The new year brings with it big ideas about fresh starts and clean slates — “new year, new me,” as the saying goes. One of the most well-known manifestations of this feeling is the closet purge. It’s likely that you or someone you know has greeted the new year at some point with a wardrobe refresh, tossing out old clothes and replacing them with new ones.
While a fresh start is appealing in concept, the reality of this practice is not so pleasant. According to the BBC, “The average American has been estimated to throw away around 37 kg (81 pounds) of clothes every year … and around 85% of all textiles thrown away in the U.S. are either dumped into landfill or burned.”
The good news is you don’t have to give up your New Year’s vision. LS&Co. has been working hard over the years to provide alternatives to waste, like Levi’s® SecondHand. In 2021, we launched our “Buy Better, Wear Longer” campaign, focused on driving better consumption practices and reducing our own natural resource footprint.
And many of our storefronts also now feature a Tailor Shop, so your Levi’s® products can change with you. Is your old pair feeling a little old? Embroidery, repairs and customization can refresh your wardrobe with zero waste.
“I think we all have treasures in our wardrobe we’ve just forgotten,” said Virginie Jure, master tailor at the Levi’s® Paris Champs-Elysées store. “It might be that they are no longer in fashion, or simply don’t fit anymore. Tailoring can help with that. It sometimes only takes a very minor alteration in the leg opening to give a pant a fresher look. And there are so many other creative ways to give the back of your wardrobe a fabulous second life.”
Looking for some ideas on how to refresh your old denim? Check out our Tailor Profile Series on Off the Cuff to see what inspires our in-house experts, and visit Levi.com to find a Tailor Shop near you.
