Is it worth it to repair?
My oldest and most beloved pair of Levi's jeans ripped the other day.
I knew it was going to happen sooner or later, but it still broke my heart.
My initial thought was...I can't repair this, I'll just have to take on the daunting task of finding a new pair of jeans that actually fit. I'm so excited to shop for new pants...said no one EVER.
Next, I spent over an hour online shopping for secondhand replacements or trying to guess my actual size...(I bet I could have repaired them by now). Eventually, I gave up due to feeling overwhelmed with the overabundance of options online.
However, as a few hours passed by, I got curious in wondering what the options for repair even were, so I went to my favorite tutorial center YOUTUBE and went down a rabbit hole to find the perfect jean repair videos that could be achieved without a sewing machine. I only have a small freebie pocket-sized travel sewing kit, so I was skeptical that I could do it, but there was no harm in trying.
I have included links to 3 of the most helpful tutorials that I was able to find (below), and it was a SUCCESS so I highly recommend even attempting to repair before you replace! The jeans were ruined already, so I couldn't make them any worse!
Find the 3 easy to follow hand sew tutorials that help me here.
*I was successful with using the "ladder" or "invisible" stitch for this repair.
*Another option for those that may not have the time, is to find a repair or alterations professional! It's totally worth it to have it repaired if it's something you love, and in my opinion, the longer I can put off pants shopping, THE BETTER.
LET'S BREAK DOWN THE COST SAVINGS
$
To repair these pants that I've had for years, it cost me a few cents and about an hour while lying in my bed trying to find good tutorials on how best to repair the pants.
$$
Alterations would probably cost anywhere between $10-15 USD.
$$$
Purchasing a new pair of jeans would take me hours of potential multiple trips to the store to find a "good" fitting pair of jeans, and at least $50 for a good quality pair that would last as long as these have.
*It's good to think through all of your options first, and honestly if you have the time I encourage you to at least attempt a repair because it's broken anyways, what do you have to lose?!