Duration: 4:02

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Visual Description: A woman wearing a white nightgown addresses the camera. She uses the outfit as an example of a garment that she would choose not to repair, pointing out with her hands areas of stress and damage on the garment. She also holds up a sleeve from a garment that she chose to repair instead of scrapping. There are grey-coloured curtains in the background.

Description: I decided to discard this nightgown instead of trying to repair it, and I thought it might be useful to folks if I explained my rationale and decision-making process.

If a garment's heavily worn or damaged, I'm less likely to repair it as I think it's likely to continue to fall apart, and so repairing it is unlikely to significantly prolong the life of a garment.

If a new garment is showing signs of damage, I'm not likely to try and fix it, as I see that as a sign of "poor quality" and am concerned that even if I repair it it'll continue to fall apart.

If the fabric and stitching of a garment are overall in good condition, but it only needs minor repairs, I'm very likely to repair it.

If the repairs would be on a part of the garment where they'd be sensory-unfriendly if repaired, like the sole of a sock or tights, I'm unlikely to repair the garment, as I'd be unlikely to wear it once repaired.

I feel like it's important to recognize that we only have so many hours in a day. Garments eventually wear out, and there comes a time where it's not worth it to me to continue to try and repeatedly repair something that's heavily damaged. While I feel like conscious consumption is important, I'm not "zero waste", and so I try not to feel bad about discarding clothes that are very well-loved and in poor condition.

I hope that this video inspires you to tackle projects, and to think critically about how you're using your time.