Mend It Like You Mean It

Turn rips and tears into wearable art.

- By Jessica D'Argenio Waller

We’ve all got those well-worn pieces taking up space in our closets: the once-beloved jeans with rips everywhere, the denim jacket that’s now just a smidge off-trend, the favorite sweater with threadbare elbows you can’t quite part with. But now you can give them a second life in just a few stitches thanks to visible mending, which can transform those clothing castaways into wearable masterpieces.

The Japanese art of functional embroidery, known as sashiko, uses a simple stitch to create geometric patterns on clothes. It’s super versatile: Use sashiko to hem a pair of pants, sew a patch, place a pocket or add a starry pattern to a jacket.