A Handy Craft: New Perspectives on Historical Clothing and Textile Repair

Historically, practices of clothing and textile repair and refashioning were integral to fostering material resourcefulness and promoting the circularity of textile products. However, with the outsourcing of textile production and the cheapening of garments in the late 20th century and early 2000s, Denmark has witnessed a decline in textile skills and knowledge within both the industry and the general public. This diminished textile literacy, coupled with a lack of economic incentives for repair, has resulted in the widespread abandonment of repair and refashioning practices in contemporary society. Consequently, Denmark faces significant challenges in transitioning towards a circular textile economy. Furthermore, historical research on clothing and textile repair in Denmark remains scarce. 

On this background, this PhD project investigates how clothing and textile repair and refashioning was supported historically in Denmark, and how knowledge about these historical practices can contribute to contemporary ideas and action towards material resourcefulness of textile products. 

The PhD study employs a multidisciplinary approach, combining historiographical research with practical, design-based methodologies to examine the historical societal frameworks that facilitated repair and refashioning practices. The research centres on three key examples of clothing and textile repair: darning samplers as material evidence of historical repair skills and competencies, education in repair and refashioning techniques in the Danish primary and lower secondary school from late 19th century to the present, and the repair service initiative of Denmark’s Clothing Repair and Exchange Centrals during the Second World War. The project findings underscore the need to revitalise textile education, enhance societal textile literacy, and provide political and economic support for repair service initiatives in support of repair infrastructures. By bridging historical and contemporary perspectives, this research demonstrates the potential of past practices to inform and inspire current efforts to promote clothing and textile repair and the circularity of textile products. The project is funded by Royal Danish Academy - Institute of Design, Product and Material and is partnered by the National Museum of Denmark.