold on a rack rather than made at a kitchen table. The contrast is hard to miss. A patch traditionally announces that an old item has been kept in use; on a new garment, it can arrive before the owner has had a chance to wear anything out. Fashion has found a way to make the repair the opening act.
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