Denim Therapy: Re-Visiting a Culture of Repair Instead of Replace

In the American culture, the practice of preserving and repairing one’s belongings peaked during the Great Depression and WWI. These lessons lived on as children raised by survivors of these eras learned the value of both stretching a dollar, and darning holey socks to stretch their life. Decades later came a shift in the economic dynamic: ushering in an era of cheaper disposable goods, and with it, a new generation of Americans with a more cavalier attitude towards money that culminated in a throw away society.

Today, Americans are embracing and re-visiting the humbler outlook of yesteryear. The ‘out with the old, in with the new’ mentality has been replaced with ‘repair the old, can't afford the new.’ Denim Therapy is one of many thriving repair businesses that has transcended the ‘lack of business’ curse brought on by the recession. In today's economy, many small businesses like Denim Therapy are capitalizing on people's desire to be thrifty and economical, as well as get extended life out of older products, by offering services to repair old products and make them last longer. "I recently sent my favorite pair of jeans to Denim Therapy for revival, and I was thrilled with the results, as well as the much less expensive price tag that went along with repairing instead of replacing.

The notion of Denim Therapy is especially symbolic because blue jeans have been the literal fabric of American culture since their invention in 1873. A classic, staple apparel item coveted worldwide for pairing comfort with style, the folks at Denim Therapy re-stitch your holey, worn out jeans to make them look good as new -- a service that will leave customers all patched up, minus the telling patch.

Cobblers are also keeping busy riding the fix-it wave. One cobbler reports a 25%-30% increase in business explaining, “People are deciding to patch up their loafers and pumps rather than splashing out on a new pair. We are seeing people come in for jobs that they wouldn’t have bothered with before.”

Sending one’s jeans to therapy is an ironic act as Americans are trying to hold their lives together by the seams. Just as poignant, extending the 'sole' of shoes to keep walking the difficult path ahead. We may not have any control over fixing the economy, or the trillion dollar deficit, but at the very least we can salvage our trusty jeans and kicks and opt to repair not despair.