5 Ways to Fix that Worn Out Piece of Clothing

old denim shirt patch idea

Face it. Sometimes, clothing wears out. Even hard working denim…   

We’ve all got that favorite piece of clothing that we refuse to throw away. It’s comfortable, and the fit is perfect, right? Yeah, we hear ya.

So, here are a few ways to save it:

1. As in the picture at top, rather trying to cover any signs of wear and tear, make them stand out! Simply patch it up with some fabric that’s somewhat similar or go the total opposite, maybe use some cool plaid or corduroy, and let those stitches show.

2. Add to the mess: get some sandpaper and work the neck a little bit, just enough so it looks more worn. Another something to dry is to re-dye the shirt: you can try watered down Rit dye, or some leftover coffee or tea. 

3. Update the components: trying replacing the buttons to something like mother-of-pearl snaps. It takes a few minutes and it really switches up the look. By adding a “new” element you balance the whole mess so it doesn’t look like a dirty rag.

4. Turn an old pair of pants into shorts: follow our no-sew ManMade guide here: How to: Make Your Own Shorts from a Pair of Pants…No Sewing Required

5. Lastly, you can just fix the problem. We enlisted the help of tailor and seamster Danni Trester to help you through some common repairs. Check out our DIY Tailor series here. 

See? That was easy. You can do all this while watching Breaking Bad reruns, so give it a shot. 

Image credit: Levis